Purpose

The
site is identified for disposal in the land sale review programme,
approved by Executive in March 2025.
 
The
Council is the freeholder of part of the land at Balmoral Road,
Altrincham that has been leased to a family business, Allen’s
Waste for 61 years.
 
The
site has been in a declining condition for many years with waste
accumulations extending well above the permitted height. The
Council’s Environmental Protection team received numerous
complaints regarding dust, odour, flies and rats and worked with
the Environment Agency (who regulated the waste activities on site)
over several years.

 
The
required improvements to the site were not made and in 2023 the
Environment Agency removed the waste permit on the site and ordered
the site to be cleared of waste within a specified
time. 
 
Allens Waste abandoned the site leaving the significant
accumulation of commercial waste materials. The Council continued
to receive complaints of vermin, excessive dust and health
concerns.

 
In
2024, the Council served a notice under the Prevention of Damage by
Pests Act 1949 on the site for action to be taken to control the
vermin. No action was undertaken by Allens Waste, so the Council
carried out works in default to bait the land to reduce the rat
population. Council Officers continued to monitor the activity and
reported an improvement in the signs of vermin.

 
Despite several attempts by the Council to manage the waste
position with the leaseholder, the site remains in a very poor
condition with significant commercial waste present.

 
The
Council has been advised that the original leaseholders of the land
have passed away.

 
The
current owners have been working with a local developer to acquire
the site for residential development.

 
This
report will detail the plan for the disposal of this land to a
developer
 

Decision

1)   
That the history with the site, the current
condition and plan for remediation, be noted.
 
2)   
That the disposal of the site in accordance with the
general terms set out in the report, be approved.

 
3)   
That the Corporate Director, Place, in consultation
with the Director of Legal and Governance, be delegated authority
to negotiate, finalise and agree the terms for the disposal as set
out in the report.

 
4)   
That the Director of Legal and Governance be
delegated authority to enter into any legal agreement or other
document required to implement the decision.

Reasons for the decision

The
site is identified for disposal in the land sale review programme,
approved by Executive in March 2025. The site has been in a
declining condition for many years, generating complaints of
vermin, excessive dust and health concerns. The plan to dispose of
the site, with an obligation upon the purchaser to undertake
remediation, represents a good opportunity for the Council to
address a potentially significant liability together with the
associated concerns.
 

Alternative options considered

Do
nothing – the Council can choose to not dispose of the
site, however, the Council has tried on
numerous occasions to enforce the management of the site without
success. Doing nothing is not considered to be a viable option due
to the environmental conditions on the site and the risk this poses
to the Council and the general
public.
 
The
Council could choose to undertake remediation itself, prior to
disposal of the land. This comes with cost risk to the Council. The
developer remediation of the land removes the risk.