Here is a summary of the meeting held by Councillor Natalie Bramhall, Cabinet Member for Property, Waste and Infrastructure, on 22 July 2025. Councillor Bramhall approved the disposal of four properties: Surrey Cottage, 1 Elmwood Road, 21 Magdalen Crescent and Omega, Moor Lane. All disposals were subject to conditions, including the surrender of head leases held by Halsey Garton Residential Ltd (HGR).

Property Disposals

Councillor Natalie Bramhall, Cabinet Member for Property, Waste and Infrastructure, approved the disposal of four properties following an open market campaign for each. The properties were offered with full vacant possession, with Surrey County Council accepting a surrender of the current headlease held over each asset by Halsey Garton Residential Ltd (HGR).

The recommendations approved were:

• To formally declare each asset surplus to operational requirements, in consultation with the Leader and Deputy Leader.
• To approve the sale of each property to the party at the price and subject to the conditions noted in the Part 2 report for each property. The sale of each property was conditional upon the simultaneous surrender of the headlease held over the asset by HGR, which has been agreed by the HGR Board.
• To approve the HGR premium for the surrender of its interest from the gross receipt, and note that there is debt aligned to each asset, with both parties bearing their own costs and appointments of their own professional team.
• To delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director of Resources (s151 Officer¹) in consultation with the Director of Land and Property to finalise the transaction and enter into all associated legal agreements.

Surrey Cottage, Scotts Grove Road, Chobham, Woking, Surrey, GU24 8DT

Surrey Cottage is a two-bedroom detached house. It was transferred to HGR by the council under a 40-year lease in February 2021 and became vacant on 12 August 2024. It was openly marketed by Curchods, residential marketing agents, on a freehold and vacant possession basis, subject to contract and survey. The brochure advertises the property as being a short distance from the village of Chobham, which hosts an array of gastro pubs, restaurants and boutique shops.

1 Elmwood Road, Redhill, RH1 2JD

1 Elmwood Road is a three-bedroom semi-detached house that was transferred to HGR by the council under a 40-year lease in February 2021 and became vacant on 23 April 2025. It was openly marketed by Curchods on a freehold and vacant possession basis subject to contract and survey. The brochure notes that the property is conveniently located between Redhill and Merstham train stations.

21 Magdalen Crescent, Byfleet, West Byfleet, KT14 7SR

21 Magdalen Crescent is a three-bedroom terraced house that was transferred to HGR by the council under a 40-year lease in February 2022 and became vacant on 24 April 2025. It was openly marketed by Curchods on a freehold and vacant possession basis subject to contract and survey. The brochure notes that the property is situated in an extremely popular part of Old Byfleet village.

Omega, Moor Lane, Woking, GU22 9RB

Omega, Moor Lane is a three-bedroom semi-detached house that was transferred to HGR by the council under a 40-year lease in February 2021. A tenancy ran from 15 February 2021 to 31 October 2024, and the property became vacant on 31 October 2024. It was openly marketed by Curchods on a freehold and vacant possession basis subject to contract and survey. The brochure describes the property as a newly refurbished three-bedroom semi-detached period cottage positioned on a country lane between the picturesque suburb of Sutton Green and Mayford Villages.

Financial and Legal Considerations

The disposal of each property is subject to costs of sale, including legal and agency fees, which will be approximately 2% of the sale value. The leasehold arrangements between the council and HGR will be surrendered simultaneously with completion.

The council has powers under Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972 to dispose of property in any manner they wish, subject to the disposal being for the best consideration reasonably obtainable. The council must ensure that the price for any disposal is market value to comply with Section 123 of the Act. Due regard must be given to the council's fiduciary duties to residents in respect of utilising public monies, and all relevant steps and necessary checks as to the source of funds should be carried out during the transaction in accordance with the council's anti-money laundering procedures.