Decision Maker: Portfolio Holder for People - Adult Social Care, Health and Housing
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
Decision
The Portfolio Holder for Housing delegates to the
Corporate Director for Housing to take all necessary steps to purchase and
renovate the property known as 23 Penrose Road, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 9JF
using the unapproved capital pot 2020/21 and 2021/22.
Reason for the Decision
To bring a long-term empty property back into use
and create a unit of 3 bed temporary accommodation for a local family.
Alternative Options
considered and rejected
Take no action – without Council intervention it is very
likely that the property will remain empty for the foreseeable future. The
Council has a high demand for temporary accommodation in this area.
Purchase the property and ‘back to back’ private
sale - The
Council has a high demand for temporary accommodation and ‘23 Penrose Road’
represents an ideal opportunity to meet such demand.
Compulsory Purchase – the current owner has
agreed to sell the property to the Council and therefore acquiring the property
using Compulsory Purchase powers is not appropriate.
Empty Dwelling Management Order – this would require the
Council to renovate the property, allocate tenants and manage the building for
7 years and then ‘hand it back’ to the current owner. As such this option does
not offer long term value for money for the Council.
Consultees
Assets
and Property
Housing
Services
Spatial
and Community Policy Service
Budget Implications
The
property has been subject to a full market valuation by a local estate agent
and its value has been assessed as being £350,000.
It
is proposed that the unapproved capital pot 2020/21 ‘to bring a long-term empty
property back into use’ is used to purchase the property, with renovation costs
being funded from the 2021/22 unapproved capital pot, should no other funding
sources be available at that time.
Renovation
and improvement costs to make the property decent and safe are estimated to be
in the region of £50-60,000 subject to detailed inspection.
Decision
The Portfolio Holder for Housing delegates to the Corporate Director for
Housing to take all necessary steps to purchase and renovate the property known
as 23 Penrose Road, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 9JF using the unapproved capital pot
2020/21 and 2021/22
Publication date: 12/10/2021
Date of decision: 12/10/2021