Council
Completes Sale of Putney Garden
Centre Site
Wandsworth
Council has announced the sale
by auction of its land at Dryburgh
Road, Putney for the sum of
£1.6m.
The
sale means that the Garden Centre
will now definitely close when
the current lease runs out in
March 2002. The purchaser is
Fairdare Ltd and it is understood
that the site will be developed
for residential purposes. The
site has planning permission
for 5 houses or ten flats.
The
council's policy and resources
chairman Maurice Heaster said
the sum would be available to
supplement the council's already
substantial capital programme
in Putney.
He
stated: "It is only through
a vigorously business-like approach
to asset management that councils
can generate funds of their
own to help meet the rising
capital costs of schools, leisure
centres and other facilities
used by the community. Our schools
programme includes major structural
works and a new roof at Chartfield
School in Putney. This school
for children with special needs
was otherwise facing the prospect
of having to move out of the
area.
"We
are spending £8.5m on
a massive expansion and upgrading
of facilities at all the borough's
leisure centres including the
major works already under way
at Putney leisure centre. This
is all investment that the council
has to finance from its own
resources.
The
Council have offered assistance
to the owners of the garden
centre in finding a new site.
They say that although they
kept the door open for the previous
occupants to make further offers
right up until the last moment,
the gap between the garden centre's
bid and the final sale price
was too wide.
Many
local residents have criticised
the Council's policy or selling
local assets to raise funds
for capital spending. Last year
a petition with over 7000 signatures
was raised. Rising property
prices have lead to such sales
being an important source of
revenue.
Four
other council lots in the sale
exceeded the reserve price in
each case - netting further
receipts for the council totalling
£0.86m.
The
Council Chief Executive has
issued an open
letter on the matter.
Write
to the editor@putneysw15.com
with your opinions or direct to the forum.
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