Decision details

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval for the transfer of the land and buildings known as the Former Water Street School, Bollington to the Bollington Initiative Trust.

The proposed asset transfer was in line with the Localism Act and would enable the local community to have a direct say on how the asset was managed. The proposed sale would generate a significant revenue saving and relieve the Council of ongoing maintenance and management liability.

Bollington Initiative Trust was a Macclesfield-based charity involved with the acquisition and conservation of public buildings and open spaces for continued public use and access. The Trust had been managing the site for some time under a management agreement. It intended to fully repair the building and carry out improvements for the benefit of community users. In order to fund this, the Trust may need to dispose of or let the first floor for commercial, residential or other uses. The ground floor would be used for community purposes. The Trust may also choose to dispose of some land, as identified in the report, for the furtherance of its charitable purposes at Water Street School. The Trust had submitted a detailed business case in support of its proposal.

An addendum was circulated at the meeting which set out a number of minor changes to the report.

RESOLVED

That

(1)  both the Council’s freehold and leasehold interests in the site shown edged in red on the plan attached to the report be transferred to Bollington Initiative Trust upon the terms outlined in Section 10 of the report as amended; and

(2)  delegated authority be granted to the Director of Economic Growth and Prosperity and the Interim Monitoring Officer and Head of Legal Services to finalise the details of the proposed freehold transfer and long lease assignment of the property and any statutory declarations/ statements of truth as may be required to regularise title and transfer the whole site to Bollington Initiative Trust.