Council plans sale of unused assets to raise funds

A former care home, a pocket park and several unused buildings could all be sold off by a council as it looks to shrink its estate and raise funds.

West Northamptonshire Council said it had identified several assets where disposal would be "beneficial".

In a report, the Conservative-controlled authority said there was a risk of vandalism and financial impacts by keeping hold of unused or empty properties.

The sites include the former Bolton House on Wootton Hall Park in Northampton and Ridgway House in Towcester.

The report outlined proposals to dispose of non-operational buildings and small parcels of land that have no identified use by the council, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The authority is also considering selling off land off Dallington Grange in Northampton, Stonepit Open Space in Northampton, Welford Pocket Park in Welford and the Riverside Resource Centre in Towcester.

Where capital receipts would be generated, these would aid the council's ability to fund capital works or transformational revenue work, it said.

The council also noted its intention to sell off a brownfield site in its ownership, but the exact location had been kept confidential within council documents.

The report will be presented at the council's cabinet meeting on Tuesday where it is recommended the sale of the aforementioned sites should begin.

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