TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington have approved the sell-off of 15 garage sites across the borough with an estimated value of more than £400,000.
One other site, in Bennett Avenue, Paddington, will be retained, however, following objections to the sale from local residents who use a footpath through the site.
Cost of keeping all 16 sites would be about £14,500 a year while rent income would be only £9,700, so the council should achieve a saving of more than £4,000-a-year.
The 16 sites are the first of 75 across the borough which the council has earmarked for selling. But there will be consultation with interested parties, including nearby residents, in each case.
Five of the first 16 drew significant objections from residents, including the Paddington site.
The other four were at Ellesmere Road, Culcheth, Limetree Avenue, Stockton Heath, Pepper Street, Lymm and Windermere Avenue, Orford.
Most objections related to loss of access to the rear of houses but there was also concern about the type of development that might take place on the sites. But councillors decided, in each case, that the site should be sold.
Other sites to be sold are in Banks Crescent, Borrowdale Avenue, Brindley Avenue, Broadhurst Avenue, Caldbeck Avenue, Capesthorne Road, Hesketh Street North, Hodgkinson Avnue, Honister Avenue, Perrins Road and Sycamore Crescent.
The council’s executive board has agreed the sites should be sold by public auction.
Council chiefs say the remaining 59 sites will go out for consultation in phases, with a view to being sold.
TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington have approved the sell-off of 15 garage
sites across the borough with an estimated value of more than £400,000.
Garage sell-off to raise £400,000
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
2 Comments
Someone is playing ducks and drakes with the supposed costings and income from these garage sites. Presumably to make an apparently convincing, but misleading argument to offload them and so apparently “save” the Council money. Laudable sentiments if it were true. Not long ago (in WW columns) we were told rentals of approx £28,000 were being collected annually, but there was more than double that amount in uncollected rental arrears. At the same time it was alleged the potential rental, if the sites were properly managed and maintained, of £28,000 x 3 = £84,000 approx. Things have come to a pretty pass when the obvious mismanagement and lack of maintenance of the garage sites, extending back for some years, have now been taken out of the equation and ignored. Presumably those responsible for the mismanagement and lack of maintenance are still employed by the Council? Perhaps the sale by public auction will help pay for their continuing employment?
It’s all done with mirrors and revolving doors.