The Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be reviewing the decision of Elmbridge Council's Cabinet to sell Weybridge Hall. The documents also show that the Committee will be asked to consider whether to ask the Cabinet to reconsider the sale, refer the sale to the full Council for further discussion, or take no action, allowing the sale to go ahead.

Sale of Weybridge Hall

Six Councillors have requested that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee review the Cabinet's decision to sell Weybridge Hall to the Equippers Church. A report provided for the meeting indicates that the Cabinet decided to sell Weybridge Hall for £1,200,000 on 20th November 2024. The same report explains that the Council received several offers for the property, including one for £1,225,000, which was rejected in favour of the Equippers Church's offer. The report states that this was because the higher offer would have seen the ground floor of the building leased to a new starter gym operator, which would have represented a significant risk given the costs to fit-out and that they had no financial track record. Councillor Simon Waugh, the Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Commercial Strategy, told the meeting that a restrictive covenant would be added to the building's deeds. This means that the building can only be used for uses considered to have a leisure / community use that provides an active frontage. The six Councillors who called the decision in, Councillor Harrison Allman-Varty, Councillor Hilary Butler, Councillor John Cope, Councillor Katerina Lusk, Councillor Colin McFarlane, and Councillor Corinne Sterry, argue that the decision should be reviewed to enable a discussion by all Councillors of the decision to sell Weybridge Hall. They say that There has been little, if any, consultation including with all Weybridge councillors. and that the sale should receive full, open, and transparent consideration. In the report prepared for the meeting, Elmbridge Council officers state that Ward Councillors have engaged positively in the principle of the sale to the Equippers Church. A brochure produced by the Equippers Church indicates that the church intends to spend approximately £3,000,000 refurbishing the building. Their plans for the building include:

• A two-tiered auditorium [that] would be restored to seat 300-400 people
• [Studios for] midweek meetings / workshops for mental health, wellbeing, marriage counselling meetings and youth gatherings
• Space for hire for weddings, birthday parties, exercise classes, art exhibitions and other community uses The brochure states that the church will also run a ‘shuttle service’ to/from the train station to encourage park & ride for attendees of the church's services. The report prepared for the Cabinet meeting claims that the Equippers Church will bring significant added value to local businesses in Weybridge. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee may choose to ask the Cabinet to reconsider the sale or refer the decision to the full Council for a final decision.