Transcript KTC PUBLIC MEETING PRESENTATION

SAFEGUARDING KINGTON’S
FUTURE
KINGTON TOWN COUNCIL
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
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HOUSE
MUSEUM BUILDING
OLD POLICE STATION (offices of Marches Access Point
and also small business units)
PUBLIC CONVENIENCES IN THE PLACE DE
MARINES
RECREATION 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 STATION
 THE 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 PROVIDED
 THE 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