The Asset Management Forum of East Devon District Council met on 29 September 2025, and members noted updates from the Property and FM Team, the Estate Team, and the Placemaking and Major Projects Team. The forum also recommended to the cabinet that £30,000 be made available for legal and commercial advice to support the delivery of the Hayne Lane site in Honiton.

Hayne Lane, Honiton

The Asset Management Forum recommended to the cabinet that a budget of £30,000 be made available to provide legal and commercial advice to support the delivery of the Hayne Lane site. The Development Delivery Project Manager and the Corporate Lead - Major Projects presented an update on the work undertaken to support the delivery of the Hayne Lane site, and an overview of the next steps needed to deliver employment space. The meeting then moved into a private session to discuss the report in more detail.

Placemaking and Major Projects Team update

The Corporate Lead Major Projects and Programmes, Naomi Harnett, provided an update on several high-profile projects that the Major Projects & Programmes Team are currently involved in delivering. The update included:

• Depots Review: The Place, Assets and Leisure Service are leading a review of the council's operational depot properties to ensure they meet the needs of the district following Local Government Reorganisation. An Outline Business Case is being finalised and will be reported to the cabinet in early winter.

• Exmouth Placemaking Plan (EPP): Work to review the EPP has concluded with WSP[^1]. A final draft was considered by the PETS group in September 2025, before a public consultation. The plan is expected to be adopted by spring 2026.

  [^1]: WSP is a global engineering and environmental professional services firm.

• Stalled Employment Sites: A multidisciplinary project team has been assembled to review delivery options for sites in Axminster, Honiton and Seaton.

  • Cloakham Lane, Axminster: A cross-departmental team is working with Vistry Group to progress the land transfer (due under S.106[^2] contribution from the Cloakham Lawns development). Procurement exercises have been undertaken to secure commercial advice and architectural support to develop a scheme for the site, with a feasibility study to be presented at the next AMF meeting.
  • Seaton Sites: Options for supporting delivery of the Seaton sites are currently being reviewed, and a report is being prepared for the cabinet regarding the Harepath Road site disposal.

  • Hayne Lane, Honiton: An update on this report is provided in a separate report.

    [^2]: Section 106 agreements are legal agreements between local planning authorities and developers, used to mitigate the impact of new developments on the community and infrastructure.

• Cranbox, Cranbrook: The Cranbox Project is a two-storey modular development designed to deliver flexible commercial space in Cranbrook Town Centre. The project is funded through a £1.9m grant from the Devon & Torbay Net Zero Capital Programme, which must be fully spent by 31 March 2026. Kendall Kingscott are proposed to be appointed as Employers Agent under the same NHS SBS framework.

  Naomi Harnett noted that there are delays in the transfer of land in Cranbrook Town Centre to East Devon District Council, which creates significant risk in the Cranbox project. To ensure timely delivery, the council will be entering into a Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) with the modular provider prior to the transfer of land being negotiated and resolved. The council can terminate the contract should there be further issues with the land transfer and only pay for services to that date. The Enterprise Zone programme may cover up to £180,000 of abortive project costs.

Councillor Paul Hayward, Portfolio Holder Assets and Economy and Chair of the meeting, welcomed the progress on the Cranbox project.

Estate Team update

Rob Harrison, Senior Estates Surveyor, provided an update on the work of the Estates Team, including:

• New industrial units at Redgates in Exmouth have been completed and transferred to the council. Viewings are being arranged with interested parties to secure tenants for the four light industrial units, each extending to approximately 850 sq ft (79 sq m). The units have achieved an A rating in their Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)[^3] and benefit from solar panels.

  [^3]: An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) gives a property a rating based on its energy efficiency – A being the most efficient and G being the least efficient. It is required when a property is built, sold or rented.

• Following the vacation of two units at Riverside Workshops in Seaton, the team undertook a marketing exercise to identify new tenants, which has been successful.

• The units at Redgates and Riverside form part of the council's larger industrial portfolio, which consists of 48 industrial units, 11 compounds, and 9 ground leases spread over 10 sites across the district. The sites produce an annual rent of around £310,000, with the new units at Redgates expected to add to this once let.

• The team recently negotiated a rent review for the council's Waste and Recycling facility, using market and technical knowledge to secure the best outcome for the council and limit the impact of any increase.

• The ongoing roll out of new and improved communications networks continues to provide increasing numbers of cases where wayleaves[^4] and easements[^5] are sought for the installation of new equipment. The team have undertaken significant work in the negotiation of terms for wayleaves and continue to work with the various statutory undertakers to reach agreements moving forward.

