Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Environment Team Leader seeking approval for the sale of the two Green House project houses in St Neots.

Approved the sale of the two Green Houses with the St Neots property being sold as soon as possible and the St Ives Green House early next year, using a local agent and the best price sought; authorised the Head of Operations, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Resources, to accept the best offers for the sale of the properties and agreed to allocate the capital receipts from the sale of the houses in accordance with the emerging Capital Strategy.

Further to Minute No 11/52 and with the assistance of a report by the Environmental Team Leader (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Cabinet was invited to consider the future of the Green House properties located in St Ives and St Neots with a view to bringing the scheme to a close. The report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well-Being) whose comments were relayed to the Cabinet.

By way of background, the Cabinet were reminded of their previous decision to retain the St Ives Green House as a showcase energy saving property until March 2014 and to rent out the St Neots property.  It was reported that the educational use of the St Ives house had passed its peak with the number of visitors dropping significantly and that the tenants in the St Neots property had recently moved out.

In concurring with the Panel that the properties have served their purpose Members were advised that the Council was committed to providing educational visits for the St Ives property until Spring next year as part of the DECC funding scheme.  It was therefore recommended that any marketing for the sale of the house be advertised for a completion date of March/ April 2015.

Having referred to the emerging Capital Strategy which will outline the Council’s future approach to capital investments and the intention to reinvest any capital receipts received from the sale of the houses in revenue yielding assets, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  that the sale of the two Green Houses be approved with the St Neots property being sold as soon as possible and the St Ives Green House early next year, using a local agent and the best price sought;

(b)  that the Head of Operations be authorised, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Resources, to accept the best offers for the sale of the properties; and

(c)  that the capital receipts from the sale of the houses be allocated in accordance with the emerging Capital Strategy.

To consider a report by the Environment Team Leader setting out the latest position on the Greenhouse project and its future.

(Councillor D M Tysoe, Executive Member for Operations and Environment, was in attendance for this item).

With the assistance of a report by the Environmental Team Leader (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Panel considered the future of the Green House properties located in St Ives and St Neots. By way of background, Members were reminded that the Council had bought the properties to demonstrate home energy saving measures and to provide a mechanism to deliver the Green Deal initiative. However, it was reported that the properties had now served their purpose and there was less demand for the educational service they provided. With this in mind it was proposed to market the properties and seek the best offers for their sale.

Having been advised that the properties had provided an excellent educational resource and had received a lot of positive media coverage, Members were informed that it was the intention to market the St Neots property as soon as possible. However, given that further educational visits were planned for the St Ives property for several months it was recommended that the marketing of the house should be planning to achieve a completion date of March / April 2015. Details of the likely total cost of the properties to the Council over the lifetime of the project were provided.

In considering the contents of the report, Members questioned whether consideration had been given to retaining the Green Houses as part of the Council’s forthcoming strategy to invest in capital assets in order to achieve a return. However, it was reported that the properties were not purchased for a commercial objective, that the rates of return on market housing were not comparable with those that could be obtained from commercial property and any capital receipts received from the sale would be reinvested in the latter. Members also discussed the change in building regulations relating to energy efficiency standards since the properties had first been built. Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

that the Cabinet be recommended to:

(a)  agree to the sale of the two Green Houses with the St Neots property being sold as soon as possible and the St Ives Green House early next year, using a local agent and the best price sought; and

(b)  authorise the Head of Operations after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Resources, to accept the best offers for the sale of the properties

(At 19.20pm at the conclusion of the discussion on this item, Councillor B Hyland took his seat at the meeting).