The need to reconsider the future or sell off North Tyneside Council-owned buildings is now “critical”, according to local authority documents. The council’s estate, comprising over 160 working buildings, is being reassessed, with the need to improve their uses or sell them off now deemed “critical”.
Ageing and unaffordable estate
The local authority’s ‘Plan for Change’ has found that the “ageing and unaffordable” buildings and the rise of technology have forced its hand. Alongside mounting maintenance and repair bills, which the plan states are outstripping the current budget, residents are increasingly likely to expect to access council services online.
The plan reads: “Finding the balance between quality and need for each of these buildings will ensure our assets meet corporate objectives and current and future customer expectations.”
Council spokesperson statement
A North Tyneside Council spokesperson said: “Like many organisations, the council has a large and varied estate, currently comprising 161 operational buildings, and the cost of maintaining and repairing these assets exceeds the funding available.
“As part of our agreed Medium Term Financial Plan, we are reviewing how buildings are used, where services could share space and whether there are buildings we no longer need. This work is still at an early stage, and no decisions have been made about individual buildings.”
Backlash over High Borrans closure
The approval of the council’s ‘Plan for Change’ has come at a time when it has faced severe backlash over its decision to close its Cumbria-based outdoor education centre, High Borrans, by November and prepare the site for sale. The proposal has sparked public and political outrage since the move was announced earlier this month. The decision, made by the council’s cabinet, has sparked a petition in opposition amassing thousands of signatures, alongside political calls to pause, reverse, and or review the closure.
However, the local authority has maintained that the site needs £3m to stay open and requires substantial council subsidy to continue operating. The council’s figures also indicate that 1,255 pupils from Years 5 to 8 have used the facility recently, out of a potential cohort of 9,300.
Following the most recent full council meeting, The Friends of High Borrans issued a statement expressing its disappointment that the council would not review its decision. The charity stated that there were “questions still to be answered,” and the campaign to find an alternative to closure is ongoing.
