Archived decisions

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item 8

15/03/2005Finance and General Purposes Committee

15 January 2009

Error! Bookmark not defined.Disposal of Copnor Fire Station

Report by the Chief Officer

Contact: David Howells - Director of Corporate Services Tel: 02380 626835

1

Summary

1.1

Following the redeployment of resources from Copnor Fire Station to Southsea Fire Station there is no longer an operational need for the building and site located at Copnor Road, Portsmouth. It is recommend that the site be formally declared surplus to the Authority's requirements and arrangements be made for its disposal.

2

RecommendationError! Bookmark not defined.

2.1

That the site of the former Copnor Fire Station, Copnor Road, Portsmouth be declared surplus to operational requirements and that the Chief Officer be authorised to market the property to establish the current market value and whether it would be prudent to try and sell the property during 2009.

3

Background

3.1

The Authority owns the freehold of former Copnor Fire Station. The site, shown on the location plan attached as Appendix 1 to this report, has an area of 1,935.93 square metres.

3.2

The operational resources (pumping appliance and crew) at Copnor were redeployed to Southsea and Copnor Fire Stations at the beginning of October 2008. Once the adaptations to Southsea Fire Station are finished (anticipated by March 2009), then the remaining support staff at Copnor can also be relocated and the building completely vacated.

3.3

Once the Authority has approved disposal of the site, our estates advisers will make arrangements to market the site to establish its current value; and, given the current downturn in the property market, whether it is likely it would be in the Authority's best financial interests to sell the property in the very short term. The property will be offered on the open market. It is anticipated that the results of the marketing exercise will be reported back to the Committee (via the Asset Management Working Group) in July 2009.

4

Contribution to Corporate Aims and Objectives

4.1

The eventual disposal of the Copnor site was anticipated as a consequence of the successful implementation of `corporate objective 10' in the Fire and Rescue Plan 2008 - 2011 : "Relocating our resources in Portsmouth".

5

Risk Analysis

5.1

With the current downturn in the property market, there is a risk that there will be little interest in the property when it is eventually put up for sale; or, the offers received may be unacceptably low. Because of this uncertainty, no assumptions have been made in preparing either the draft three-year capital programme or the revenue budget for 2009/10 that a capital receipt will be forthcoming in the short-term.

6

Resource Implications

6.1

Fees for professional services will be incurred in marketing the property. While these costs will be incurred in 2008/09 and 2009/10, they will be offset by the eventual capital receipt.

7

People Impact Assessment

7.1

There are no particular issues arising from the proposals put forward in this report and they are considered compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

Background Information (Section 100D of Local Government Act 1972)

The following documents disclose the facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of the report:

None

Note: The list excludes: (1) published works; and (2) documents that disclose exempt or confidential information defined in the Act.