Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources Ref No: FR17 (17/18) Surplus Declarations Key Decision: Yes January 2018 Part I

Report by Director of Economy Planning and Electoral Divisions: Place Bersted, Broadbridge, Chichester West, Chichester South, Fontwell, Henfield Littlehampton East Midhurst, Middleton Northgate & West Green, Petworth, Pulborough, Southgate & Gossops Green, Tarring

Summary

To accord with Standing Orders, any disposal of property requires a surplus declaration to be approved by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources. This report seeks approval to confirm surplus declarations for a number of assets, deemed surplus to service operational requirements. Declaring them surplus enables a further decision to be made on either a sale of the asset (for capital receipt) or to retain it for wider non-service led activities of the County Council such as redevelopment for investment, regeneration, one public estate or growth agendas.

The properties to be declared surplus are:-

Barnham: Holdings 48 and 49, Barnham Smallholdings Estate : The old Barton’s Infant School Broadbridge Heath: Surveyor’s Depot Chichester: The Tannery Chichester: 65, 63 and 63a-d Westgate : County Buildings Littlehampton: Land to the South of Littlehampton Academy Littlehampton: Land to the North of Littlehampton Academy Midhurst: Surveyor’s Depot Middleton: Farm Buildings and Farm Yard, Holding 84 Middleton Smallholdings Estate Middleton: Farm Buildings and Farm Yard, Holding 87 Middleton Smallholdings Estate Petworth: Land adjoining Rotherlea Care Home

Chichester: Tempe, Market Avenue Chichester: Oriel Lodge, 25 West Street Crawley: Former caretakers house, St Wilfrids Way Littlehampton: 15 Pebble Walk Sidlesham: Yeomans, Mill Lane Thakeham: Primary School West Grinstead: 2 Railway Cottages Worthing: 114 Becket Road

Recommendation

That the above assets are declared surplus to service operational requirements.

1. Background and Context

1.1 To accord with Standing Orders the following properties need to be formally declared surplus to service and operational requirements in order to allow them to be reviewed for either disposal on the open market or developed further by the County Council for example as part of the Propco investment programme.

1.2 Properties to be declared Surplus

Barnham: Holdings 49 and 48 (also known as Angels and Hyde End Nursery) (Fontwell Division) –The land comprises two former horticultural holdings, with a combined area totalling approximately 3.52ha (8.74 acres). A.

Bognor Regis: The old Barton’s Infant School – (Bersted Division) This school closed in November 2014 when Barton’s Primary School transferred to its new site in Lethaby Road. The old school is now surplus to County Council requirements and currently let to the Chichester Free School whilst their permanent site is being developed at Hunston.

Broadbridge Heath: Surveyor’s Depot - (Broadbridge Division) This 2.1148 ha (5.22 acre) site has been identified as surplus to operational requirements under the Highways and Transport review. A decision on the future use will be subject to finding suitable alternative locations in the area for any residual highways and transport depot requirements.

Chichester: The Tannery, 65 Westgate, 63 Westgate and 63a-d Westgate (Chichester West Division). This site has a land area of 0.68ha (1.69 acres) and contains a vacant office building with an internal floor area of approximately 14,000sq ft. and its associated car parking area, together with a house converted to offices and 5 residential flats. All the buildings are now vacant and surplus to County Council’s operational requirements.

Crawley: County Buildings (Northgate and West Green Division) This site is located adjacent to the Crawley Magistrates Court (now transferred to HM Courts) and Centenary House office building owned by the County Council. The site has an area of approximately 1.5 acres comprising the Old Library, two storey office accommodation, a dental practice and the original Police Station. All the 1950’s buildings are surplus to the County Council’s operational requirements. The dentist’s surgery is currently let out on a short term lease and excluded from the security provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act.

Littlehampton: Land to the South of Littlehampton Academy – (Littlehampton East Division) This area of land, approximately 2.2 ha (5.4 acres) originally comprised part of Elm Grove Infants School and Littlehampton Community College. Following the closure of the Infants School and the construction of the Littlehampton Academy, which included new a vehicular access from an extended Fitzalan Road, the site is surplus to the County Council’s operational requirements. Department of Education consent has been obtained for its release.

Littlehampton: Land to the North of Littlehampton Academy – (Littlehampton East Division) This land holding comprises approximately 6ha (15 acres) of land to the north of the Academy and is identified within Littlehampton’s Neighbourhood Plan as suitable for a mix of new housing and public open space. Part of the County Councils wider ownership is being retained to accommodate the construction of the Fitzalan Link road by developers under a S106 agreement.

Middleton: Farm house building, out buildings and farm yard area. Holding 84 Middleton Smallholdings Estate – (Middleton Division) also known as Elms Farm. This surplus declaration refers to the farm house building, out buildings and farm yard area which is a small element of a 31.63 ha (78.14 acres) smallholding which has become vacant due to the death of the sitting tenant.

Middleton: Farm house building, out buildings and farm yard area. Land at Holding 87 Middleton Smallholdings Estate – (Middleton Division) also known as Yapton Poultry Farm. This surplus declaration refers to the farm house building, out buildings and farm yard area which is a small element of a 1.31 ha (27.94 acres) smallholding which has become vacant due to the death of the sitting tenant in 2015. The holding is too small for modern day agricultural practices. .

