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APPENDIX A
DRAFT
THE CHARITY KNOWN AS COBTREE MANOR ESTATE
ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN
2009 - 2011
INTRODUCTION
1.1
The Charity known as Cobtree Manor Estate holds land and buildings under
the terms of its 1971 lease from the Cobtree Charity Trust Limited for the
benefit of local residents and other members of the general public, and primarily
for use as public open space.
1.2
The property assets which it holds are defined for the purpose of this
plan as the buildings and other structures, and various parcels of land on the
former Cobtree Estate; these to include items of building related plant and
equipment where appropriate.
1.3
The object of this Asset Management Plan is to provide the Charity with:
(a) A clear definition of operational responsibility for the management of its assets in line with the policies and strategic direction of the Charity.
(b) An assurance that the assets are suitable for the purposes for which they are required.
(c) A
performance measurement system which relates to the objects of the Charity.
2.
CONTEXT
2.1
The management of the Cobtree Manor Estate is the essential reason for
the existence of the Charity. However, there are a number of properties on the
Estate which do not directly support the objects of the Charity, but which form
part of the portfolio of assets generating a level of revenue income.
2.2
Under the terms of its 1971 Lease the Charity exists essentially to
provide public open space as defined by the Open Spaces Act 1906. A proportion
of the Estate was appropriated in 1975 for use as a public Pay and Play Golf
Course. However, both elements of the Estate fall under the auspices of the
Charity and are managed as a single entity.
2.3
The Maidstone Borough Council, acting in its capacity as a local
authority, contributed towards the development of the golf course through the purchase
of additional land; and thus retains a direct interest in the operation of the
golf course proportionate to the amount of land it owns (identified as a ratio
of 2/9’s:7/9’s).
2.4
The Charity continues to review options for the future development of
the Estate designed to increase the number of visitors to the site consistent
with the basic objects of the Charity; thus management of the various assets may
change over the period of this plan dependant upon the options which are pursued
when the necessary financial resources become available.
3.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
3.1
The Strategic Objectives of the Charity are those defined in the lease
of the Cobtree Estate dated July 1971 from the Cobtree Charity Trust Limited;
namely:
(a) “To hold
Cobtree Manor and Cobtree Manor Estate for the benefit of the inhabitants of
Maidstone and other members of the general public in one or other or all of the
following ways:
(a)
By maintaining the Cobtree Manor Estate as an open space as defined by the
Open Spaces Act 1906 and if the lessees think fit providing thereat facilities
for organised games and other sports”.
(b)
With the consent of …[Cobtree Charity Trust Limited and Kent County
Council]… in such other way for the benefit of the inhabitants of Maidstone and
other members of the general public as the Council shall from time to time
think appropriate.”
3.2
The strategic objective of this Asset Management Plan is to ensure that:
(a) Where
appropriate, the asset portfolio supports the objects of the charity; and
(b) The assets
are demonstrably managed in the most economic, efficient and effective manner.
3.3
Therefore, the asset management plan must seek to put into place procedures
and monitoring arrangements to ensure that the available assets are:
(a) In good condition
to provide an appropriate experience for the visitor and user and bearing in
mind obligations under health and safety legislation;
(b) Suitable
for the purpose for which they are being retained;
(c) Maintained
to minimise reactive maintenance through the implementation of judicious planned
maintenance arrangements; and
(d) Managed to
mitigate the impact on climate change.
3.4
All non-operational assets will be viewed in the context of:
(a) Making the
maximum contribution to the revenue budget through rental income; and/or
(b) Making a
positive contribution to the social wellbeing of the community through its use
by voluntary groups, charitable organisations or small businesses.
3.5
Should the situation arise where assets are considered for acquisition
they should contribute to:
(a) The
achievement of the objects of the Charity, or
(b) The
generation of additional revenue income to sustain the objects of the charity
in the future.
4.
ORGANISATIONAL AND FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
4.1
All decisions relating to the management of the Charity’s assets must be
considered by the Cobtree Manor Estate Charity Committee acting for the Maidstone
Borough Council in its capacity as Corporate Trustee.
