In a meeting of Plymouth City Council's Delegated Decisions, Councillor Mark Lowry, Cabinet Member for Finance, approved the new Income and Credit Management Policy, and Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities, approved the disposal of public open space land adjacent to Pounds House. Both decisions are subject to call-in until 5pm on Friday 29 August 2025.

Disposal of Land Adjacent to Pounds House

Councillor Chris Penberthy approved the disposal of public open space land adjacent to Pounds House, 162 Outland Road, Plymouth, PL2 3PX. The council had previously advertised its intention to dispose of the land, and considered objections to the disposal before making the decision.

Pounds House is a Grade II listed three-storey mid-19th century villa located on the fringes of Central Park. It was most recently used as offices by Plymouth Excellence Cluster but has been vacant since 2017. The council believes that disposing of the property will enable a third party to invest and bring the property back into beneficial use, as well as remove a substantial maintenance liability.

The land to be disposed of is a small section of open space around Pounds House, which the council says is required to facilitate the sale of Pounds House. It includes all retaining walls and the land retained by them, encompassing all the features of the listed building as well as the parking area that was allocated to the house when it was still in use. The site has been marked using natural boundaries where possible.

The land is approximately 0.36 hectares, of which approximately 0.233 hectares is planted with trees/shrubs/borders etc., and approximately 0.059 hectares is car parking/driveway previously allocated to support the use of Pounds House. Additionally, approximately 0.014 hectares has been fenced off for some time for public protection from falling masonry. The council says that this means that only approximately 0.054 hectares is truly currently publicly accessible open parkland.

The council says that the disposal of this land will facilitate the sale of Pounds House itself, which will bring in a capital receipt for the council, remove ongoing holding costs, and bring the property back into use. The council also expects to save on grounds maintenance costs for the land.

Objections

The council received 78 comments by email objecting to the disposal of the land. The objections that directly related to loss of public open space were summarised as follows:

• Object to any loss of open space, especially part of Central Park
• Harmful to wildlife
• Will affect users of the Doctors Surgery, other people parking and accessibility to the park
• The space is needed for dog walking
• The space is needed for walkers, families, nature lovers and community groups and the sale would drastically reduce the area of land available to them
• No local access to the park from Peverell area
• Belief that the land was gifted to PCC
• Loss of parking area and access road
• Concern that the land would be used to build houses
• There is no indication that this parcel of land is pertinent to another potential sale of the Grade II listed building known as Pounds House and would have been highly relevant
• The surrounding road network would bring difficulties in respect of traffic generation
• Confirm that the Council have carried out this Public Consultation within the scope and obligations of the usual regulations and considerations
• Concern that there are rare plant species within the land.

The council responded to the objections, saying that the disposal of the land is required in order to attract investors in the purchase of the adjacent Pounds House, and that the public open space in question amounts to around 0.5% of the total area of Central Park. The council also said that any planning consent for changes to the site will require relevant surveys if deemed necessary, and that the surgery has its own parking provision and there is on-street parking available nearby.

The council also said that dogs can continue to be exercised in the remainder of Central Park, and that the remainder of Central Park is still available for walkers, families, nature lovers and community groups. The council also said that there is on-street parking nearby as well as next to the Barn Park entrance, and that level pedestrian access to the park remains in place at both the top and bottom of the drive which will remain in council ownership.

The council also said that the land was acquired at market value in 1927 and has not been gifted, and that the council has an absolute freehold registered title and there are no limitations on its ability to dispose of the site. The council also said that there is no plan to dispose of the access road, and that the on site parking was to facilitate the use of Pounds House therefore there is no net loss of parking.

The council also said that there will only be a relatively small area of land included within any proposed sale therefore unlikely to be able to accommodate the construction of additional houses, however any application to do so would be subject to the necessary planning consents. Additionally, the land is designated as a Strategic Green Space Site (PLY19) within the Joint Local Plan.

