Is Sheffield Council about to sell off bits of Graves Park YET AGAIN?

[Blackbeard]

Expecting a last minute rush???

 

---------- Post added 26-01-2016 at 15:39 ----------

 

Sold! £152k a quite bit over what i wanted to go bearing in mind the stonework needed, but a nice little extra bonus for the council to spend on the park as they expected 100k. all in all a good result???

 

A very good price considering "Caroline Dewar, chair of the Friends, said it has been estimated it would cost around £160,000 to fully repair."

[Jack_Russell]

The land on which it stands was given to the citizens of Sheffield in 1925, sold by this Labour council.

 

A sad day indeed, who would have thought it something which belongs to the people sold off by Labour.

[Robin-H]

I don't hold out much hope but apparently The Friends of Graves Park are still working with their barrister to prove that the sale was illegal - just like it was proven that the sale of Chantery Cottage was..

[Dubaidani13]

A very good price considering "Caroline Dewar, chair of the Friends, said it has been estimated it would cost around £160,000 to fully repair."

 

we estimated the stonework at 40-50k, so margins will be tight if the buyer is going to sell on as they have 3% on top of sale price and realistically when done its probably max 250k.

[atticus]

The land on which it stands was given to the citizens of Sheffield in 1925, sold by this Labour council.

 

A sad day indeed, who would have thought it something which belongs to the people sold off by Labour.

 

Just following guidelines laid out by the government.

 

http://www.localgov.co.uk/Councils-told-to-sell-off-surplus-land/38754

[Nagel]

we estimated the stonework at 40-50k, so margins will be tight if the buyer is going to sell on as they have 3% on top of sale price and realistically when done its probably max 250k.

 

The signs are that it has been bought as a house rather than as an investment.

 

I suppose given all the publicity around it then it was bound to attract some private bidders who wanted to live in the cottage and so could afford more than the developers who always had to be mindful of the profit margin.

[Jon26]

The land on which it stands was given to the citizens of Sheffield in 1925, sold by this Labour council.

 

A sad day indeed, who would have thought it something which belongs to the people sold off by Labour.

 

I'm not surprised by labour. I tried to contact my mp over this, they never returned my call, instead I got a letter without them even asking me my question. The trustees shouldn't have done this, it's wrong, using the excuse of it's too expensive to repair is pathetic. They should concentrate on tighter management and governance of their resources, rather than selling off part of the park.

[Dubaidani13]

The signs are that it has been bought as a house rather than as an investment.

 

I suppose given all the publicity around it then it was bound to attract some private bidders who wanted to live in the cottage and so could afford more than the developers who always had to be mindful of the profit margin.

 

the buyers looked like investors as they were bidding on and i think bought other lots.

[999tigger]

I'm not surprised by labour. I tried to contact my mp over this, they never returned my call, instead I got a letter without them even asking me my question. The trustees shouldn't have done this, it's wrong, using the excuse of it's too expensive to repair is pathetic. They should concentrate on tighter management and governance of their resources, rather than selling off part of the park.

 

Perhaps you should look at the accounts and then youd see the sale is part of managing their resources. Facts are the Council have had massive cuts and cant afford to subsidise the Park as much as previously. Theres only so much belt tightening you can do. The alternative at some stage is to close one of the parks completely. Ar least they have done it lhaving cleared it with the CC this time.

 

---------- Post added 26-01-2016 at 20:06 ----------

 

I don't hold out much hope but apparently The Friends of Graves Park are still working with their barrister to prove that the sale was illegal - just like it was proven that the sale of Chantery Cottage was..

 

Surely if it was applicable they would use the same argument in Chantrey again? the fact they cleared it with CC makes it a pretty steep hurdle to get over.

[foxy lady]

I don't hold out much hope but apparently The Friends of Graves Park are still working with their barrister to prove that the sale was illegal - just like it was proven that the sale of Chantery Cottage was..

 

I don't think this will end well. The cottage and land belonged to the Graves Park Charity and the council were merely custodians required to manage it in the best interests of the charity. Instead they neglected it, let it fall into decay and sold it at a price that their neglect has cost the charity dear.

The charitable trust requires that the money be used to buy land of equal amenity value to the charity. But as there is no land available this is likely to fail the charity too.

If this does end up in court the councilors who act as trustees will have some rather awkward questions to answer.

I think this grubby little episode is only in its early stages.

 

---------- Post added 26-01-2016 at 20:11 ----------

 

 

Surely if it was applicable they would use the same argument in Chantrey again? the fact they cleared it with CC makes it a pretty steep hurdle to get over.

 

I'm not sure that that argument works here. The CC are an advisory body and make recomendations based on the information they are given by the trustees of the charities. All the council documents seem to claim that this cottage was outside the park. I'm not sure a court of law will be as quick to swallow that.

Edited January 26, 2016 by foxy lady