Decision details

To proceed with the disposal of the Council-owned land at Malthouse Road, and to lift the Restriction on Title on part of the site that is owned by the Hospice, in collaboration with St Catherine’s Hospice surrendering their lease on the Council-owned land and the disposal of the land in their control, to achieve the proposal as detailed.  The proposal aims to preserve the legacy of this site and to achieve significant social value in the continued provision of care and support, that is inclusive of on-site affordable housing.

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Information relating to financial and business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information)

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a)     Approves the disposal of the Council’s land assets on the Malthouse Road site in order to achieve the preferred outcome as detailed in section 6 below, and to accept the outcome of the land receipt as detailed in section 5 below.

b)     Delegates the negotiation, approval and completion of all relevant legal documentation, to the Head of Strategic Housing, the Head of Corporate Finance and the Head of Governance, People and Performance, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and the Leader of the Council. (Generic Delegations 2 and 3 will be used to enact this recommendation).

Reasons for the Recommendations

The Hospice is due to relocate to their new premises at Pease Pottage by end-2023, and they are aiming to surrender their lease on the Council-owned land, and to dispose of their freehold interests in the remainder of the site, including a portion of the site over which the Council has placed a Restrictive Covenant.

The combined freehold interests held by the Council and the Hospice results in an assembled site that is jointly capable of achieving a greater outcome than if they were brought forward independently, and both parties are collaborating towards achieving this objective, whereby the Council is requested to dispose of its freehold interest alongside the Hospice disposing of their freehold interests.

As part-landowner, and in line with the Council’s emerging Local Plan, the Council has restricted the future use of this assembled site for the continued provision of a care facility or to provide sheltered accommodation, and the market has been assessed accordingly, with the preferred outcome as further detailed in this report.