Community building hopes to transfer from council for £1
A building which supports young people with life-threatening illnesses and neighbourhood activities in Tipton is set to be transferred from the council to a community trust.
The Bridge, formally the disused Glebefields health centre, is set to be transferred from Sandwell council to Murray Hall Community Trust (MHCT) for an annual rent of £1 with a 99 year repair lease.
The market rent for the property is £34,000 per annum. MHCT hopes the asset transfer will allow them to bring part of it back into use.
The trust, which has operated in the borough since 1994, provides a “diverse range of services, support and activities across Sandwell borough in all the towns”.
They include the only hospice day care space in Sandwell, according to the trust, along with a range of activities such as group therapy sessions; a food pantry; welfare support sessions; and a cancer support group.
Over 3,900 children and adults access the building for vital services, while 27,000 access virtual support, according to the last annual submitted by MHCT to Sandwell council.
MHCT moved into the Bridge building in 2014 with the building partially renovated thanks to capital funding from the government, a report stated.
But the building was in a poor state of disrepair with the whole first floor without “electricity, heating or water supply”.
The report states: “Murray Hall used our charitable reserves to invest in renovating the rooms and spaces on the first floor into office space in stages to enable some of our staff teams to move in. This was partly due to affordability and to manage the overheads and running costs of the building.
“When we moved into the building, the flat roofs that cover most of the building on the ground and first floor were disintegrating and in a state of disrepair.
“Consequently, it has been our main area of concern, especially because we have had to pay for multiple on-going repairs for water leaks, flooding and the resulting water damage.
“To give you some idea of the problem, in the first year we had 21 separate roof leaks. We have tried to manage this risk of water damage with affordable solutions, which has included, temporary patch repairs, renewing sections, new tiles on the pitch roof, new felt, repairing damage guttering etc.
“This part of the building has been cordoned off and is un-usable in its current state. We need to secure further capital funds to renovate and furnish this half of the building to bring it back into use for the community, which this asset transfer will support,” the report added.
Councillor Danny Millard, speaking on the absence of councillor Peter Hughes, said the organisation was “deeply rooted in the borough”.
The cabinet member for communities said: “They were locally-led and deeply rooted in the community […] they took on a derelict building in 2013 and have since demonstrated a vision and ambition for the borough.”
Labour councillor Paul Moore asked the cabinet member what steps the council has taken for a “consistent” asset transfer. He also queried any “break clauses” within the agreement.
In response, councillor Millard said the asset transfer is intended as a “property disposal option”, and added: “It is intended to act as a supportive guide for prospective applicants […] we want these transfers to last.”
Asset Transfer is the transfer of responsibility for a council owned asset to a community group (referred to as a Community Transfer Body). This can be either the transfer of ownership or transfer under a short or long-term lease arrangement.
Local authorities – including Sandwell – encourage community organisations to take on the management and ownership of surplus community assets, such as buildings and open spaces, from public sector bodies.
Councils usually transfer freehold at a discount on the market where there is a clear business case. Organisations must demonstrate the social value of the transfer outweighs the loss of money to the council.