The council also said that as well as the notice being titled 'Land surrounding Pounds House', the plan clearly shows the location of the land in question, and that the sale of Pounds House has been publicised on social media, the council's website and local news outlets both in print and online as well as via television and radio news coverage. The council also said that any application for a planning change of use to the land (or indeed the adjacent building) will require consent, therefore impact on the local road network will be considered as part of the process.

The council also said that as required, notice was given that the council intends to dispose of land, pursuant to Section 123(2A) of the Local Government Act 1972. Finally, the council said that horticulturalists will inspect the land and advise of any notable species, and that should any be identified then a condition can be included in the sale contract requiring that consent is sought for their removal.

Equalities Impact Assessment

An Equalities Impact Assessment¹ was undertaken, which found that the disposal of this land to facilitate the best value sale of the adjacent Pounds House will only affect around 0.5% of Central Park, and that there are no anticipated negative impacts for service users, communities or employees.

Income and Credit Management Policy

Councillor Mark Lowry approved the new Income and Credit Management Policy. The policy outlines Plymouth City Council's approach to managing income and credit across all departments and services, ensuring financial sustainability, legal compliance, and customer sensitivity.

The council says that income from council tax, business rates, rents, fees, and charges, form a significant portion of the council's funding, and that effective credit and income management is essential to maintain service delivery and financial resilience. The policy has been produced to reflect current legislation, operational practices, and strategic priorities.

The policy's stated purpose is:

To maximise the amount of collectable debt, through the prudent extension of credit, the balancing of financial risk and the efficient collection of income, within a framework of customer care and client sensitivity.

The policy applies to all income sources and both statutory² and non-statutory services.

Objectives

The policy's objectives include:

• To administer an efficient debt collection process with clearly defined roles and responsibilities and documented processes.
• To maximise the amount of income collected using the most efficient methods of payment.
• To ensure that the cost of providing goods or services on credit terms and the cost of recovery is kept to a minimum.
• To minimise cost to the authority by applying administration charges for extended credit arrangements and failed payments, where cost has been incurred.
• To minimise cost to the authority by applying interest and charges as appropriate in accordance with relevant contracts, legislation or Late Payment of Commercial Debt (interest) Act, 1998
• To minimise cost by receiving payment up front for services wherever possible.
• To minimise bad debt and provide adequate levels of provision for bad debt occurring.
• To identify high risk customers, especially those likely to get into financial difficulties. Departments should make appropriate checks, to ensure affordability and safeguard the recovery of outstanding debt.
• To maintain high quality and comprehensive accounts receivable information to provide easily accessible, robust management information as well as accurate customer accounts history.
• To operate within an overall framework where core working practices are consistently applied across all services and best practice adhered to.
• To adhere strictly to legislation, codes of conduct and professional guidelines, taking into account the council's policies on equalities and considering diversity issues.

Policy Alignment

The Briefing Report states that the Income and Credit Management Policy is designed to be consistent with the following strategies and policies of the council:

• Medium Term Financial Strategy
• Sustainable Community Strategy
• Financial Regulations.
• Charging Policy (in respect of Adult Social Care)
• Deferred Payment Agreement
• Bad Debt Procedure

The policy is intended to support the council's Medium Term Financial Strategy by protecting and increasing income, and the Sustainable Community Strategy by ensuring access to services for all residents. The policy also aligns with the council's Financial Regulations, ensuring that best practice and legal responsibilities are always adhered to.

Equalities Impact Assessment

An Equalities Impact Assessment was undertaken, which found that the policy provides a framework for collecting debt, which may include individuals with care experience. The council does not hold Care Experience data within the same systems which manage debt collection, but if a customer is identified as care experienced in the process of debt recovery, then teams will engage with the customer to signpost and support as required.

The assessment also found that Plymouth City council does not hold data for disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation in relation to income and credit management, and that there will be no adverse impacts as Plymouth City Council does not discriminate on the basis of these protected characteristics³.