KINGTON TOWN COUNCIL

SAFEGUARDING KINGTON’S FUTURE

THE BACKGROUND

HEREFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL BUDGET CUTS

LOOKING TO DISPOSE OF ASSETS

THE IMPCT ON KINGTON

HCC LOOKING TO TRANSFER OWNERSHIP OF A NUMBER OF ASSETS TO KINGTON, THROUGH THE TOWN COUNCIL

NEGOTIATIONS ARE ON-GOING

TO DATE, THE TOWN COUNCIL HAS INDICATED ITS INTEREST

WHAT ARE THE ASSETS UNDER CONSIDERATION?

MARKET HALL, PLACE DE MARINES AND COACH HOUSE

MUSEUM BUILDINGOLD POLICE STATION (offices of Marches

Access Point and also small business units)PUBLIC CONVENIENCES IN THE PLACE DE

MARINESRECREATION SPACES: CROOKED WELL

MEADOW AND OLD EARDISLEY ROAD CAR PARKS, INCLUDING MARKET HALL

STREET, TOWN CENTRE BEHIND NISA AND MILL STREET

INCLUDED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS….

THE CURRENT COUNCIL OFFICES, WHICH HOUSE THE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE AS WELL WILL BE SOLD BY HEREFORDSHIRE COUNCIL. THEY WILL NOT BE TRANSFERRED TO THE TOWN

RENOVATION WORKS HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN TO THE MARKET HALL (COST AROUND £100,000)

RENOVATION WORKS TO THE OLD POLICE STATION UNDER WAY (COST AROUND £75,000)

WHERE WILL THE COUNCIL OFFICE AND TIC GO?

THE TOWN COUNCIL OFFICE WILL RELOCATE TO THE OLD POLICE STATIONTHE RENOVATIONS THERE WILL PROVIDE AN ENLARGED ROOM THAT WILL BE USED BOTH AS A COUNCIL CHAMBER AND FOR MARCHES ACCESS POINT. A SECOND MEETING ROOM WILL ALSO BE PROVIDEDTHE TIC WILL RELOCATE TO WHAT WAS THE CAFÉ AREA OF THE MUSEUM

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE TOWN COUNCIL SAYS NO?

HCC WILL PLACE THESE ASSETS IN A PUBLIC AUCTION IN FEBRUARY 2014

ONE AUCTION HAS ALREADY BEEN HELD OF HCC ASSETS IN KINGTON, INCLUDING THE BUILDING AT LOWER CROSS

THERE IS A RISK THAT THESE ASSETS WOULD BE SOLD TO INDIVIDUALS OR BUSINESSES WITH NO INTEREST IN KINGTON’S FUTURE

FOR THE CAR PARKS, THOSE WHICH ARE CURRENTLY FREE WILL BE CHARGED FOR

WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT ON THE TOWN?

THE RISK OF THE LOSS OF THESE BUILDINGS WOULD BE CONSIDERABLE

CLOSURE OF THE PUBLIC CONVENIENCES, WHICH HAS ALREADY HAPPENED IN OTHER MARKET TOWNS, WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON BOTH RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS

CHARGES ON THE CURRENTLY FREE CAR PARKS AND RAISING OF CHARGES ON MILL STREET WOULD HAVE A SERIOUS IMPACT ON TRADE IN THE TOWN CENTRE

WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS?

SOME OF THE ASSETS PRODUCE REVENUE (MARKET HALL, OLD POLICE STATION, MILL STEET CAR PARK)

CURRENT COSTS OF MAINTENANCE OF THE RECREATION AREAS COULD BE REDUCED THROUGH LOCAL CONTRACTING

A FULL BUSINESS PLAN WILL BE DRAWN UP

SURVEYS OF THE BUILDINGS WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO IDENTIFY LONGER TERM MAINTENANCE COSTS

WILL THERE BE AN IMPACT ON THE COUNCIL CHARGE?

POSSIBLY, BUT THE TOWN COUNCIL WILL TRY AND KEEP THIS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE

THE ASSETS THEMSELVES WILL BE TRANSFERRED FOR NOTHING – THE TOWN COUNCIL WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM

HOW WILL BE ASSETS BE MANAGED?

KINGTON TOWN COUNCIL WILL TAKE LEGAL ADVICE AS TO THE BEST WAY TO MANAGE AND SAFEGUARD THESE ASSETS FOR THE FUTURE

ONE POSSIBILITY IS THE SETTING UP OF A KINGTON TRUST, AS AN INDEPENDENT AND CHARITABLE BODY TO MANAGE THE ASSETS. THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN OTHER PLACES WHERE SIMILAR ASSET TRANSFERS HAVE TAKEN PLACE.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

KTC WILL CONTINUE NEGOTIATONS WITH HCC

FULL SURVEYS OF THE BUILDINGS WILL BE CARRIED OUT

A BUSINESS PLAN WILL BE DRAWN UP, LOOKING AT INCOME AND COSTS

LEGAL ADVICE WILL BE OBTAINED ON THE APPROPRIATE MEANS OF OWNING AND MANAGING THE ASSETS

KINGTON RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WILL BE KEPT FULLY INFORMED OF PROGRESS