  [^4]: A wayleave agreement is a contract between a landowner and an operator that gives the operator the right to install and maintain equipment on the land. [^5]: An easement is a right to cross or otherwise use someone else's land for a specified purpose.

• Through the disposal of surplus assets, the team has generated capital receipts totalling £236,600 so far this financial year, with a further £98,000 worth of transactions currently in the hands of solicitors.

• Work is continuing on the new Asset Management Plan, and a draft plan will be available at a future forum meeting.

Property and FM Team update

Jorge Pineda-Langford, Principal Building Surveyor/Team Lead, summarised the Property and FM Team update report, which highlighted corporate property and FM activities for the first quarter of the financial year 2025/26 (April to June 2025) and listed the tasks for the second quarter of 2025/26 (July to September 2025). The report also provided an update on ongoing capital projects and capital bids approvals for 2025/26.

The report included a summary of planned preventive maintenance (PPM) and compliance works undertaken during the first quarter of 2025/2026 (April to June 2025) at various locations, including:

• Axminster Leisure Centre
• Broadclyst Leisure Centre
• Exmouth Camperdown Depot
• Exmouth East Devon Tennis Centre
• Exmouth Foxholes Car Park
• Exmouth Leisure Centre
• Exmouth Pavilion
• Exmouth Town Hall
• Honiton Blackdown House
• Honiton Leisure Centre
• Honiton Swimming Pool
• Ottery St Mary Leisure Centre
• Sidmouth Leisure Centre
• Sidmouth Swimming Pool

The report also included a summary of planned preventive maintenance (PPM) and compliance works planned over the second quarter of 2025/26 (July to September 2025).

The report noted that compliance and PPM work status at the end of quarter one was: Compliant 83%, Warning 11%, Overdue 6%. The key performance indicator is that the overdue figure must not exceed 10%.

Other works completed, planned, or ongoing over the first and second quarters of 2025/26 included:

• Insurance works at Axminster Millway Rise Workshops.
• Lift repairs at Exmouth Town Hall.
• Septic tank inspection and repairs at Exmouth Withycombe Changing Rooms.
• Flooring repairs at Ottery St Mary Leisure Centre.
• Clock mechanism replacement at Seaton Seafield Garden Clock Tower.
• Vandalism repairs to the roof at Sidmouth Connaught Gardens.
• Drainage repairs at Sidmouth Connaught Gardens Tower Café.
• Clock mechanism replacement at Sidmouth Connaught Gardens Tower Café Clock.
• Gym door replacement at Sidmouth Leisure Centre.
• Poolside store flooring replacement at Sidmouth Swimming Pool.

The report also provided a summary of reactive jobs by property and allocation for the first quarter of 2025/26, and the status of reactive work for the same period.

Live capital projects include:

• Refurbishment and improvement works at Exmouth Pavilion.
• Roof replacement at Broadclyst Leisure Centre and Ottery St Mary Leisure Centre.
• FRA[^6] remedial works at various locations.
• Floor repairs and replacement at various locations.
• Extractor fans, AC, AHU[^7] upgrades and refurbishment at various locations.
• FRA Works at various corporate sites.
• Roof replacement over courts 1-4 at Exmouth East Devon Tennis Centre.
• Surface water drainage improvements at Honiton Leisure Centre.
• Beach hut replacement at Sidmouth Jacobs Ladder Beach Huts.
• Public Toilet Investment Programme (including Changing Places) at various locations.
• Roof Replacement at Exmouth Pavilion.
• Internal Decorations and Refurbishment at Manor Pavilion and Thelma Hulbert internal decoration and refurbishment.
• Water quality monitoring at various East Devon District Council swimming pools.
• Boiler Replacement / Decarbonisation at Withycombe changing rooms.
• Electrical remedial works at Exmouth the Pavilion Theatre.
• Flooring works at Ottery St Mary Leisure Centre and Honiton Leisure Centre.
• UV filtering systems works at swimming pools in Exmouth, Honiton and Sidmouth.
• Terrace Paving works at Exmouth Ocean.
• Roof replacement, ductwork, and structural works at Sidmouth Manor Pavilion Theatre.
• Swimming pool underwater works at swimming pools in Exmouth, Honiton and Sidmouth.
• External decorations and repairs at various corporate properties.

• Internal decorations, repairs, and refurbishment at various LED Operated Buildings.

  [^6]: FRA is assumed to mean Fire Risk Assessment. [^7]: AC is assumed to mean Air Conditioning, and AHU is assumed to mean Air Handling Unit.

The report also provided an update on the SWAP¹ Corporate Property Health & Safety Audit Action Plan.