Issue - meetings

The Housing Property Services Manager presented a report concerning the disposal of Housing Revenue Account (HRA) assets at 53 Parsons Road, Southcrest, Redditch and 53 Crabbs Cross Lane, Crabbs Cross, Redditch.

The Executive Committee was informed that both properties were in a dilapidated condition.  The potential for the Council to upgrade these properties had been reviewed but the conclusion had been reached that it would be too financially costly to bring these properties into a habitable state.  Therefore, it was considered preferable to dispose of both properties and the Council could use the capital receipts to invest in new properties as part of the Housing Growth Programme.

Members noted that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had pre-scrutinised this report at the meeting held on 1^st September 2025.  There had been robust debate, including in exempt session, at that meeting.  The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was thanked for their hard work in reviewing this matter.

There was general consensus amongst Members that it would be appropriate for the Council to dispose of these assets due to the condition of the properties.  Members expressed hopes that the capital receipts arising could be used to make better investments moving forward.

RESOLVED that

1)          53 Parsons Road, Southcrest, Redditch be declared surplus to Council requirements;

2)          authority be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer and to the Assistant Director of Legal, Democratic and Procurement Services to dispose of the site at market value;

3)          any HRA capital receipt received from the sale of No. 53 Parsons Road, Southcrest be allocated to the HRA Capital Programme;

4)          53 Crabbs Cross Lane, Crabbs Cross, be declared surplus to Council requirements;

5)          authority be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer and to the Assistant Director of Legal, Democratic and Procurement Services to dispose of the site at market value; and

6)          any HRA capital receipt received from the sale of 53 Crabbs Cross Lane, Crabbs Cross be allocated to the HRA Capital Programme.

(During consideration of this item, Members voted on matters that, if debated in public session, would have necessitated the disclosure of exempt information. This information was not discussed in the public domain on the grounds that information would be revealed which related to any individual, information which was likely to reveal the identity of any individual and information relating to the financial and business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)).