Continued Council Ownership of Sports Pavilions and Community Halls for Review

Published on: 26 Apr, 2012
Updated on: 27 Apr, 2012

Sea cadet hut TS Charlotte one of GBC's Assets due for review

Assets including community halls, sports pavilions, scout huts and allotments are to be reviewed by Guildford Borough Council.  Cllr Nigel Manning (Con Ash Vale) the lead Councillor for Service Transformation, told the Executive that the land asset list before them had taken five years for council officers to compile.

He said to the council Executive at its latest meeting: “GBC has bits of land that seem to be left over. It is essential that we undertake a review to see where they fit in to the organisation.  Some of these assets produce very important income stream… some are very useful but others are a cost.”

He continued: “If some are no good to us, we should get rid of them for the best possible price and perhaps use the proceeds to acquire other assets that will be a better source of income.”

Riverside which was used a a community centre for senior citizens

Council papers stated: “The review will be undertaken in consultation with ward councillors and relevant head if service as budget holder.”

There will be two stages in the review process. The first stage, to be reported in November 2012, will be for pavilions, community halls and clubs and the second, to be reported in March 2013, for land assets used for gardening and grazing.

Cllr Anne Meredith (Lib Dem, Friary and St Nicolas) asked Cllr Manning to give an assurance that the Executive would take seriously the views of the scrutiny committee which may not be in complete agreement with all the recommendations in the reports. Cllr Manning said that he would be very surprised and worried if there were no issues and he would be “devastated” if any observations that arose from the scrutiny process were not properly considered by the Executive.

Assets in Guildford town and the immediate area  listed include: scout/guide/cadet huts in Christchurch, the Mount, Stoke and Shalford, Stoughton and Dapdune Wharf; community halls in Friary Street, Haydon Place, Onslow, Park Barn and Stoke; sports pavilions at Stoke Park, Spectrum, Stoke, Woodbridge Road, Shalford Park, Castle Grounds, Allen House, Onslow, Stoughton and Westborough; and land used for gardening and grazing in Onslow, Shalford, Gardner Road, St Catherine’s Hill, The Mount, Halfpenny Lane,  Jacobs Well, Burpham and Stoke.

The full, detailed list can be download from the GBC website. Click here to be taken to the relevant page.

What do you think? Is the ‘asset review’ a good idea? Do you think any assets in your community are threatened by the review? Should derived income be a criterion for deciding which are retained by the council and which are not? Please send your comments using the leave a reply feature below. Lengthier comments may be published as Readers Letters.

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