Date set for sale of Fenland council land and assets at auction

A date has been set for the first set of Fenland District Council-owned land and property assets which will go under the hammer at an auction.
The items will be sold at auctionThe items will be sold at auction
The items will be sold at auction

Former amenity sites and small plots of land suitable for future residential development are among the six surplus assets which are no longer required for the council’s service delivery.

They are due to be auctioned by William H Brown in Norwich on October 10. An auction catalogue will be released by the auctioneers shortly. The assets are:

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. Plot of land in Tithe Road, Chatteris, suitable in principle for future development of single residential dwelling

. Small garage site in Gaul Road, March

. Former garage site in Smiths Chase, March, suitable for garage/parking/amenity use

. Garage in New Road, Chatteris

. Former sewage treatment works in Front Row, Murrow, suitable for garage/parking/amenity use

. First floor property in Nene Quay, Wisbech.

A second set of nine assets are due to go to auction later in the year to allow preparatory works to take place.

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Cllr Chris Boden, Fenland District Council leader and portfolio holder for finance, said selling the sites will not only secure additional capital for the council, but it will save money being spent keeping them maintained and secure and will provide land for potential new homes.

“Put simply, it is much better to ease the burden on taxpayers rather than maintain odd bits of land and property that the council does not use. It’s common sense,” he said.

“The council faces stark choices when it comes to protecting the services our residents rely on and managing large cuts to the funding we receive from government. We have already saved millions of pounds in efficiencies over recent years, so we must look at more innovative and commercial approaches in order to keep meeting this challenge.

“These surplus assets are no longer required to deliver the council’s core services and functions and, in many instances, could be much better utilised. It will also generate much welcomed additional income to support our aspirations for residents, mitigate our budget constraints and fund our future capital programme.

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“I’m confident selling by auction will achieve the maximum value possible for the district and our taxpayers.”

Cllr Ian Benney, the council’s portfolio holder responsible for strategic assets and management, added: “Over recent months the council has been proactive in identifying various property assets which are surplus to the council’s requirements.

“The council’s Asset Management Plan has been followed and consideration has been given to the most appropriate way of marketing and disposing of these assets. Due to their lower value, sale by auction is seen as the most cost effective method of disposal and the best opportunity to realise a capital receipt before the end of the financial year.”

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