Agenda item

11.1

The Council’s Rural Estate has the potential to play a significant role in delivering a wide range of objectives and positive outcomes for the inhabitants of Sheffield.

The attached, Rural Estate Management Plan outlines how the Council will effectively and efficiently manage and develop its Rural Estate over a 10-year plan period, with interim reviews. It provides an overarching vision and strategy and principles to guide decision making as well as a practical working document to guide activity.

11.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Finance Sub-Committee approves the Rural Estate Management Plan, attached at Appendix 1, and adopts the Strategic Ambitions, Objectives, Action Points and Recommendations on pages 43 to 50 of the Rural Estate Management Plan to ensure effective management of the rural estate.

11.3

Reasons for decisions

11.3.1

The Rural Estate whilst providing challenges, creates a number of opportunities for the Council to meet corporate objectives. The Rural Estate Management Plan provides a clear set of strategic objectives which will enable more active management of the estate.

11.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

11.4.1

The following alternative options have been identified:

11.4.2

Dispose of the whole Rural Estate

Holding a rural estate portfolio could be considered as outside of SCC’s core objectives and some local authorities have disposed of rural land holdings in their entirety. However, given the location and limitations of the majority of SCC land holdings this would not be straightforward or favourable as elements of the land holdings are held in Trust and were gifted to the people of Sheffield by benefactors. Also, areas of the Estate offer opportunities to deliver wider SCC objectives particularly in the upland areas working in collaboration with tenants and stakeholders. If the Rural Estate was disposed of this potential would not be realised. Some areas of the estate will however be considered for disposal at the appropriate time where they do not form part of the core estate.

11.4.3

Continue without a Rural Estate Management Plan

The Council could do nothing; resulting in continued ad hoc decision making and a lack of focus on priority action. Budgetary constraints and a significant maintenance backlog have impacted on tenant relationships. The Estate subsequently suffers from underinvestment with many elements in a poor and deteriorating condition. Without action the Rural Estate will continue to deteriorate eventually resulting in worsening tenant relationships and missed opportunities to work with other bodies to realise wider environmental benefits for the City and its people.

11.4.4

Rural Estate Management Plan

The rural estate management plan sets out a clear framework, objectives and actions to ensure proactive management of the Council’s land holdings over the next 10 years and will ensure that the assets are effectively managed, that the Council meets its legal duties as landlord and that wider benefits can be gained from proactive management for the benefit of the city and its people.

11.1

The Head of Regeneration and Property Services submitted a report seeking approval for the Rural Estates Management Plan which outlined how SCC would effectively and efficiently manage and develop its Rural Estate over a 10-year-plan period, with interim reviews. The Council’s Rural Estate had the potential to play a significant role in delivering a wide range of objectives and positive outcomes for the inhabitants of Sheffield.

11.2

The Plan provided an overarching vision, strategy and principles to guide decision making as well as being a practical working document to guide activity.

11.3

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Finance Sub-Committee approves the Rural Estate Management Plan, attached at Appendix 1, and adopts the Strategic Ambitions, Objectives, Action Points and Recommendations on pages 43 to 50 of the Rural Estate Management Plan to ensure effective management of the rural estate.

11.4

Reasons for decisions

11.4.1

The Rural Estate, whilst providing challenges, creates a number of opportunities for the Council to meet corporate objectives. The Rural Estate Management Plan provides a clear set of strategic objectives which would enable more active management of the estate.

11.5

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

11.5.1

The following alternative options have been identified:

11.5.2

Dispose of the whole Rural Estate

Holding a rural estate portfolio could be considered as outside of SCC’s core objectives and some local authorities have disposed of rural land holdings in their entirety. However, given the location and limitations of the majority of SCC land holdings this would not be straightforward or favourable as elements of the land holdings are held in Trust and were gifted to the people of Sheffield by benefactors. Also, areas of the Estate offer opportunities to deliver wider SCC objectives particularly in the upland areas working in collaboration with tenants and stakeholders. If the Rural Estate was disposed of this potential would not be realised. Some areas of the estate would, however, be considered for disposal at the appropriate time where they do not form part of the core estate.

11.5.3

Continue without a Rural Estate Management Plan

The Council could do nothing; resulting in continued ad hoc decision making and a lack of focus on priority action. Budgetary constraints and a significant maintenance backlog have impacted on tenant relationships. The Estate subsequently suffers from underinvestment with many elements in a poor and deteriorating condition. Without action the Rural Estate would continue to deteriorate eventually resulting in worsening tenant relationships and missed opportunities to work with other bodies to realise wider environmental benefits for the City and its people.

11.5.4

Rural Estate Management Plan

The rural estate management plan sets out a clear framework, objectives and actions to ensure proactive management of the Council’s land holdings over the next 10 years and would ensure that the assets are effectively managed, that the Council meets its legal duties as landlord and that wider benefits can be gained from proactive management for the benefit of the city and its people.