As reported on Thursday evening, members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee voted to recommend the Cabinet decision due to be made tomorrow (Tuesday) on the lease arrangements for the former Ventnor Coastal Centre (also known as Salisbury Gardens) be deferred for one month.
The Cabinet have already approved treating the Ventnor Town Council as Special Purchaser in relation to a 25 year lease. The next stage awaiting approval is to agree the lease arrangements.
Hopes of postponement being avoided
We got in touch with David Bartlett, Ventnor’s town clerk on Friday for his reaction to the possible deferral.
He told OnTheWight,
“We very much hope that a postponement of the decision can be avoided and are very willing to provide Scrutiny Committee Members with any additional information they want in relation to their responsibility to secure best value.
“The substantial funding we have secured to develop the Coastal Centre building is obviously dependent on the granting of the proposed lease.
“The tender process for the works required for the building’s development as a business and community hub was concluded in November and quotations may be affected if the works cannot be carried out as planned.
“Our preparations and planning for this important development for the town have been very detailed in terms of both the work needed and the financial planning to underpin it.”
Proper market valuation?
Thursday’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee kicked off with Cllr Dave Stewart (Cons) questioning the valuation of the property (detailed as £350,000 in the papers). Senior officer John Metcalfe was quick to advise that the figure was based on a valuer’s report, which had given a guide price of £300,000-400,000.
Cllr Hutchinson (Cons) made the suggestion of test marketing the property in order to determine whether that was the ‘proper price’ for the building.
Many anomalies in paperwork
Cllrs Wayne Whittle (Cons) and Ivor Warlow (Ind) had prepared a number of questions in relation to what they considered anomalies within the documentation.
Part-way through explaining their concerns, the Chair of the meeting, Cllr Lumley (Lab), intervened and suggested that his lead members on property disposal should in future be able to have proper discussions with officers before reports go to committees.
He suggested that this report be deferred for one month, giving his Committee’s members time to discuss their concerns before it is put in front of decision-makers.
Deferral agreed by members
Cllr Ian Stephens initially agreed with the recommendation, but later in the conversation added he was unsure what impact delaying the decision would have on funding. He went on to suggest that if members could meet with senior officer, John Metcalfe, in the following days, it may be possible to get an agreed amended paper to the February Cabinet meeting.
It was suggested by Cllr Lumley that Cllrs Whittle, Warlow and Hutchinson discuss the report with officers and the majority of members voted to recommend deferral for one month. Two members abstained.
Papers going before Cabinet
Below are the papers that will be going before the Cabinet on Tuesday 11th February.
Document published by the Ventnor Town Council
Image: © Google Streetview
