Leeds council to sell seven more sites by the end of 2020

A report, set to go before council decision-makers next week, lists seven council-owned sites expected to go up for auction in the coming months, in an attempt to help plug the council’s £119m budget gap for the coming year.

Otley Civic Centre, Temple Newsam’s East Lodge, as well as land at Hill Crest in Swillington and Lea Farm Road in Kirkstall, will all be put up for sale by auction imminently.

The document also includes plans to speed up the sales of Potternewton Park’s East Lodge in Chapel Allerton, the former Royal Park Primary caretaker’s house in Hyde Park and 100 Town Street, Armley. It is hoped these sites can go to auction in December.

The report, to be discussed at next week’s executive board meeting, did not make clear how much money was expected to be made from the sales.

Local councillors had expressed concerns that the Royal Park caretaker’s house could be converted into a hot food takeaway, so a condition would be placed on the building to forbid such usage.

It added: “Armley ward members have been actively exploring opportunities to deliver a community use for the property at 100 Town Street. Given that a viable solution could not be identified, it is considered that the property lends itself to disposal via auction.”

Garforth and Swillington councillors had also asked the council to consider putting council housing on the Hill Crest site up for sale. The authority says discussions about the site are ongoing.

Council officers warned that there were a “number of risks” associated with the sales, adding: “The main risk [is] to the delay of completion on any sale which will therefore create holding costs to the Council. The proposed disposal properties are all surplus to operational requirements and are to be offered by way of auction for sale.”

It follows claims made by a senior civil servant at a scrutiny board meeting this week that £39m of “one-off” savings – including asset sales – would have to be made in the next year in order to plug a £119m gap in the council’s finances.

A report which went before councillors in January 2020 said the authority was expected to raise around £95m by selling dozens of sites across the city between 2019 and 2022.

In addition to sites already sold in 2019, such as Cardigan Road Library and the former Wortley High School, it listed sites including the former Holt Park District Centre, Otley Civic Centre and Abbey Mills in Kirkstall for “disposal” over the next couple of years.