To consider approval for the disposal of surplus Council owned assets to Coningsby Town Council.

1. That the land at Hudson Drive and Curtis Drive, Coningsby, edged red on the plans at Appendix 2 of the report be declared surplus to the Council’s requirement;

2. That the Deputy Chief Executive, Programme Delivery and Assistant Director - General Fund Assets be delegated authority to follow the advertising process set out by Section 123 (2A) of the Local Government Act, 1972, in respect the land set out in Recommendation 1.

3. That the lawful exemptions set out within The Local Government Act 1972: General Disposal Consent (England) 2003 to agree the disposal of the freehold title of the two plots of land set out in Recommendation 1, to Coningsby Town Council at their restricted market value of £1 each, representing a notional undervalue of £8,998 be relied upon in the event that no representations are received by the Council in respect of recommendation 2.

4. That the Deputy Chief Executive, Programme Delivery and Assistant Director - General Fund Assets be delegated authority to protect the Council’s future position by specifying appropriate Restrictive Covenants within any resulting conveyance, including an 80% overage clause on both assets.

In the event that any representations are made to the Council in respect of recommendation 2, recommendations 3 and 4 cannot take effect and the Executive will need to formally consider any representations made before making a final decision.

A report was presented to consider the disposal of surplus Council owned assets to Coningsby Town Council.

During his introduction of the report, the Leader of the Council highlighted that a number of transfers involving the disposal of Council assets to town and parish councils had completed over recent years.  These had been undertaken as part of the asset transformation programme included in the Asset Management Framework 2016-2026.  More recently, the adoption of the SELCP Asset Management Strategy 2023-26 continued the theme for the disposal of assets that ‘supported collaboration with public sector partners, charitable and voluntary organisations and other stakeholders,’ for those assets that offered no strategic value in terms of service provision or viability.

Following interest expressed by Coningsby Town Council in the transfer of Council assets, confirmation had been received of a wish to transfer two assets. These were located at Hudson Drive and Curtis Drive in Coningsby. Consideration had been given to the request and was detailed in the report.

The full background and details were included at Sections 1 and 2 of the report, pages 163 to 166 of the Agenda refer.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning stated that he was pleased to see a further paper on asset transfers and considered that the pieces of land concerned rightfully belonged with the community and was pleased that the Council took an open approach to public land.  He added that a town or parish council could provide better value for money for maintenance and delivery locally for the people that lived in the community.

The Portfolio Holder for Operational Services added that as a former member of Coningsby Town Council, greenfield areas in Coningsby and neighbouring Tattershall had been well utilised and well developed and considered that the transfers of greenfield sites would be well used in the future for the community.

RESOLVED

1. That the land at Hudson Drive and Curtis Drive, Coningsby, edged red on the plans at Appendix 2 of the report be declared surplus to the Council’s requirement;

2. That the Deputy Chief Executive, Programme Delivery and Assistant Director - General Fund Assets be delegated authority to follow the advertising process set out by Section 123 (2A) of the Local Government Act, 1972, in respect the land set out in Recommendation 1.

3. That the lawful exemptions set out within The Local Government Act 1972: General Disposal Consent (England) 2003 to agree the disposal of the freehold title of the two plots of land set out in Recommendation 1, to Coningsby Town Council at their restricted market value of £1 each, representing a notional undervalue of £8,998 be relied upon in the event that no representations are received by the Council in respect of recommendation 2

4. That the Deputy Chief Executive, Programme Delivery and Assistant Director - General Fund Assets be delegated authority to protect the Council’s future position by specifying appropriate Restrictive Covenants within any resulting conveyance, including an 80% overage clause on both assets.

In the event that any representations are made to the Council in respect of recommendation 2, recommendations 3 and 4 cannot take effect and the Executive will need to formally consider any representations made before making a final decision.

Reasons

• The disposal of the assets will enable the facilities to be managed at a local level by the Town Council and community of Coningsby.
• The assets are not considered to be of any strategic value.
• The assets do not offer any development potential given that they are allocated as protected open space and recreation uses in the current Local Plan.
• Marginal annual revenue savings will be achieved once the transfer is completed.

Other Options

Retention

• Both locations currently incur revenue costs for maintenance. If retained there would continue to be the need to provide an annual revenue budget to cover this. The retention of the assets provides no strategic benefit or opportunity for alternative uses.

Development

• The opportunity to develop the land has also been explored with the Council’s Development Control Officer. The sites are designated open space in the current Local Plan so are unlikely to be supported for other uses without alternative land being provided in a suitable location elsewhere in the village.