KTC PUBLIC MEETING PRESENTATION
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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
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