Agenda item

The Head of Environmental Services presented a report in respect of the disposal of an HRA asset at Green Lane, Studley.

The property at 64, Green Lane, Studley was no longer considered to be habitable and the report proposed that it should be demolished.  A railway bridge, which was owned by the Council, was located close to this property.  The bridge was in a state of disrepair and it would require significant financial investment to secure the structure and then on an ongoing basis due to the requirement for an annual inspection.  Officers were proposing that the bridge should be demolished and the site levelled.  This would increase the size of the plot and allow for two four-bedroom properties to be built at that location, subject to planning permission.  The Council had discussed the plans with Stratford-on-Avon District Council and Warwickshire County Council, in relation to the planning and highways implications of the works.

Members noted that the proposed works would help to make the site safer for the public.  The planned works would not impact on the sustrans route that traversed the site.  There was also the likelihood that this approach to managing the property and bridge would help to reduce the financial costs to the Council in the long-term.

During consideration of this item Members noted that the report had been pre-scrutinised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at a meeting on 5^th September 2019.  At the end of their discussions scrutiny Members had endorsed the recommendations detailed in the report.  The Leader thanked the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their hard work in respect of this item.

RECOMMENDED that

i)          No. 65 Green Lane, Studley be declared surplus to requirements and officers to dispose of the site;

ii)         any HRA capital receipt achieved based on the current market value of No. 65 Green Lane, be used to increase the HRA stock;

iii)       Option C - The Capital Engineering Scheme be approved, with Authority be delegated to the Head of Environmental Services to submit a detailed planning application to Stratford-on-Avon District Council, for the complete scheme. If successful, the Planning consent will include an outline approval for the erection of 2 No. 4 bed houses;

iv)       the sites for the 2 No. 4 bed houses be marketed and the received monies, after deduction of the amount as described in ii) above, shall be used  as Capital funds towards the cost of the Engineering Works;

v)        the additional funds required to complete the Engineering Works be taken from the Capital Locality Scheme Capital Programme 2019/20, as the proposed works are of the nature that the budget was set up for in the first instance; and

vi)       the estimated cost of the Engineering Works cannot be finalised at this time, as Officers are currently endeavouring to determine the most cost effective method of disposing of the extensive surplus material from the excavated embankments. However, subject to the satisfactory outcome of this analysis the total Engineering Works should not exceed £200k.