Council urged to speed up sale of buildings

Proposals to "accelerate" the sale of several public buildings in Wakefield are to be put to senior councillors, who will be asked to approve the plans.

Between 100 and 150 assets owned by the Reform-led authority could be "realistically" sold over the next two years, according to a report due to go before the council's Cabinet on 22 September.

Feasibility work had already started on the potential sale of Pontefract Municipal Offices, Castleford's Five Towns Resource Centre and Queens House, in Wakefield city centre, the report stated.

The council, which has a portfolio of more than 1,600 properties, said it had made £6.5m from the sale of 18 assets during the last financial year.

A number of other high-profile sales were approved under the previous Labour administration, including Woolley Hall, which sold at auction last month for £1.5m.

Castleford Civic Hall had also been disposed of and that was due to be demolished to build education facilities, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A "more disciplined and accelerated" approach was required over the council's retention of properties, given its resources to manage and maintain them were "increasingly constrained", the report said.

It added: "Historically, assets have often been retained because they may be required at some future point.

"While understandable, this has resulted in assets remaining in council ownership without a clear operational need, funded project or agreed business case."

Guidance by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy urged local authorities to only hold assets which were required to deliver services to residents.

The body also advised that, if investment property was to be held, it needed to be "properly managed and provide tangible value for money".

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