Council considers property sales
West Berkshire Council could sell a number of properties in and around Newbury
WEST Berkshire Council is considering selling a number of properties in and around Newbury, which includes parts of Trinity School's playgrounds, the Waterside Centre and the council offices on Faraday Road.
Newburytoday.co.uk reported last week on the possible sale or demolition of the disused control tower on Greenham Common - one of the buildings that appears on a list of assets the council intends to dispose of by 2013.
The council has said that the buildings on the list are surplus to requirement and that they believe that tax payers would best be served by selling most of them on the open market.
Councillor Keith Chopping (Con, Sulhamstead) said: “Where we have property that is surplus to requirement, we will generally consider whether it can be put to better use and if it can't we will consider selling it.”
The council's asset strategy officer, Amanda Dennis, said: “Our intention is to sell all of the properties that appear on the list, but some of them may take longer than others and in that time, alternative uses for them may be found.”
Councillor Jeff Brooks (Lib Dem, Thatcham West), however questioned whether the best strategy was being followed in selecting the buildings that will be sold, saying that it was done on a case by case basis, rather than by creating a property strategy for all the council's property.
He said: “This is a decentralised organisation and at a time when we are looking to save money, you need to be more centralised so that you can look at the bigger picture.
“If they looked at the council's property holdings over all, that would give them a much better idea of what is needed and what is not.”
At Trinity School, plans are to sell one and a half acres which are currently being used for part of the schools playground.
Mrs Dennis said that this was to help pay for the new sports hall which is currently being built at the school.
The playgrounds will then be relocated to a nearby site, pending negotiations with third parties.
Outline planning permission for eight houses has already been agreed for the site on Love Lane.
Greenham House on Greenham Road, Newbury and York House on Andover Road, both of which are currently home to part of the council's Children's Services team will also be sold, but the timing depends on finding new accommodation for the occupiers.
Sovereign Housing has expressed an interest in the Andover Road site to turn it into social housing.
The site of the former Newbury Day Centre, Newtown Road, Newbury, which also appears on the list, may also be sold for use as social housing.
The council offices on Faraday road will also go, once staff there have been relocated to other council buildings, including the main council offices on Market Street.
Any sale however, will depend on a feasibility study for the London Road Industrial Estate.
Other properties that appear on the list include 41 Newtown Road, Newbury, a commercial property which used to be an off licence, a block of flats - Taceham House - which was used as temporary accommodation and a residential property, Venture Fair.
Properties that will also be considered for sale, but for which the sale is not expected to be completed before 2013 are the Waterside Centre and The Wharf car parks, as part of the Newbury Vision redevelopment, the Pound Lane Depot off Lower Way, Thatcham, pending completion of the Padworth waste site and various residential properties around Market Street.
