Agenda item

The Corporate Director of Health, Housing & Adult Social Care to present a report which sets out proposals for the council to purchase high quality care and facilities at Haxby Hall Care Home, while ensuring that existing residents remain in their home and enabling staff to retain their employment.

Resolved:  (i)      That the appointment of Yorkare Homes Ltd (Yorkcare) as Preferred Bidder to be the new residential provider for Haxby Hall Care Home which, when transferred as a going concern, will enable uninterrupted care for the residents and continued employment for the staff working there via a relevant transfer, be noted.

                   (ii)      That approval be given to acquire from Yorkare two adjacent properties on York Road, Haxby at an agreed combination purchase price of £500,000, providing access for the re-development of Haxby Hall.

                   (iii)     That approval be given to grant Yorkare a long lease of the Haxby Hall site, and of the two adjacent properties, for a term of 125 years in return for the council receiving payment of a premium of £450,000.

                   (iv)    That, should it become available for sale within two years of the transfer of Haxby Hall, approval be given to purchase the existing Haxby ambulance station at a cost to the council of £150,000.

                   (v)     That, should the purchase of the ambulance station proceed, Yorkare be granted a lease of that site (for a term equal to the then remaining period of the lease of the main care home site) in return for Yorkcare paying a premium to the council; that premium to be an amount equal to any costs incurred by the council in purchasing the freehold of the ambulance station site that are in excess of £150,000.

Reasons:   (a)     To enable Haxby Hall Care Home to be transferred as a going concern and modern care home facilities to be developed from the south of the site.

                   (b)     To enable the residents of Haxby Hall to avoid the upheaval and uncertainty of what, for some residents, would be a second home move in a relatively short time frame following the closure of their previous home(s) earlier in the programme.

The Head of the Older Persons’ Accommodation Programme presented a report which set out proposals for the council to deliver its objective of purchasing high quality care and facilities at Haxby Hall Care Home, while enabling existing residents to remain in their home and staff to retain their employment.  A plan of the site was attached as Annex 1 to the report, with detailed financial and legal implications of the proposals at Annexes 2 and 3 respectively.

Executive had agreed on 25 January 2018 that a developer / operator be procured for Haxby Hall (Minute 106 of that meeting refers) and the Corporate Director, under delegated powers, had since appointed Yorkcare as Preferred Bidder.  Their bid had included: an offer to contract back with the council an additional residential care bed for people living with dementia; an offer of £300k as a premium for the grant of a 125 year lease of the current site; and the phased redevelopment and expansion of Haxby Hall into a 63 bed residential care home. 

In order to access the rear of the site, Yorkare had purchased no. 7 York Road and were negotiating to purchase no. 5.  Approval was sought for the council to purchase both these properties from Yorkcare for £500k, in order to lease them back alongside the main site.  Incorporation of the adjacent Ambulance Station site in the development would also be beneficial, and Yorkcare’s bid included an additional sum of £150k towards its purchase should it become available within 2 years of the transfer of Haxby Hall.

The Executive Member for Adult Social Care & Health commended the proposals to Members and thanked officers and Haxby Hall staff for their work.

Resolved:  (i)      That the appointment of Yorkare Homes Ltd (Yorkcare) as Preferred Bidder to be the new residential provider for Haxby Hall Care Home which, when transferred as a going concern, will enable uninterrupted care for the residents and continued employment for the staff working there via a relevant transfer, be noted.

                   (ii)      That approval be given to acquire from Yorkare two adjacent properties on York Road, Haxby at an agreed combination purchase price of £500,000, providing access for the re-development of Haxby Hall.

                   (iii)     That approval be given to grant Yorkare a long lease of the Haxby Hall site, and of the two adjacent properties, for a term of 125 years in return for the council receiving payment of a premium of £450,000.

                   (iv)    That, should it become available for sale within two years of the transfer of Haxby Hall, approval be given to purchase the existing Haxby ambulance station at a cost to the council of £150,000.

                   (v)     That, should the purchase of the ambulance station proceed, Yorkare be granted a lease of that site (for a term equal to the then remaining period of the lease of the main care home site) in return for Yorkcare paying a premium to the council; that premium to be an amount equal to any costs incurred by the council in purchasing the freehold of the ambulance station site that are in excess of £150,000.

Reasons:   (a)     To enable Haxby Hall Care Home to be transferred as a going concern and modern care home facilities to be developed from the south of the site.

                   (b)     To enable the residents of Haxby Hall to avoid the upheaval and uncertainty of what, for some residents, would be a second home move in a relatively short time frame following the closure of their previous home(s) earlier in the programme.