Member Article

Register office sold to pub chain

An old register office on Teesside has been sold to a pub chain despite efforts by the local community to turn it into a theatre.

Redcar and Cleveland Council decided to cash in on the old building in Guisborough - although details of the sale, including the cash price and which company has acquired the building, are yet to be disclosed by the local authority.

Local campaign group Earthbeat had raised £200,000 to turn the former register office on Westgate, Guisborough’s high street, into a flagship community theatre, only to see their efforts dashed in favour of a pub.

Redcar and Cleveland Council’s cabinet confirmed it had accepted “the most economically advantageous offer” for the property, following an extended competitive tendering process.

The authority said it received four offers: two for freehold, one for leasehold and one for a community asset transfer which underpinned a proposed community theatre development, but one which required the council to forego any financial benefits associated with the property’s disposal.

A statement said: “After due consideration, cabinet confirmed its earlier decision to accept the most economically advantageous offer for the property and invite those promoting a community theatre for Guisborough to work with the council to explore alternative means of achieving the same goal.

“Current financial pressures on council budgets make it extremely difficult to transfer council property for no financial consideration, unless this course of action is supported by a very clear business plan that confirms the community asset transfer proposal’s ability to; a) make use of these assets in a sustainable manner, and b) create sufficient economic and social benefits to offset the alternative, more economically advantageous offers, received from other bidders.

“Regrettably in this case, cabinet has been advised that the community asset transfer proposal failed to provide sufficient details concerning the sustainability of the proposed theatre project or the potential social and economic benefits needed to outweigh several more economically advantageous offers for the property.”

Councillor Norman Pickthall, cabinet member for Corporate Resources, said: “We are aware of some support for the community theatre in Guisborough, but it has to be in the right location with the right resources.

“Sufficient economic and social benefits are also needed to justify any investment, or lost income, the Council required to allocate for such a project.

“Professional advice received during the tender evaluation process indicated this was not the right property for a theatre development.

“The stated social and economic benefits were also insufficient to outweigh more economically advantageous offers received from other bidders.

“As soon as this situation became known, cabinet asked council staff to work with supporters of a Guisborough Community Theatre to identify alternative, more suitable properties for a theatre development - this offer has yet to be taken up.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .