Decision details

To seek permission to authorise the assignment of a Leasehold Equity Share Scheme for the elderly bungalow at 10 Plantation Road, Sawston from the existing leaseholder to South Cambs Ltd. The current leaseholder at 10 Plantation Road is moving to another Equity Share for the Elderly property at 18 Uffen Way, Sawston, which is currently standing empty and being sold by the Council. South Cambs Ltd already has a tenant in mind for 10 Plantation Road. The proposed tenant meets all the requirements of the leave provisions: over 60 and in need of sheltered housing and in housing need.

10 Plantation Road was purchased by the current leaseholder from the Council on an Equity Share for the Elderly lease on 12 June 2009. All EQSE leases purchased from the Council after 1 January 2005 are not surrendered back to the Council but assigned from the current leaseholder to a new leaseholder. Mr XXX advised the Council in June 2018 that he wished that he wished to move from his current sheltered scheme at Plantation Road to Uffen Way, Sawston. 18 Uffen Way became available to purchase and Mr XXX successfully bid on the property to purchase. He has marketed 10 Plantation Road since June 2018 but has not found a buyer. In December 2018 the property next door; 12 Plantation Road, was sold by the Council to South Cambs Ltd after it had been surrendered back to the Council in August 2017.

South Cambs Ltd approached the Council in December 2018 and asked if they could purchase 10 Plantation Way as the leaseholder had struggled to find a buyer and they had a tenant who met the lease criteria. The leasehold team agreed to the sale as South Cambs had already received agreement to purchase 12 Plantation Road.  8 Uffen Way, Sawston and 3 Hollmans Close, Fulbourn had also been sold to South Cambs Ltd.

By authorising this sale, the Council will also sell an empty property at 18 Uffen Way and the service charge for 18 Uffen Way, which is currently not being paid as it is stood empty, will pass from the Council to the leaseholder.

Agreed to sell the property at 10 Plantation Road, Sawston to South Cambs Ltd.

This is in line with the Council’s policy and procedures.

To ask the leaseholder at 10 Plantation Road to carry on employing a local estate agent to market the property. This was rejected as the leaseholder has done this for 6 months and has not found a buyer. The consequence of this is that the property at 18 Uffen Way, which the leaseholder at 10 Plantation Road is purchasing, remains empty and all service charges for the property remain unpaid. By agreeing this sale to South Cambs Ltd, the property is tenanted by someone in need and the current elderly leaseholder moves to 18 Uffen Way, which is where he wants to live, and the service charges at 18 Uffen Way will be paid.