Questions Over How Much Council Paid For Bungalow

Questions are being asked about how much a Council paid for a property, connected to the re-development of an elderly people’s housing scheme in Market Harborough.

On-line details show the bungalow at 82 Granville Street, and its grounds, were bought by Harborough District Council for £920,000, although is valued at £350,000.

It is included in the Council’s scheme, approved earlier this year, to build new affordable homes at Naseby Square, on the Southern Estate, which the home and land around it backs onto.

The Council says it will make a profit from the sale of all of its land on the site, including the bungalow plot, to a housing association.

A question will be posed at next week’s full council meeting, by Roger Dunton, the ward councillor for the area, asking for more details on the transaction.

The question reads:

“From information provided on public record from the Land Registry Office I see that Harborough District Council are the owners of 87 Granville Street.

Can I ask the leader of the council Cllr King If the District Valuer was involved in this purchase?

I understand from the information provided that the council paid £920,000 on the 3rd of February 2020.

Again on a publicly available web site it was valued at £350,000. If the answer is yes, there will be a full and unredacted comment /document available.

If the answer is no, then why did the council pay almost £600,000 above the going rate?”

Harborough District Council say a full response to the question will be provided at the meeting.

A spokesman told Hfm: “We confirm that the council acquired 87 Granville Street in 2019 as part of a wider land assembly project to enable the provision of a wider development of affordable housing in Market Harborough with Platform Housing Group.

“This scheme was originally planned to deliver a mix of affordable and private housing. However, the scheme has now been developed to provide 23 affordable dwellings for social rent and 15 for shared ownership.

“There is also a Section 106 Agreement to provide further benefits for the town.

“The council has agreed to sell the site to Platform Housing Group to enable them to develop it as an all-affordable scheme.

“This is a sustainable housing site close to the town centre site for people who are in need of housing.

“Through the terms of this deal the council will receive a capital receipt which will cover more than the original sum paid for all the land acquisitions.

“Creating more affordable housing for residents in the Harborough district is a key priority in the council’s corporate plan.”