Midhurst: Surveyor’s Depot, Bepton Road –(Midhurst Division) The majority of this site of approximately 2.89 ha (5 acres) has been identified as surplus to operational requirements under the Highways and Transport review. The part occupied as a household waste recycling centre is not included within this surplus declaration. A decision on the future use will be subject to finding suitable alternative locations in the Midhurst area for any residual highways and transport depot requirements.

Petworth: Land adjoining Rotherlea – (Petworth Division) This is a vacant potential residential development site of 0.75ha (1.85 acres) formerly occupied as part of the Petworth C E Primary School, which was relocated some years ago to the nearby Herbert Shiner School site.

Chichester: Tempe, Market Avenue – (Chichester South Division) This house comprises a vacant large two storey semi-detached pre-war dwelling house.. Following the relocation of the former residents, Home Group officially surrendered their lease of this property to WSCC.

Chichester: Oriel Lodge, 25 West Street –(Chichester West Division) This former office building has become surplus to County Council operational use due to the cost of remedial and upgrading works to bring it up to modern day office accommodation.

Crawley: St Wilfrid’s RC School - former Caretakers house – (Southgate and Gossops Green Division) This is a detached three bedroomed house in need of updating with a good sized garden and parking area, located near to the St Wilfrid’s Catholic School, off Horsham Road. The property was formerly occupied by the school caretaker, who has now retired, and the school no longer have a need for the house which lies outside the curtilage of the School campus. The County Council has a policy of disposing of vacant caretaker houses and this property is not deemed suitable for any other Council service use. The necessary Department of Education consent has been obtained enabling disposal, subject to resolution of title issues,. Littlehampton: 15 Pebble Walk – (Littlehampton East Division) his vacant modern three bedroom semi-detached link house in a quiet cul de sac. The property was acquired in 2013 to rehouse a caretaker who was TUPE’d across to the Littlehampton Academy and vacating a sub-standard school house on land retained by the County Council for residential development. The house was leased to the Littlehampton Academy but as the rehoused caretaker has now left the employment of the Academy, the property has been surrendered, with vacant possession, in accordance with the relevant lease terms, in good order having been recently decorated and carpeted throughout. Sidlesham: Yeomans, Mill Lane: (Chichester West Division). This property comprises a detached bungalow which had been let to the RSPB, who in turn had sub-let it to the Reserve Warden when they took on the management of Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve. Under the terms of the lease it was agreed that if the Warden of the Reserve left their employ the property would be handed back to the County Council. The Warden subsequently left and the property has been handed back to the County Council. The property is not required for operational reasons. Thakeham: Primary School: (Pulborough Division). This School site is now vacant as the school facility has been moved to the former Rydon Community College site in Storrington as part of the STARS project. The premises comprise redundant school buildings with a tarmacked playground area. The main building is Grade II listed backdating to 1875 on two floors comprising classrooms, admin offices, toilets and kitchen facilities. There is a separate mobile classroom and another building used as a hall. There may be potential for extension or conversion to residential use although redevelopment of the site is unlikely to be feasible due to planning and legal constraints. There is no playing field land and the arrangement with the Diocese for use of nearby Glebe land has been terminated There is no longer a need for this School site and, as the appropriate consents have now been obtained from the Department of Education to enable a disposal West Grinstead: 2 Railway Cottages: (Henfield Division) Due to the tenant moving to a Nursing Home this semi-detached cottage is now vacant and surplus to County Council requirements. . .

Worthing: 114 Becket Road: (Tarring Division) Due to the tenant moving to sheltered accommodation this terraced house is now vacant and surplus to County Council requirements.

2. Consultation

2.1 Members –The advisor to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources on asset management and the local members for Tarring, Broadbridge, Bersted, Fontwell, Littlehampton East, Midhurst, Middleton, Chichester South, Petworth, Henfield, Chichester West, Southgate & Gossops Green, Pulborough and Northgate & West Green.

2.2 External – not applicable.

2.3 Public – not applicable, other than where town planning approval has been procured.

2.4 Internal –The Head of Property, Procurement and Environment, Legal Services and the Service Finance Business Partner for Economy, Infrastructure & Environment.

3. Proposal

3.1 It is proposed to declare all the sites surplus to operational requirements on the basis that there are no current operational service needs for any of the sites, other than as stated.

3.2 Each of the sites will be appraised for the best method of sale or re- development, and strategies for individual re-development sites will be subject to further business case approvals.

4. Other Options considered

4.1 None. The procedure to declare properties surplus to requirements before disposal is set out in the County Council’s Constitution

5. Resource Implications and Value for Money

5.1 There are no resource implications associated with these recommendations.

6. Impact of the proposal

6.1 Surplus declarations are part of the due process of Standing Orders.

6.2 Equality Duty.

An Equality Impact Report is not required for this decision for the following reason:-

 It is a report dealing with internal or procedural matters only.

6.6 Crime and Disorder Act Implications – None.

6.7 Human Rights – None.

6.8 Social Value – the proposal will bring social, environmental and economic benefits by recycling vacant and surplus sites for new developments and uses. Where sites are developed, it is expected that contractors will employ local businesses and tradesmen in building out such new developments, including local housing.

7. Risk Management Implications

7.1 There is a continued financial risk in holding onto under-utilised assets, particularly where town planning may be delayed which can delay capital receipts or income, or where there is a no or limited service benefit.

7.2 Properties and land that are unoccupied run the risk of being subject to trespass, vandalism, fly-tipping and illegal occupation.

Nick Smales Director Economy Planning & Place

Contact Elaine Sanders - 0330 2225605

Appendix – site plans

Background Papers

None