Issue - meetings

1.    That the publication of the required notice under Section 123 (2A) of the Local Government Act 1972 be approved.   

2.    That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Healthy Communities, to finalise and publish the statutory notice.  

3.    That  a further report  be brought back following the expiry of the notice period to consider any representations received and to consider the disposal of the site to the preferred bidder. 

Councillor Becker introduced the report which set out the next steps in determining the future of the former site.  Since the decision to re-market the site was taken in July 2025, a number of formal bids had been submitted which were currently being assessed and a further report would come to a future Cabinet, including a full evaluation of bids and any public representations before a final decision was made.

 At the invitation of the Leader, Councillors Lee and Godfrey addressed Cabinet as summarised below.

Councillor Lee

Councillor Lee welcomed the progress towards reuse of the former leisure centre site and praised the commitment to continued community engagement, noting the considerable public interest surrounding the future of the location.  The selection of a partner scheme capable of delivering genuine community benefit should proceed as soon as possible.

Councillor Godfrey

Councillor Godfrey welcomed the progress on the vacant city centre site but criticised the report for failing to clarify its future use or explain why local government reorganisation (LGR) was referenced as a project risk. He suggested that the move to give notice of disposal before formal bids were fully evaluated implied a predetermined outcome and questioned whether the potential reduction in market value represented a reasonable use of public funds. Finally, he queried the apparent rush to approve the disposal, suggesting that the accelerated timeline might be an attempt to bypass external scrutiny from future unitary authorities or the Government.

Councillor Becker responded to the comments made including emphasising the aim for the decision to be taken by the council with its local knowledge and connections prior to any restrictions imposed by the LGR process.

The Director (Legal) also responded to questions regarding the legal advice sought relating to the designation of the land as public open space and the recommended steps necessary to facilitate its future disposal.

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons set out in the report and outlined above.

RESOLVED:

1.              That the publication of the required notice under Section 123 (2A) of the Local Government Act 1972 be approved.   

2.              That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Healthy Communities, to finalise and publish the statutory notice.  

3.              That a further report be brought back to Cabinet following the expiry of the notice period to consider any representations received and to consider the disposal of the site to the preferred bidder.