Thatcham's Priory to be sold off

Conservatives clash with Lib Dems over "financial vandalism" to residents

THATCHAM Town Council has decided to sell off the Priory at a likely loss to the taxpayer of around £600,000.

The original Liberal Democrat plan to restore the building for community use and office space has been crushed as, six months after seizing control of the council in May, the town’s Conservatives have voted to dispose of the Grade II-listed asset.

And at a meeting on Monday, recrimnations flew, with the Conservatives arguing that Thatcham residents had been “saddled with debt” while the Liberal Democrats, fighting to save their project, countered that selling the building at a loss was “financial vandalism”.

The town council purchased the former pupil referral unit in Churchgate from West Berkshire Council for £400,000 in 2009. It has also spent £260,000 of a possible £760,000 Government loan on the project.

The loss would come at a time when the town council was being asked to take on more services because of West Berkshire Council’s sweeping cuts outlined in its saving proposals.

The Liberal Democrat plan was to use money from community groups renting the building to pay off the £400,000 purchase loan over 25 years.

The plan also incorporated the town council renting space at the offices in Brownsfield Road to help pay off the loan. After this, the party envisioned, the building would be owned by Thatcham residents for their use.

However, the Conservatives see the Priory as a financial burden to Thatcham residents and have sought expressions of interest to sell it.

The latest estimated cost to refurbishing the building is £885,000. The town council has currently spent £630,000 on refurbishing the building, with £333,000 coming from reserves.

Councillors heard last Wednesday that the highest expression of interest received for the Priory was £855,000, meaning that if it was sold for this sum, the town council would lose £600,000.

The two parties clashed again at an extraordinary meeting to decide the building’s fate on Monday. Members of the public, who had shown their support for keeping the building, turned up to speak but were denied the opportunity.

“I think we have heard everything that everybody wants to say many times and I think it’s up to the council now to decide it in an unemotional and pragmatic way,” said mayor of Thatcham Sheila Ellison (Con, Thatcham North) who was chairing the meeting.

Nevertheless, emotions ran high. The leader of West Berkshire Council and the chairman of the Priory committee, Roger Croft (Con, Thatcham South and Crookham) said that the best way out of the “huge financial hole” of £1.1m the Lib Dems had dug was to sell the building.

Mr Croft added that representations from community groups had all said they wanted the building but none had offered to contribute financially.

Handing in a petition against the sale signed by 443 residents, Lee Dillon (Lib Dem, Thatcham North) proposed that a consultation assessing the financial and community impact of selling the building be carried out.

Saying that the motion before councillors would be the biggest financial decision the town council would ever face, Mr Dillon said it would be undemocratic to sell the building without consultation.

Countering Mr Croft’s point on community groups contributions he said: “They already pay this money through their taxes. Saying they are not offering any more is shameful.”

However, this was shot down by Dominic Boeck (Con, Thatcham South and Crookham), who called the request “another Liberal delaying tactic”.

He added that the Conservatives had already consulted with residents by winning a majority on the town council in the elections.

Saying that the party had made it clear that it would tackle the Priory debt, Mr Boeck said: “I think we have done our consultation.”

In a passionate speech, Jeff Brooks (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) said that if the Priory was sold, it would leave Thatcham residents with a £440,000 loan that they would still have to pay but have nothing to show for it.

“Pour all the money away; that’s your Christmas present to the people of Thatcham.”

Conservative councillors voted to market the Priory for the best possible value. The town’s three Lib Dems voted against. Mrs Ellison abstained.