Miss Lucy Stroud, Corporate
Property Manager, addressed the Committee. Miss Stroud outlined that in June 2018, the
Committee resolved that a survey be commissioned to assess the
safety of Heather House. A condition
Survey Report, in Exempt Appendix 1, showed the condition of
Heather House. This was used to
estimate the costs of Heather House remaining open for a five, ten
and fifteen year period.
The Committee acknowledged the
difficulty of the decision that needed to be made regarding the
future of Heather House, and that the options presented in December
2018 were unlikely to provide a simple solution. It was suggested that in order to comprehensively
consider the future of Heather House, a Partnership or Trust
approach should be considered.
Mr William Cornall, Director of
Regeneration & Place, stated that even if the property were to
be redeveloped, rather than refurbished, it still would still
require a significant subsidy. It was therefore important for
Officers as well as Councillors to try to identify alternative
funding streams to support the options to be presented in
December.
RESOLVED:
1)
That the Condition Survey report prepared by
Faithorn Farrell Timms LLP, as detailed in Exempt Appendix 1, be
noted.
2)
That a further report be submitted to the Committee
outlining redevelopment options.
Voting:
Unanimous