Agenda item

Housing Services (C-003-2021-22) - a policy has been written to set out the framework in which the housing assets disposals would take place.

The Cabinet approved the new policy (replacing the previous policy) on the disposal of small land sites and individual properties.

The Housing Services Portfolio holder introduced the report on the new policy on the disposal of small land sites. EFDC owns approximately 12,000 assets including properties and garages. In addition to these, the Council owns other assets such as parcels of land, pathways, un-adopted roads, alleyways and grassed areas on residential estates. In order to make best use of our HRA assets there were circumstances where a disposal would be of benefit to the Council and would lead to a net overall benefit.  An example of this could be a one off property which requires structure works which were not cost effective to carry out.  Or small pieces of land which add little or no value to the council. 

To ensure that the sale of land or assets meets the highest standards of Governance, a policy had been written to set out the framework in which these disposals would take place.  

Councillor Lion welcomed the report and wondered if this had been considered in relation to Qualis and would we offer this type of land to them. Does the SAP rating mean the energy rating; on self-build plots, how would that work; and is there an asset register? He was told that they were really talking about small parcels of land that would not really be viable for Qualis development. SAP or Standard Assessment Procedure was for assessing energy ratings for new homes. And, yes, we do have an assets list along with a mapping system.

Councillor Jon Whitehouse asked if ward members would be consulted on proposed sales; would this replace our old list or work in parallel to it; and would these sales be done by way of Portfolio Holder reports or does this policy supersede that regulation. He was told that this policy would supersede the old policies. Any parcel of land that required consultation would be consulted on with local members if it was big enough. Councillor Jon Whitehouse suggested that it should be made explicit in the report that this policy replaced the old one. He added that he also had some concerns about some missing safeguards from the policy. D Fenton noted that they were committed to creating place and were sympatric to any land that had community value and would consult on these.

Councillor S Kane asked if there was an estimate of capital receipts for this. He was told that last year it had brought in about £80,000. We had also formed a partnership with a landowner and would be building on this site. They were also looking an entrance to a site and were looking for upwards of a million pounds.

Councillor Sunger welcomed the report. On parcels of land, would officers be looking for adjacent owners to purchase, would they be asking them or waiting for them to contact us.  He was told that initially they would be contacted, but they could always contact us in the first instance.

Councillor Wixley commented that ward councillors should be consulted on small parcels of land to be sold off.

The meeting agreed to add a sentence to say that this would be a replacement to the previous policy.

Decision:

The Cabinet approved the new policy (replacing the previous policy) on the disposal of small land sites and individual properties.

Other options for action:

Not to consider an updated new policy.