In the past few years, Thanet District Council (TDC) has been drawing an almost continual list of ‘assets’ for disposal. Some ‘assets’ are sold by auction or tender for value, others are transferred to community groups and a few are transferred for value or by agreement to Town and Parish Councils.
The Town and Parish Councils tend to receive the more complicated ‘assets’ (meaning land or buildings etc), where significant investment is required, that may often exceed the capability of community groups to find the capital and other resources to restore and maintain a building in the long term (over 10 years).
For example, Broadstairs Town Council purchased Pierremont Hall from TDC, which was in need of substantial repair and then spent many thousands of pounds in renovating the building. Other sites in Broadstairs have similarly been dealt with in the same way.
Ramsgate Town Council (RTC) has received Charlotte Court on a ‘no value transfer’, but has spent up to £10,000 on remedial measures to improve the amenity value and security of this small square/courtyard in the public interest.
Two years ago, TDC announced out of the blue that it had put Albion Gardens on the transfer list and that RTC was the favoured recipient in the public interest. RTC followed up this proposal and agreed to take on the liability for the site, even though it would probably mean a significant burden to local taxpayers. RTC accepted this in the public interest, because the gardens, the pulhamite artificial rockwork, and the artificial waterfall contained within the garden, are key features that are clearly identified with Ramsgate as a Town.
The transfer to RTC’s care should have taken place earlier this year, but it has not happened. The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed progress, but what really has brought matters to a complete halt, was RTC finding that not only would it be paying its own legal fees for the conveyance/transfer, but that of TDC and unspecified ‘estates fees’.
RTC felt that this was unfair and not in line with normal commercial or municipal practice, but TDC were or are adamant. RTC asked the TDC cabinet and the Leader to intercede, but they were told by the Senior Management Team (SMT) at TDC that ‘it would set a precedent’.
RTC had hoped through one of its members serving on TDC to table a question under rule 14 at TDC’s Council meeting on Thursday 10th December, seeking an explanation. For procedural reasons this has not been possible and RTC is now placing those questions in the public realm as follows:
- Please explain why when Charlotte Court was transferred at no cost to RTC; TDC are now expecting RTC to fund both sides legal costs and unspecified ‘estate charges’, with Albion Gardens, on the grounds of maintaining precedent?
- Why does it take so long to convey land/buildings from one Council to another? Currently it takes years (two or more).
- Where does the wider public interest feature, when an asset transfer is proposed? Does short term financial returns to TDC outreach the long term benefit to the community, where the asset resides and why?
- What steps are being taken to reform inter Council asset transfers between TDC and its Town and Parish Councils, in order to reduce procedural delay and transaction costs? The same applies to management agreements.
- Many of these assets were received by TDC 40 years ago, under the 1974 local government reorganisation, and now that they are either surplus to requirements or becoming a burden to TDC’s resources, is it justifiable that the host community which may have originally built or paid for the asset, is expected to uphold a principle of ‘maintaining a precedent’.
RTC believes that this matter is very important and requires a thoroughgoing reform process to allow assets that are a key part of the identities of all the communities in Thanet, to be transferred and to be given a safe home for the foreseeable future.