Agenda item

To formally report the receipt of a petition submitted in relation to the potential sale or development of a number of areas of land in the District of Tendring.

RESOLVED that Cabinet notes the petition, thanks the petitioner and requests that these views and others are taken into account as and when the property dealing procedure unfolds, subject to available resources.

Earlier on in the meeting, as reported under Minute 113 above,Councillor Baker had declared a Personal Interest in relation to this matter insofar as he knew the petitioner.

Members were reminded that an e-petition had been submitted by Caroline Saye, as lead petitioner, on 15 November 2022. That petition had been signed by 432 persons and stated:-

“We the undersigned petition the council to take no further action in respect of exploring the potential for development /disposal for each of the 69 proposed areas of land reported to Cabinet on 15 July 2022 until such time as a public meeting or meetings have been held to provide all residents with the ability to express their views.”

Asset management was an executive function and therefore the Cabinet was the appropriate body to consider this matter.

In accordance with the Council’s adopted Scheme for Dealing with Petitions the receipt of this Petition had been reported, for Members’ information, to the meeting of the Full Council held on 24 January 2023. This matter had now been investigated and a report prepared and presented to the Cabinet on the basis that the Petition contained between 30 and 500 signatures.

Having discussed the petition it would be for Cabinet to decide what action, if any, would be taken.

Cabinet was made aware of the Assistant Director (Building and Public Realm)’s assessment and advice as follows:-

“Following a motion put to the full Council in November 2020 by Councillor Placey the Cabinet requested a review of Council owned assets that could be used for the construction of new Council homes or used or released in return for capital receipts in order to support Council priorities.

As part of that exercise a total of 69 sites were identified, with three already pending action after earlier decisions.

A report for Cabinet consideration was prepared identifying the sites and inviting determination of in respect of which of them to commence the property dealing procedure. Three previously identified sites were identified for priority disposal action, two of the then identified sites were identified for action.

On 15 July 2022 Cabinet agreed the identified priority actions and decided to progress with the property dealing procedure in relation to all of the identified sites.

Officers have begun to progress the identified priority actions, as resources permit, but no detailed assessment of any of the other sites has yet been undertaken.

On 4 November 2022 Cabinet considered a report outlining the Council’s financial outlook including a number of housing and property investment requirements that could not be funded.

It is likely that looking forward it will be increasingly necessary to practice asset management in order to deliver property and other obligations and aspirations.

Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972 provides that any proposal for disposal of open space must be advertised in the local press and representations taken into account. Any planning application will necessitate statutory and neighbour consultation and due consideration to any responses. Both of these would happen at a later stage in the property dealing process. Cabinet may wish to note the petition, thank the petitioner and request that these views and others are taken into account as the property dealing procedure unfolds, subject to available resources.”

Cabinet also had before it the following comment submitted by the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance:-

“These 69 sites have been identified as part of a process to review potential development or other options throughout the District. They should not be considered in isolation or outside of that process. No decision has been taken to build on or dispose of any land. This process was begun following questions raised at the full Council and has consumed considerable time and effort to get to this stage. Given the Council’s financial position and aspirations for housing and public space improvement the Authority must look towards careful use and rationalisation of its properties in order to reduce costs, avoid clinging to unproductive space and facilitate investment in services and facilities.

I recommend that Cabinet notes the petition, thanks the petitioner and requests that these views and others are taken into account as and when the property dealing procedure unfolds, subject to available resources.”

The lead petitioner, Caroline Saye, had been invited to attend the meeting to present the petition to Cabinet on behalf of the petitioners. However, she had informed Officers that she was unable to attend the meeting as she was out of the country on holiday.

Having duly considered the Petition together with the information provided in the report:-

It was moved by Councillor G V Guglielmi, seconded by Councillor Bray and:-

RESOLVED that Cabinet notes the petition, thanks the petitioner and requests that these views and others are taken into account as and when the property dealing procedure unfolds, subject to available resources.