Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda.

No interests were declared.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the meeting. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

There were no members of the public wishing to speak.

To consider a proposal to declare the site of the Crewe Heritage Centre surplus to the requirements of the Council and to offer a 125 year lease for sale on the open market with a restrictive covenant which will preserve the site for the rail heritage of Crewe.

Cheshire East Council was seeking to establish a long-term viable future for the Crewe Heritage Centre. The Council had taken on the responsibility for the site in Crewe as a legacy arrangement from the former Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council. The site was currently leased to a board of trustees who operated the site as a visitor attraction. However, the museum element of the site was no longer self-sustainable and was now financially dependent on an informal sub-let to a railway engineering operation on the site.

It was considered that the most appropriate way forward was to sell a long leasehold interest in the site with restrictive covenants to protect the site for rail heritage, allowing for future training and employment.

Local ward members had been consulted on the options earlier in the year and had been advised of the proposed way forward. Newly-elected members had since been updated on the current position.

In considering this matter, the Cabinet Member for Prosperity had regard to a letter from the Chairman of Crewe Heritage Trust dated 21^st June 2011.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet Member for Prosperity agrees that the site of the Crewe Heritage Centre be declared surplus to the requirements of Cheshire East  Council and that a 125 year lease be offered for sale on the open market with a restrictive covenant to preserve the site for the rail heritage of Crewe, the lease to be subject to such terms and conditions as are determined by the Assets Manager, Borough Solicitor and Head of Regeneration.

The reports relating to the remaining items on the agenda have been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the matters may be determined with the press and public excluded.

The Committee may decide that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

PART 2 – MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT THE PUBLIC AND PRESS PRESENT

RESOLVED

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that they involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and the public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

To consider the transfer of the freehold interest of Audlem Public Toilets.

The public toilets at Audlem had been declared surplus to requirements by the Street Cleansing Service and were not required for service delivery by Cheshire East Council. Audlem Parish Council was seeking to acquire the toilets in use. In transferring the toilets to the Parish Council, Cheshire East Council would free itself of all maintenance and cleaning responsibilities.

RESOLVED

That Audlem Public Toilets be transferred to Audlem Parish Council on terms and conditions to be determined by the Borough Solicitor and Assets Manager.

To consider the granting of a pedestrian easement and the disposal of land to the rear of 22/24 Princess Street, Knutsford.

The applicants referred to in the report had made a request to acquire the land edged red to provide a bin store. The requested pedestrian fire escape was required in order to satisfy planning conditions as part of a proposed extension to the applicants’ existing premises.

The land was located within the boundaries of Princess Street Car Park, Knutsford but was not suitable to be included as chargeable spaces; the land was therefore surplus to requirements. The Cabinet Member for Environmental Services supported the recommendations.

RESOLVED

That

(1)   the land edged in red on the plan attached to the report be disposed of to the applicants;

(2)   an easement be granted to the applicants for the purpose of a pedestrian fire escape route over the land to the rear of 22/24 Princess Street, Knutsford as shown shaded brown on the plan; and

(3)   the disposal and easement to be subject to the total consideration referred to in the report, to the applicants meeting the Council’s reasonable legal and advertising costs and to such other terms and conditions as may be determined by the Assets Manager and Borough Solicitor.

To consider the disposal of land at West View, Crewe for the purpose of affordable housing.

West View, Crewe was formerly utilised as an elderly persons’ care home and had been declared surplus to operational requirements by Adult Services.An internal consultation process had confirmed that there were no internal re-uses.

There was a need for affordable housing across Cheshire East and there were not sufficient market-led proposals coming forward for development to meet that need.

West View adjoined a site that provided affordable housing within Crewe and it was felt that the site lent itself to the provision of a similar scheme.

RESOLVED

That

(1)   West View, Crewe be formally declared surplus to the requirements of Cheshire East Council and be disposed of for the provision of affordable housing on terms and conditions to be determined by the Borough Solicitor and Assets Manager; and

(2)   the property be included within the first phase of the Strategic Housing Sites Development Programme.

To consider the freehold disposal of a number of surplus properties.

The properties referred to in the report had all been declared surplus to requirements by the former Service occupiers. An internal consultation exercise had been undertaken to determine if there was an internal re-use for any of these properties; no interest had been declared for any of the properties. Local Area Partnership organisations had also been consulted and had no re-uses for the properties. The properties were therefore surplus to Cheshire East Council requirements. Further details of the properties were set out in the report.

RESOLVED

That the following properties be formally declared surplus to the requirements of Cheshire East Council and be placed on the open market for disposal on terms and conditions to be determined by the Borough Solicitor and Assets Manager:

?       Former Ludford School, Crewe

?       Former Day Centre, 291 Nantwich Road, Crewe

?       Priors Hill, Macclesfield