Decision details

Sale of Additional Land adjacent to the Former Westcliff Café and PC's

Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Finance and Governance

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

In October 2018 the Council sold the former café and public convenience (PC’s) at Western Undercliff, Ramsgate (as outlined red on the annexed plan) by public auction. A request was received from the purchaser to acquire a small parcel of additional land to the east of the sold property measuring 37.7 sq m (as shown in the photograph and hatched blue on the plan annexed to this paper).

 

The land is unused and consists of a raised bed / scrub land which is inaccessible and which, from time to time, the council would be required to maintain. There is no operational use of the land.

 

The former café and PC’s now require completely rebuilding but it should be noted they are located in a flood plain and therefore any replacement structure requires a means of access at first floor level.

 

It is proposed to dispose of the land on the following basis:

·  at the market value per sq m achieved in the auction sale;

·  TDC’s legal costs are met by the purchaser;

·  TDC’s estate fees are paid by the purchaser;

·  The purchaser is given the right to egress from the property onto TDC’s footpath to the rear of the property (path from the beach to the cliff top) in the event of an emergency.

 

The purchaser contributes 33% to the future cost of maintenance of the whole footpath.

Decision:

To authorise the disposal of the additional land.

Reasons for the decision:

The sale of the additional land would:

 

- create a more viable footprint enabling the essential redevelopment / improvement to the building;

- the council will receive future contributions to the maintenance costs of the cliff path.

Alternative options considered:

Not to sell the additional land or grant additional rights would challenge the viability of any future redevelopment to the detriment of the Western Undercliff area and beach.

 

The council would not receive future contributions towards the maintenance of the cliff path, but would remain under an obligation to keep the path open and maintained.

Publication date: 25/02/2019

Date of decision: 11/02/2019

Effective from: 05/03/2019

Accompanying Documents: