County court could be sold by debt-ridden council

A council could sell off a court building in its latest effort to reduce its debts.

In 2022, Slough Borough Council was ordered by government commissioners to dispose of properties after its borrowing reached £760m.

Councillors have been recommended to agree to auction off the town's county court, which hears family and other civil law cases, when they meet on Thursday.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service said it had recently renewed its lease on the building and was "committed to delivering justice in the Slough community”.

Any sale would not necessarily end the lease, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The court generates an income of £107,750 a year but this is outweighed by the cost of servicing debt, according to a council report.

The authority said it hoped to start the auction on 21 November, generating a sale by December.

Slough Borough Council effectively declared bankruptcy in 2021 and has a target of raising £600m through property sales by 2027.

However, it recently reported it had only raised £223.5m of the £400m due by March 2024.

It previously said market conditions and interest rates were "causing a challenge".

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