4.2
The appointed Cobtree Officer is responsible to the Committee for:
(a) Developing
the Asset Management Plan in consultation with appropriate property
professionals within the Maidstone Borough Council;
(b) Ensuring
that the plan and its implementation adhere to the objects and clearly stated
policies of the Charity;
(c) Ensuring
that the plan is co-ordinated with the medium term financial strategy of the
Charity; and
(d) Reporting
to the Committee at least annually on the performance of the property portfolio
measured against the agreed indicators.
4.3
The Corporate Property Officer of the Maidstone Borough Council will be
responsible for providing appropriate advice and guidance to the Committee on
the development and implementation of the Asset Management Plan.
4.4
The Corporate Property Officer of the Maidstone Borough Council is
responsible for:
(a) Implementing
the agreed works identified within the Asset Management Plan, and for which financial
provision is made within the Charity estimates; and
(b) Providing
estimates for future works and budgetary control to ensure that works are
completed within the allocated budget.
4.4.2
Land and buildings will be re-valued on a five-yearly cycle. No depreciation
will be provided on the buildings as this is considered immaterial due to the
estimated useful life and level of residual value. Impairment will be provided
as necessary, and impairment reviews will be carried out when there are any
indicators of impairment. The valuation will use an assessed market value;
meaning that the valuation will be arrived at by reference to the rental income
where appropriate; as in the case of the clubhouse, for example. The regular
reviews will be conducted by the Council’s Corporate Property Manager using the
CIPFA/RICS method of valuation.
5.
THE CURRENT PORTFOLIO
5.1
A summary of the value of the Charity’s property assets as at 31st March 2009 (excluding fixtures and fittings, plant and machinery) is shown
at Appendix I.
5.2
The Charity’s portfolio of Assets was acquired under the July 1971 lease
from the Cobtree Charity Trust Limited. Although unregistered at the time of
acquisition all land and property on the Estate is now registered with the Land
Registry.
5.3
The schedule of assets is shown in Appendix II.
5.4
The Maidstone Borough Council, primarily acting in its capacity as the
local authority, undertook a condition survey of all its assets in 1999, including
those of the Charity, and this was updated in 2002. This condition survey is
updated annually by reference to the property maintenance programme and this helps
to determine the planned maintenance requirements for future years. The
Charity’s assets are included in the Council’s overall portfolio but are shown
separately.
5.5
Similarly, Maidstone Borough Council’s Property Management System is
used to maintain a register of its assets, including those of the Charity. The
monitoring system allows condition surveys to be recorded, direct expenditure to
be monitored, plant and equipment to be listed; in this way progress on contracted
works can be monitored more accurately. It is anticipated that the system will
include supplemental information regarding plant and equipment renewal dates, survey
results for asbestos and legionella and, as appropriate, entries from the
contaminated land register. The objective is to ensure that a more
co-ordinated approach is given to the management of the Council’s assets and,
more importantly in this context, to those of the Charity.
6.
SERVICE DELIVERY & ACCOMMODATION NEEDS
6.1
The Charity is committed to making the best use of its available resources
within the context of its charitable objects. A key to achieving this is a
more strategic approach to the identification of priorities and the associated
deployment of resources.
6.2
Hitherto, asset management has been demand lead. Once a final decision has
been taken on the future development of the Estate, it is recommended that a
review programme be introduced to challenge the use of each asset and to focus
on improving the facilities provided.
6.3
This approach should include an assessment of the suitability of each
asset for its agreed purpose, a condition survey and a review of expenditure on
maintenance and running costs. Where appropriate there should be an assessment
of the potential cost of bringing each asset up to an appropriate standard for
its intended use.
6.4
The assessment
will help identify investment priorities by comparing each asset’s suitability
for its current use against the amount of investment needed to bring the
building to an appropriate standard:
S U I T A B I L I T Y
|
High
Low |
Low priority for investment.
|
Target for investment + programme of energy reduction measures. |
Consider for re-use or possible disposal.
|
Consider for disposal |
||
Low High |
|||
|
|
INVESTMENT NEED |
6.5
In assessing the suitability of each asset for its current use it is
suggested that, where appropriate, the views of the public or specific user
groups be taken into consideration.
6.6
It is important that when considering any investment proposals the whole
life-cycle of the asset be taken into consideration.
