Decision details

Decision:

To agree to authorise the disposal of the former Wayfarers Care Home, St Barts Road, Sandwich, CT13 0AW and delegate authority to:

1.    The Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services, tofinalise the contractual terms of the disposal. 

2.    The Director of Infrastructure to authorise the execution of necessary contractual and land agreements required to implement the above.

Reason for the decision:

Proposed property disposal in line with the Council’s statutory and fiduciary dutiesand over £1million which requires a key decision.

Background:

The freehold asset, Wayfarers Care Home, St Barts Road, Sandwich, CT13 0AW is a former 33-bed, single storey care home of c.14,000 sq ft built in 1983 on a site of about 1.15 acres. The building is currently being used by Kent County Council (KCC) for temporary furniture storage and other storage, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.  KCC ceased operating the care home in 2017. The site also includes parking for 14 cars. There is a site plan at Appendix A.

This asset was declared surplus to KCC’s requirements and was subsequently identified for disposal. A comprehensive marketing exercise is on-going and the bidding process will be concluded in January 2022. Following which, a preferred bidder will be identified with the transaction progressed to enable the disposal of the site.

How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’:

• Securing a capital receipt to fund the capital programme as set out in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan.
• Streamline the Council’s property portfolio.
• Achieve financial and efficiency benefits in line with appropriate policy.

As Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services, I agree to authorise the disposal of the former Wayfarers Care Home, St Barts Road, Sandwich, CT13 0AW and delegate authority to:

1.    The Director of Infrastructure, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services, tofinalise the contractual terms of the disposal. 

2.    The Director of Infrastructure to authorise the execution of necessary contractual and land agreements required to implement the above.