Decision details

(Minute 83)

The report of the Assistant Director Housing and Contracts was submitted, reporting on the outcome of an asset management review of the City Council’s garage sites and considering recommendations for estate rationalisation.

Members were advised that the Council owned 930 garages over 65 sites. Since 2009, around 60 garages a year had been vacant. This represented 6.5% of the total stock and around £26,500 in lost rental income each year. A review of garages had been undertaken and the proposal before Members was to consult on the review to reduce the garages from 930 on 65 sites to 276 on 24 sites.

The Assistant Director Housing and Contracts outlined the issues raised in the review including pressure on parking on some estates, the need for more hardstandings and that garages were quite often not big enough to park a car in. The proposal was only for garages in City Council ownership.

Councillor Prowse spoke on this item under Standing Order no.44. He raised concerns regarding the private ownership of garages and that the Council would need to be sure that any proposals put forward did not include privately owned garages.

The Assistant Director Housing and Contracts clarified that a detailed assessment of the sites had been undertaken, taking into account those garages in private ownership and that the proposal at Wynford Road was only for a corner of the site to be re-developed. 

Members discussed the need to ensure that the Council was aware of the ownership of the garages before any development was taken forward, some Members raised concerns regarding any potential legal implications regarding ownership and possible development.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Customer Access advised that the proposals were a holistic approach to the way forward for garage sites and the consultation process should highlight any ownership issues. This would be a phased project over a number of years, a further report with results of the consultation to be brought back to Executive in November.

Scrutiny Committee – Community considered the report at its meeting on 3 September 2013 and the comments of Members were noted.

Executive resolved that:-

(1)          recommendations set out in the report be approved in principle for consultation with Ward Members and the Tenants and Leaseholders’ Committee; and

(2)          a report for detailed consideration be brought back to the November meeting of this Committee.