Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Finance presented a report on a proposal to market the Fanshawe Community Centre site as a potential housing development site.

The Cabinet Member advised that the site was currently used by the Fanshawe Community Association under a management agreement and by two religious organisations via licence agreements.  The site had been identified as a potential redevelopment site several years ago at a time when a number of other community centres in the Borough were transferred into community management via long term leases.

In view of the expiry of the current licence agreements in August 2014, officers had recently commissioned a valuation of the site based on three types of housing development.  The Cabinet Member referred to the valuations, contained in the exempt appendix to the report, the current usage of the building complex and noise-related complaints from local residents associated with some of the religious activities.

Cabinet resolved:

(i)  That the Fanshawe Community Centre site, which includes a community hall, committee room and former library and as shown edged red on the plan at Appendix 1 to the report, be marketed for sale as a housing development opportunity;

(ii)  That Option 4 be the preferred option to secure the redevelopment of the Fanshawe Community Hall site;

(iii)  That the marketing and development brief for the site include the following options:

·  development as flats or apartments.

·  development as three and four bedroom houses.

·  development as detached bungalows.

(iv)  That a further report be presented to Cabinet on the outcome of the marketing exercise following the submission of offers to purchase the site.