Issue - meetings

This report presents options for the future of the former Family Centre at Sixth Avenue, Heworth, and asks Members to decide whether to dispose of the property or retain it for an identified service need.

RESOLVED: That Option 2 be approved and that the former Heworth Family Centre be retained for further use, on an interim basis, by Young Peope’s Services.

REASON:      To satisfy a continuing service need for a property in this location.

Members considered a report which presented options for the future of the former Family Centre at Sixth Avenue, Heworth, following transfer of the service to The Avenues Children’s Centre.  Further information on the property was circulated to Members at the meeting.  [This has been made available on-line as an additional annex to the report on this item]..

The property was currently earmarked for sale to support the 2008/09-2010/11 capital programme, as approved at Budget Council on 21 February 2008.  However, the Tang Hall Area Asset Management Plan had identified a potential service need for which this property would be ideal.  The following options were therefore presented:

Option 1 – dispose of the property by sale on the open market and use the capital receipt to contribute to the approved capital programme.  This would achieve the projected capital and would not impact on other budgets.

Option 2 – appropriate the property to Resources, retain for continued service use by Young People’s Services on a three-year interim arrangement, dispose of the former ‘Rathbone’ Centre at Nursery Drive, Acomb, to achieve a capital receipt and make up the shortfall from prudential borrowing.  This would meet an identified service need but would require financial resources from the Resources Capital Repair Programme to put the building in repair.

Having noted the advice of the Shadow Executive on this item, it was

RESOLVED: That Option 2 be approved and that the former Heworth Family Centre be retained for further use, on an interim basis, by Young Peope’s Services.¹

REASON:      To satisfy a continuing service need for a property in this location.