Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 27th March, 2025 7.00 pm - Agenda and draft minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 4th March, 2025 (copy attached).

The minutes of the meetings held on 4th March, 2025 were agreed as a correct record.

To consider the Work Plan for the 2024/25 Municipal Year (copy attached).

The Committee noted the current Work Plan.

During discussions, the following issues were raised:

·       Letter to HCC – the Chairman advised that a discussion needed to be had with the Leader of the Council to determine the way forward taking account of the changes relating to Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation.

·       Housing and Homelessness Prevention Strategy – the Lead Officer read out an update on the current position with the Strategy, and advised that an item regarding this matter would be scheduled for July 2025.

·       A request was made for an update from SERCO following the meeting in August 2024. A request would be made to the relevant officer and presented to the Progress Group for consideration.

·       The Committee noted that it was considered too early for a report regarding the Climate Change Action Plan and the Young People’s Plan as both had only recently be formally agreed by the Cabinet.

RESOLVED: That, taking into account the public interest test, the public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of the under mentioned item to avoid the disclosure of exempt information within the paragraph of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 indicated against the item:

Minute           Schedule      Category

No.                  12A Para.

                        No.

37                    3                      Information relating to financial or business affairs

Having regard to the Council’s Code of Conduct for Councillors, the following declarations of interest were made: 

It was noted that on 27th May, 2021, the Council’s Corporate Governance, Audit and Standards Committee had granted dispensations to Members appointed by the Council to the Board of the Rushmoor Development Partnership and as Directors of Rushmoor Homes Limited and therefore Cllrs Trussler, Whitmee and Williams, remained in the meeting for the discussion.

To receive Report No. EDPLACE2501 (copy attached) and additional EXEMPT draft Cabinet report and appendices (copies attached), to allow for pre decision scrutiny on the approach to the disposal of residential apartments at Union Yard, Aldershot.

The nature of the item relates to information relating to financial or business affairs of the Council and, when appropriate, will be considered in private.

The Committee welcomed the Leader of the Council - Cllr Gareth Williams, Executive Director - Karen Edwards, Executive Head of Property and Growth - Tim Mills, Executive Head of Finance - Peter Vickers, and Head of Regeneration and Development - Nick Irvine, who were in attendance to support the pre-decision scrutiny to be undertaken on the disposal of residential apartments at Union Yard, Aldershot.

Report No. EDPLACE2501 set out the background to the item, which had been requested by the Committee, to allow them to carry out pre-decision scrutiny on the approach and options for the disposals of 82 apartments in blocks C and D, (now known as Seacole Place and Burton House) at the Union Yard development in Aldershot.

The Committee were being asked to consider five options, as set out below:

1)    Disposal to the Council’s Housing Company, Rushmoor Homes Limited

2)    Disposal of individual units to the open market via a local estate agency

3)    Disposal to a Registered Provider- part social / part private rent or shared ownership

4)    Disposal for submarket rent for key workers

5)    Disposal to private investor for private rent

The Chairman requested that the focus of the questions raised during discussion related to any gaps within the report, risks to the Council, and information that might assist the Cabinet in making the final decision.

Due to the nature of the information within the reports, which related to the financial and business affairs of the Council, the Chairman recommended that the item be considered in private.

Following a vote, the Committee agreed unanimously to hold the rest of the meeting in private.

During discussions with officers and representatives from Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), a commercial property consultant engaged by the Council to assist with the process for disposal, Members were advised of the soft market testing process undertaken by LSH and their recommendations. It was advised that LSH had not gone out to the open market on this occasion and had chosen to approach the most appropriate potential buyers at the time. LSH advised this approach helped to avoid “spoiling” the offer in the wider market, should an open market disposal be required if no offers were received. In response to a query relating to timescales for full market sale, it was noted that this could take in the region of 2-3 months.

In response to a query regarding letting the units before selling them and would an income asset be of more interest to buyers, it was noted that, at this time, it was hard to say if any offers under these circumstances would have been more competitive as this depended on the nature of the investor. It would however, mean more risk for the Council who would continue to incur empty property holding costs during the lettings process which could take some months. In considering a suggested option to offer investors and incentive e.g. potentially buy ten and get eleven units, it was advised by LSH that there was very  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.