Purpose

South Holland District Council hold a range of
land and property assets, some make limited or no positive
contribution to the asset portfolio of the Council. The South and
East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership Asset Management Strategy
2023 – 2028 set out that:

Assets can be declared surplus and/or disposed of for a number of
reasons…including but not being limited to when:

• they make no contribution to the delivery of services
• their retention is not economically viable
• they afford no strategic or value opportunity, or
when;
• an alternative has been identified which would be more cost
effective.

The assets referred to in this report are considered to be surplus
for one or more of the reasons above.

In addition, the Council is developing a sustainable resourcing
strategy to support its capital programme, with any capital
receipts/revenue income generated from asset transactions forming
part of its funding strategy. It is therefore necessary to move at
pace in getting the assets set out in this report to the
market.

Decision

This is a Portfolio Holder
Decision to:
 

Declare the sites set out in this report
surplus.

Where applicable, notify any tenant or licensee
occupying any land declared surplus of the Council’s
intention to secure vacant possession and dispose of sites set
out.

Where applicable, secure vacant possession of the
sites set out in this report.

Work with any existing tenants/licensees of the
sites referred to in this report to relocate should the opportunity
be available.

Publish any and all statutory notices required in
relation to the potential disposal of any land that could be deemed
‘public open space’.

Appoint an agent to offer the sites to the market
for freehold disposal, long lease or short tenancy.

Delegate authority to the Strategic and Operational
Property Manager to negotiate any offers received and, following
consultation and sanction of the Portfolio Holder, accept any offer
certified by a Registered Valuer as representing market value and
best consideration in accordance with section 123 of the Local
Government Act 1972.

Delegate authority to the Strategic and Operational
Property Manager to include any and all relevant and necessary
covenants or clauses into any resulting conveyances, leases or
licences.

Notify all applicants on the Council’s
Self-build and Custom Housebuilding that the Council will be
marketing the land and property assets set out in this report for
freehold or leasehold disposal or short tenancy.

 
In
the event any representations are made in relation to the potential
disposal of public open space, such representation will be formally
considered by the Cabinet before any decision to dispose can or
will be made.
 
The
Portfolio Holder reserves the right to withdraw any site from the
market at any time.
 
The cumulative value likely to
be returned as a consequence of this decision makes it a ‘key
decision’.
 
The adopted capital project
priorities of South Holland District Council need, in part, be
sustainably resourced by raising capital receipts and/or generating
new revenue streams to otherwise fund those priorities; the
timeframe for delivery of those priorities means the time for
getting the land and property assets set out in this report to the
market is of the essence, making this an urgent decision; it is
therefore reasonable, justified and proportionate that the decision
takes effect five days after it is published.
 

Reasons for the decision

Assets can be declared surplus and/or disposed of for a
number of reasons…including but not being limited to
when:
 
·        
they make no contribution to the delivery of
services
·        
their retention is not economically
viable
·        
they afford no strategic or value opportunity, or
when;
·        
an alternative has been identified which would be
more cost effective.
 
The land and property assets
referred to in this report are considered to be surplus for one or
more of the reasons above.
 
In addition, the Council is
developing a sustainable resourcing strategy to support its capital
programme, with any capital receipts/revenue income generated from
asset transactions forming part of its funding
strategy.  It is therefore necessary to
move at pace in getting the assets set out in this report to the
market.
 

Alternative options considered

1.   
Do nothing in respect of the land and property
assets set out within this report – retention of the sites
would retain all current cost and risk pressures the sites present,
and, in the absence of any sustainable business case for investment
in the sites for their alternative use is not
recommended.
2.   
Invest in all of the land and property assets set
out in this report to improve their visual amenity and overall
condition, accepting that there will be limited or no return on any
investment as no sustainable business case has been able to be
developed – not recommended.