6.7
The future use of assets and the long term planning of capital
expenditure will need to be considered in association with, and thus modified
by, the development proposals which the Charity continues to consider for the
Estate.
7.
NON-OPERATIONAL AND INVESTMENT PROPERTY
7.1
No property assets are currently held for purely investment purposes.
However, a number of dwellings are leased on a medium term basis, with further
consideration required on their long term use when the existing leases expire.
8.
GOVERNMENT POLICY AND STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITIES
8.1
There are a number of governmental policies and other statutory
responsibilities placed on the management of the Charity’s assets; these are
set out below:
8.2
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 places an obligation on service
providers to adjust service delivery and the physical condition of their premises
to overcome access barriers. Although adjustments have been made, the
situation will be monitored to determine whether further works are required.
8.3
The Control of Asbestos at Work Act 2000 places an obligation on
responsible bodies to plan for the management of asbestos in its premises.
A survey has been carried out and apart from one or two very minor instances of
asbestos found in isolated locations, no immediate works are required.
8.4
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires the local authority to
inspect its area for contaminated land and to put in place a strategy for
identifying, classifying and remediation of such land.
No immediate concerns have been raised by either Maidstone Borough Council or
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council; although some former quarrying and
industrial activities took place on adjoining land.
8.5
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 requires
service operators to adopt policies for the control and management of legionella
in water systems.
The only area of concern was the Golf Course clubhouse, but appropriate
remediation works were carried out during the financial year 2006-2007.
8.6
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 came into effect in October
2006 and replaced over 70 pieces of fire safety law. The Order applies to all
non-domestic premises in England and Wales. Under the Order, the Council is
responsible for carrying out a fire safety risk assessment of its premises and implementing
and maintaining a fire management plan. These were carried out in 2007.
9.
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
9.1
The Council as local authority collects property performance data for
comparative purposes. Although not entirely appropriate for the Charity’s
purpose, the data is useful in giving comparison over time.
10.
THE ENVIRONMENT
10.1
The Council acting as local authority is pursuing a Climate Change
Plan. Although it is not necessary for the Charity to do so, specific aspects may
be worthy of consideration which relate to the better management of the
Charity’s assets and contribute to a wider environmental benefit.
10.2
In adopting the intent of a Climate Change Plan the Charity seeks to
reduce the environmental impact of activities through pursuing energy
efficiency in the design, maintenance and management of its buildings, pursuing
energy conservation measures and the use of renewal energy. For example, energy
from a renewable source is currently used at the Cobtree Manor Park Golf Course
Clubhouse.
10.3
The Golf Course clubhouse at Cobtree is also included in the Council’s energy
audit programme. Improvements, such as water conservation and improved
lighting, have been identified and will be addressed through the future planned
maintenance programmes.
APPENDICES
(i)
Summary of Asset Values
(ii)
Schedule of Assets
(iii)
Performance Indicators
APPENDIX I
SUMMARY OF ASSET VALUES
Net book Values as at 31 – 03 – 2009
|
|
Operational |
Non- operational |
|
Code |
Property |
Land & Buildings |
Infrastructure |
|
B32 |
Cobtree Golf Course |
1,079,166 |
- |
- |
B33 |
Cobtree Rural Park - |
|
- |
- |
|
- Garden Cottage |
51,344 |
|
|
|
- 2 Stream Cottages |
43,940 |
|
|
|
- 3 Stream Cottages |
43,940 |
|
|
|
- 4 Stream Cottages |
43,940 |
|
|
|
Total: |
1,262,330 |
- |
- |
APPENDIX I
Schedule of Assets
|
Description: |
Current Use:
|
1 |
Westfield Wood (part) |
13.3 acres of woodland sub-leased to the Kent Wildlife Trust to be used for woodland management and associated educational purposes. Lease dated 18 January 1977 for 5 years and year to year thereafter.
|
2 |
Tyland Farm |
2.6 acres of land subleased to the Kent Wildlife Trust for use as a headquarters building and study/visitor centre. Leased dated 6 July 1992 for 125 years.
|
3 |
Cobtree Manor Park Golf Course |
88.31 acres of land Appropriated under Section 120 of the Local Government Act 1972 for the purpose of providing a municipal pay and play golf course and associated facilities.
