Content

RESOLVED: Cabinet;
1.    
Recommended a capital budget of £1.076 million
to fund the demolition of vacant buildings, including those
identified in this report, and allied activity.
2.    
Recommended that Council authorised the Executive
Director Finance to create further budget or budgets up to a total
of £2 million for further demolitions of vacant
buildings.
3.    
Authorised the Assistant Director Assets &
Environment to procure demolition and allied works including award
of contracts where (a) the buildings are identified in this report;
or (b) they are subsequently identified and the Executive Director
Finance in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance
approves demolition on grounds of expected reductions in
liabilities.
 
REASONS RESOLVED:
1.    
The identified buildings are non-functional and have
no future purpose in their current form, whether for service
delivery or disposal. Demolition would thus add to the value of the
sites. The same applies to any future such buildings.
2.    
The identified buildings are a source of danger to
the public, specifically those entering the sites without
authorisation. Demolition would mitigate these risks. The same
applies to any future such buildings.
3.    
Both those buildings identified in the report and
those which may be identified incur management costs for the
Council, which demolition would mitigate.
 
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:
1.    
In each case the Council has the choice whether to
demolish the building or it leave it standing. Given the
significant costs and risks associated with retaining the
buildings, in each case demolition is recommended.
2.    
In the case of buildings not identified in this
report, the Council could consider each proposal individually at
Cabinet and, depending on the costs involved, full Council, or it
could authorise the Executive Director Finance to approve funds for
such demolitions where there was a sufficiently strong case. It is
recommended that the Executive Director is authorised as this would
avoid unnecessary referrals of such matters to Cabinet and Council,
allowing those meetings to focus on more strategic
matters.