Fears of shortfall as sell-off begins
JUST 10 buildings are being touted for sale by a council trying to raise £25 million from offloading properties
Stoke-on-Trent City Council needs to sell dozens of key buildings to limit the amount it will have to borrow to pay for a new £40 million HQ in Hanley – but the Civic Centre and Spode are still not being marketed.
Details of the authority's sell-off plans, disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, reveal just 10 buildings are currently listed as 'for sale' or 'available soon'.
And the council has still not formally approved the sale of buildings like the Civic Centre, Stoke Town Hall, Swann House and Spode – despite the fact that members have already rubber-stamped plans to transfer staff to the city centre Central Business District.
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Critics of the relocation yesterday claimed the slow start to the sell-off shows the £25 million target is unachievable.
The authority is planning to borrow up to £59 million to fund its relocation and other major building projects – with repayments set to take up to 25 years.
City Independents leader Dave Conway branded the sell-off target "unrealistic", adding: "They must have forgotten to mention that the buildings they are selling have gold-plated roofs and taps.
"I worry about what the council tax bill is going to be to pay for all of this.
"I have real concerns about the council going deeper and deeper into debt."
Buildings currently approved for sale include the former social services building in Oldcourt Street, Tunstall, the Ubberley Road Working Men's Club, in Bentilee, Goldenhill Youth Centre, Stoke Youth Centre and Birches Head Community Hall, in Addison Street.
Properties are also on sale in Jenkins Street, in Burslem, Brakespear Street, in Goldenhill, Murray Street, in Goldenhill, Barks Drive, in Norton, and Boothen Road, in Stoke.
Options for which other buildings to sell are still being "reviewed and developed", the council said.
A Stoke Town Regeneration newsletter, now being circulated to combat widespread public disapproval of the relocation, states: "The build will be part-funded from the sale of existing land and property and any shortfall will, most likely, be borrowed ."
Save Our Stoke campaigner Graham Barrett, of Honeywall, Stoke, fears the council will fail to sell key buildings in the town.
He said: "Stoke Town Hall is a listed building. Anyone who bought it couldn't just go in and start knocking walls down. They are gambling and getting the city into a lot of debt."
Councillor Paul Shotton, the council's deputy leader, said: "The list contains properties which we're prepared to dispose of and which will be released in the near future. Our wider disposal plan contains our projections of what assets we could sell, and when. However, these options are being reviewed and developed."
Comments
by johnarc
Thursday, September 20 2012, 3:55PM
“There is not much of a market for purpose-built Council offices and a concert hall attached to a Town Hall which is a listed building.”
by DJofTNE
Thursday, September 20 2012, 12:26PM
“Stoke is becoming a dictatorship city, might as well move to North Korea, at least you know where you stand over there.”
by DJofTNE
Thursday, September 20 2012, 12:24PM
“The authority is planning to borrow up to £59 million to fund its relocation and other major building projects – with repayments set to take up to 25 years......If its costing this much money and it has been ok', surely there will be a massive benefit to the city and its people? Surely there must be some sort of benefit? I would love to know what this benefit is, please tell us why this move thats going to cripple the council, is beneficial in any way shape or form ( i wont accept an answer of, our staff need cushty new surroundings). There must be an advantage somewhere along the line otherwise how can anyone (who isnt get bunged) ok the project?”
by Justsuppose
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 11:38PM
“Why are the properties in "Properties are also on sale in Jenkins Street, in Burslem, Brakespear Street, in Goldenhill, Murray Street, in Goldenhill, Barks Drive, in Norton, and Boothen Road, in Stoke", not listed in full?
Whether or not people agree to the sale of these assets, what tangible, immediate benefit will the money bring?
We keep being told that it's in the public interest to make these decisions, yet we're crying out for jobs. Those working on the new, undersized, bus station are mainly from Preston. I haven't heard of one job created for local people in any of this madness.”
by Mr_Jingles
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 9:45PM
“One word - shambles !!!”
by daveleese1
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 2:28PM
“not only incompetent but traitors to the people of stoke on trent who have to suffer another 8yrs of cuts to community services so that pevez his cronies and his execs can work in luxury whilst the rest of us struugle to survive”
by Notanumber
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 1:10PM
“We all know it will all end up in St Modwen hands so why the charade?”
by truestokie
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 11:55AM
“God help this city in the hands of incompetants like these.”
by HowardCAd
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 10:43AM
“Was not Swann House build under a PFI scheme?
That would explain why it cannot be sold!”