Issue - meetings

Declaration of Land Surplus to Requirement at Badger Close and Berkeley Close, Winyates and Ledbury Close, Matchborough

Meeting: 12/01/2021 - Executive (Item 56)

56 Declaration of Land Surplus to Requirement at Badger Close and Berkeley Close, Winyates and Ledbury Close, Matchborough pdf icon PDF 126 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Principle Solicitor presented a reported which requested that Members consider declaring land at Badger Close and Berkeley Close, Winyates and Ledbury Close, Matchborough, as surplus.  The report focused on four sites at these locations, two of which had already secured planning permission. 

 

During consideration of this item an additional recommendation was proposed by Councillor Bill Hartnett.  This additional recommendation was seconded by Councillor Greg Chance.

 

The additional recommendation was:

 

That the four sites identified in the report as surplus be retained by the Council and used to build dwellings to increase the number of dwellings in the Council’s own housing stock which will help the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and add to the much needed affordable rented social housing in Redditch.”

 

In proposing the additional recommendation, Councillor Hartnett commented that there was a need for more social housing in Redditch and the disposal of this land provided an opportunity to invest in more Council houses. 

 

Members discussed the additional recommendation that had been proposed and in so doing referred to the following points:

 

·                There was a lot of land owned by the Council.

·                Some of the Council’s land assets were suitable for housing development but other sections of land were not suitable.

·                Where land could be developed, sometimes it would be suitable for the Council to develop as Council houses and sometimes it would be more appropriate to sell the land to a private developer.

·                The Council would potentially struggle to secure a good rate of return from Council housing in cases where only a single property could be developed on the site concerned.

·                The Council was aiming to build Council houses over the following months.

·                In previous years, the Council had invested in the mortgage buy back scheme and had provided support to Redditch Co-operative Homes in the development of hundreds of social housing units.

 

On being put to the vote the additional recommendation was lost.

 

RESOLVED that

 

the land adjacent to No. 29 Berkeley Close, Winyates Green, land adjacent No. 34 Badger Close, Winyates West, land adjacent No. 46 Badger Close, Winyates West and land adjacent No. 54 Ledbury Close, Matchborough East, be declared surplus to Council requirements and disposed of at market value.