The Strategic Programmes and Assets Manager introduced the report which set out the updated Voluntary and Community Sector Lettings policy due to go out to an 8-week consultation. He added that once the consultation period had ended a further report would be presented to a future Economy and Property Committee to agree the final policy.

The Chair invited Members to make comments and points raised included:

·           Wanted to see greater take-up of the  spare office space at Swale House, Sittingbourne but the homeless persons living in the undercroft needed to be dealt with first;

·           Swale House might no longer be around after the Local Government Review so was there much interest from tenants to take up a short-term lease?;

·           it was a shame to be charging some of the groups at Swale House full rent when they carried out plenty of work for the community of Swale; and

·           acknowledged the income generation potential of Swale House to meet wider budget requirements.

The Strategic Programmes and Assets Manager responded to points raised and said that the office rental market was currently very flat generally. He added that letting units within Swale House increased the cost of running Swale House, and this was part of the reason it was considered to be part of the Council’s commercial portfolio, where the costs of maintaining standalone, specific premises were met by the tenants and contributed to reducing liabilities. He added that officers had an extensive list of potential tenants that they would contact and a press statement had been prepared.

Resolved:

(1)   That the draft Voluntary and Community Sector Lettings Policy, as set out in Appendix I, go out for public consultation for a period of 8-weeks, after which a further report be bought to the Economy and Property Committee to approve the final version.