|
4 |
Cobtree Manor Park |
50.82 acres of land used as a public open space with extensive and varied planting of trees and shrubs; includes a picnic area, car parking and toilet facilities.
|
5 |
Cobtree Manor House |
House and associated buildings on 2.775 acres of land sold leasehold as private dwelling on 31 July 2000. Enfranchisement of the freehold completed August 2004. Garage and stables owned separately and redeveloped as cottages restricted for holiday lets use only.
|
6 |
Forstal Villa |
Property and garden on 0.2459 acres of land sold leasehold on 16 February 1987 for a period of 125 years from 1 April 1986 under assumed application of the “Right to Buy” legislation. Lease subsequently extended to remainder of Council’s term minus 5 days.
|
7 |
Water Bore Hole |
0.5 acres of land sub-leased to the Mid Kent Water company for water extraction purposes. Leased dated 6 January 1995 for 125 years. |
8 |
Travis Perkins Land |
1.35 acres of land sub-leased to Travis Perkins Limited as an extension to an area used for the storage of materials. Lease dated 14 July 1993 till 9 July 2970.
|
9 |
Museum of Kent Life |
23.35 acres of land sub-leased to the Kent County Council and further leased to the Cobtree Museum Trust for Museum purposes. Leased dated 1 April 1992 for 125 years. Further sub-lease agreed to Continuum for period of 25 years from 1 February 2008.
|
10 |
Museum of Kent Life – North Paddock |
23.44 acres of land sub-leased in part to the Kent County Council and further leased to the Cobtree Museum Trust for 125 years from 31 March 1994 for the future development of Museum exhibits. Included in further sub-lease to Continuum
|
11 |
Land North of Forstal Road |
4.819 acres of unused land substantially affected by the M20 road widening scheme. Let under a two-year grazing tenancy agreement dated 9 July 2009.
|
12 |
Chatham Lodge |
Property in derelict condition on 2.889 acres of land badly affected by the M20 road widening scheme. Sold freehold to adjoining land owner on 27 November 2008.
|
13 |
1 Stream Cottages |
0.2616 acres of land and house sold leasehold remainder of Council’s term minus 5 days from 27 August 2003.
|
14 |
2 Stream Cottages |
0.1423 acres of land and house subleased to occupant for 22 years from 1 April 1995.
|
15 |
3 Stream Cottages |
0.1435 acres of land and house subleased to occupant for 22 years from 8 December 1998.
|
16 |
4 Stream Cottages |
0.3437 acres of land and house subleased to occupant for 22 years from 12 December 1998.
|
17 |
1 White Cottage |
0.2184 acres of land and house sold leasehold for remainder of Council’s term minus 5 days from 9 December 2002.
|
18 |
2 White Cottages |
0.32 acres of land and house sold leasehold at auction for remainder of Council’s term minus 5 days from 14 March 2002.
|
19 |
Gate Lodge, Forstal Road |
0.147 acres of land and house sold at auction on 21 September 2007.
|
20 |
Garden Lodge |
0.2723 acres of land and cottage sublease for residential purposes from 6 February 1998 for 22 years.
|
21 |
Sandling Farm |
House and land subleased to the Kent County Council and further lease to the Cobtree Museum of Kent Life Trust. Included in further sub-lease to Continuum.
|
22 |
Tyland Farm House |
0.2905 acres of land and house subleased to Kent Wildlife Trust co-terminus with lease on Tyland Barn.
|
23 |
Keepers Cottage |
Property demolished in 1995 to facilitate the restructuring of the 18-hole golf course following amendments resulting from the M20 road-widening scheme.
|
24 |
Catering Kiosk |
Subleased to Maverick Industries Limited for a period of 2 years till 6 August 2010.
|
25 |
Elephant House |
Currently un-used.
|
26
|
Llama House |
Currently available as informal picnic shelter for park users.
|
27 |
Golf Course Clubhouse |
Use of premises included in Golf management contract.
|
28 |
Golf Course Grounds Maintenance Building |
Occupation of premises included in Golf management contract.
|
29 |
Golf Course Clubhouse Flat |
Included in Golf Management Contract to facilitate on-site presence. |