Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of City Development on the current position with regard to the former Royal Park Primary School and on the preferred options for the future.

Appendix 4 to the report is designated as exempt under Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(3).

The Director of City Development submitted a report on the current position with regard to the former Royal Park Primary School and on the preferred options for the future.

The report identified the following six possible options:

  i  Traditional marketing of the refurbishment opportunity

  ii  Convert to Council use

  iii  Deal exclusively with one interested party or invite best and final offers

  iv  Community Asset Transfer

  v  Disposal by way of auction

  vi  Immediate demolition of the main school buildings and the retention of the site until such time as the property market improves

Following consideration of Appendix 4 to the report designated as exempt under Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(3) which was considered in private at the conclusion to the meeting it was

RESOLVED –

(a) That the withdrawal of the preferred developer be noted.

(b) That the decision made at the meeting held on 22nd August 2007 be rescinded.

(c) That this Board declines the Royal Park Community Consortium’s request that no action be taken for a period of six months to allow the consortium time to develop funding applications which might, subsequently, lead to the lease or transfer of the ownership of the property.

(d) That this Board notes the negotiations that have taken place with the two organisations seeking to acquire the property, at market value, and refurbish it for subsequent use, instructs that the Director of City Development invites unconditional best and final financial offers from these two organisations in accordance with the terms of the report including business plans illustrating the ability of the bidder to guarantee the long term sustainability of the building, the latter representing 30% of the marks in any assessment, notwithstanding the outcome of any assessment, the bidders be advised that the Council will be under no obligation to accept either of the offers and that the purchaser must demonstrate the financial capacity not only for the purchase but also to address the very substantial cost of the refurbishment that would be required.

(e) That the decision at (d) above shall not preclude the consideration of a  bid from another party submitted in the same terms as those detailed above.