Oakham Town Council Agree in Principal to Let the former Gym in Princess Avenue for 99 years below the market value to Ark Nursery

Oakham Town Council Agree in Principal to Let the former Gym in Princess Avenue for 99 years below the market value

This item was exempt so even if I wanted to quote the stage rental figures currently being agreed with the The Ark Association Nursery Oakham I can not because of the exemption and because I can't remember them all because
Cllr Lowe provided us with a detailed report produced by Michael Haley as we started considering
the agenda item and he used excessive force against me to take the report back after the conclusion
of consideration.

What I will say because I feel it is in the public interest.

The property has been valued at £16,000 a year rental in its current condition.

The report said The Ark Association are only eventually willing to pay £10,000 a year and at a stretch
they could manage £12,000.

We are constantly told no one else is interested in the property. Maybe that is because
Oakham Town Council has not advertised it at the market value,

Yes Cllr Jasmine Hopkins is correct when she verbally attacked me in the meeting some
people known to the council have informally approached the working group and
pulled out.

She added the comment Cllr Brookes is never happy he moans when its empty and now he moans
when we find some one who wants it.

The reason I moan that it is empty because it is a property we hold in trust for the residents
they now pay for it to sit empty.

The Council has never in the past made any money from it, we have had tenants in the
past who have profited from subletting it and the last had a quarter of the precept spent
on it in 2012 and left without paying the rent in full also once again an amount well below
the valuation.

I do hope the council seeks a clause in the 99 year lease preventing The Ark Association from subletting.


Locally The Ark Association Nursery is known as The Ark Nursery this is a name of a registered company based in another town and has no connections to the The Ark Association.