A small part of the property
Oakham Town Councils failure to manage assets entrusted to them
For many years this property which is currently neglected was
let for peanuts to a resident who sublet it to a gym whilst they
sat on a sunny beach in spain.
Then along came the couple from Hambleton who were at the
time good friends of the Mayor of the time Clr Alf Dewis who
resigned from Oakham Town Council for unlawfully spending
public money.
The couple from Hambleton enjoyed the council spending
a quarter of its annual income in the first year setting them
up in business. They kindly repaid the Oakham tax payers
by leaving them with 6 months unpaid rent.
The council did in the end take them to court and as part of
the process mediation was suggested. The Councils solicitor
wrote to the council explaining the process and said the
former tenants had no case not to pay the full debt.
The council then unlawfully appointed Cllr Michael Haley
to make a unilateral decision and after I complained it was
agreed the clerk Allison Greaves would sit next to him
as he decided to right of most of the money owed to the
tax payers.
The Hambelton Couple by then had moved to Rutland County
Councils enterprise park they are no longer there?
Oakham Town Council decided they needed to do something
about the loss of rental income and added the loss to the precept
demand.
They have never advertised the property and constantly say
no one is interested in it.
Last year they nearly entered into an agreement which nearly
saw a commercial lease agreed with a local nursery school which
would have been quite unique a 90 year lease for no charge and
a staged rental agreement. which would have seen the tax payer
receive a few hundred pounds in the first six months.
The property is constantly damaged as it remains empty plenty of
money has been sent boarding up windows and replacing them.
Although currently the council is in talks with some one who wants
to rent the property.
I would still like to see the council move there and open up the
building for community use as was proposed pre 2015.
It would save a fortune in wasted rent we currently pay Victoria Hall
Rent plus business rates is almost £15,000 a year.
For two rooms which in previous report has been described as
unsuitable.
