To seek Cabinet Member approval to dispose of the land and buildings known as the Bath Street Offices, Hereford to the Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service to enable the delivery of a new fire station for Hereford City.

THAT:               

(a)       The disposal be approved on the basis of a land swap and other financial considerations based upon market valuations.

HC needs to dispose of the Bath Street offices as soon as possible following decant.  It does not want to be left with a major cost vacant property.

F&RS urgently needs to relocate and has funds immediately available to do so.  The current fire station is 10 years beyond its useful life.

The land swap deal ensures that HC get the equivalent of market value for its site, a quick disposal and the facility to generate a capital receipt from the disposal of the fire station site.

The high costs of demolition of the buildings on the site will be avoided as these will be picked up at risk by the F&RS.

The Council will dispose of the site by an open market sale.  This will potentially provide the Council with a greater net capital receipt, but will sacrifice the opportunity to secure a new fire station.

The Council sells the site to F&RS at a market rate.  This again will potentially prevent the delivery of a new fire station as the costs of delivery will be prohibitively high and beyond the resources of the Government grant.

Do nothing and refurbish the site as offices and let commercially.  This is likely to be very costly and there is already an over-supply of good office space in the City.

Dispose of the site at nil consideration to a Registered Social Landlord to enable its redevelopment for affordable housing.  This will lead to no capital receipt, but a major contribution to reducing waiting lists for social housing.