Issue - meetings

Report by the Chief Operating Officer.

33.1     The Assistant Director Property introduced the report which provides an update on how the Council’s assets have been used for community asset transfer by community and voluntary groups. The report also contained suggestions for revising the guidance on the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) policy for consideration by the Committee.

33.2     The Committee considered the report and made a number of comments and suggestions. A summary of the discussion and the points raised is given below.

Information on running costs

33.3     The Committee thanked officers for a good report which outlined how council owned properties and assets can be transferred to or leased by community groups. The Committee asked how community groups could find out about the running costs of a property that they may be interested in. The Assistant Director Property outlined that under the proposal in paragraph 2.18 d) of the report there will be a checklist provided to community groups listing the things that they may consider, including considerations like running costs. If at that stage the community group would like more information on things like utility costs, rent, insurance etc. this can be provided to them. Also, under the proposal in paragraph 2.18 h) there would be a named contact in the Property Services Team who they could contact for information or to answer questions they may have about a particular property, including whether it is surplus or in operational use. It was clarified that responses to requests would be given within a reasonable timescale.

Local Government Act requirements and evaluation

33.4     The Committee observed that the Local Government Act General Disposal Consent Order 2003 requirements as set out in paragraph 2.9 of the report are an important principle and that this should be given prominence in the web site information. These requirements should also be included in the website information proposed in paragraph 2.18 a) and need to be made clear in the asset disposal process. It would also be really helpful for community organisations to understand the evaluation process the Lead Member has to go through when considering these requirements for asset disposals and longer leases.

33.5     The Assistant Director Property responded that this was a helpful point on the Local Government Act requirements and acknowledged that it would be useful for information on the requirements to be provided to community organisations. Lead Member reports for asset disposals and leases over seven years in length, do set out this information and will provide information on commercial offers and the other wider economic, social and well-being benefits for the Lead Member to consider. In terms of the evaluation process, recent Lead Member reports have included a matrix of evaluation criteria.

Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Policy

33.6     The Committee asked how the existing CAT policy would be streamlined and combined with the proposals for improvements. Committee members noted that they would not want to see the existing policy document reduced too far. The Assistant Director Property outlined that the idea was to revise the CAT policy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33

Report by the Chief Operating Officer.

30.1     The Assistant Director Property introduced the report and summarised the key points regarding the Council’s policy and processes for community asset transfers and asset disposal and use. He highlighted that there are some statutory considerations where the Council is required to secure best value for disposals which applies to the sale of property assets and includes the freehold transfer of land/buildings or the grant of a lease over 7 years.

30.2     The Committee discussed the report and a summary of the questions and key points raised is given below.

30.3     The Committee asked how many Council assets are currently declared surplus and being considered for disposal. The Assistant Director Property responded that there are currently ten building assets that are surplus and being considered for disposal, retention for income generation or transfer.

30.4     The Community Asset Transfer (CAT) policy is dated 2016 and some Committee members commented that community groups in Hastings were not aware of the policy. The Committee asked what plans there were to update the CAT policy and ensure that it is communicated to Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners so that they are aware of the policy.

30.5     The Assistant Director Property outlined that the CAT Policy had been included within the Strategic Asset Plan 2020-2025, and officers would update the CAT policy within the next six months. The update work will include talking to VCSE groups about the policy and many groups are already aware of the CAT policy.

30.6     The Committee asked if the Council has a mechanism for working collaboratively with public and private sector partners to bring forward the development of land or property where the Council owns or has an interest in part of the potential development site (e.g. where working together would unlock a site for development for the benefit of the local community).

30.7     The Assistant Director Property explained that this is the role of the Strategic Property Asset Collaboration in East Sussex (SPACES) programme and there are examples of successful projects where the SPACES Group has pooled land to realise development opportunities. Officers are also part of a wider Developer Group in East Sussex, and the Council has sold land in conjunction with private developers.

30.8     The Committee noted that the original report request included a request for an update on the SPACES programme and its successes. The Committee asked if it would be possible to have a follow up report on the updated CAT policy and an update on the SPACES programme.

30.9     The Assistant Director Property outlined that a review of the SPACES programme was carried out in January 2023 which looked at the future focus of the programme and has a detailed implementation plan. All partners have agreed a slightly different approach, which will focus on Adult Social Care wellbeing, asset rationalisation and climate change. The Chief Operating Officer added that it will be possible to bring an update report on the CAT policy and SPACES programme to a future meeting.

30.10   Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30