072/2013 – Easingwold Police Station – Proposed land swap with neighbouring property owner – 23 October 2013

Executive Summary and recommendation:

Easingwold Police Station sits on the same site as the neighbouring former Court House. The ‘Old Court House’ has been converted to a private domestic dwelling. Access to both properties is shared with the Old Court House owner owning the land used for access and NYP having a right of access across it. Additionally the Police Station building perimeter directly abuts the land owned by the Old Court House owner meaning access to the exterior of the police station boundary, and egress from a fire escape, is across the Old Court House owners land. The owner of the Old Court House is proposing a mutually beneficial land swap which will provide NYP with unrestricted access to both the site, and the external perimeter of the police station.

It is recommended that NYP enter into this agreement for reasons of both estate maintenance and future asset value.

Each party will be paying their own costs, which will be met from base revenue budgets.

Police and Crime Commissioner decision:

Approved

Signature Date 23 October 2013
Title Police & Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire

Part 1 – Unrestricted facts and advice to the PCC

1. The Police station at Easingwold sits on the same site as the former Court House. The Old Court House was sold by the Crown Prosecution Service and was bought privately in 2010 and converted to a private domestic dwelling. Access to the site (for both the Police station and the Old Court House) is shared and owned by the owner of the Old Court House. NYP retains a legal right of way over the access to the site ensuring we are able to access the police station. Appendix 1 (Title Plan) shows the current boundary of The Courthouse and Easingwold Police station

   It is also worth noting that the Police Station property boundary directly abuts the land owned by the Old Court House owner, and to that end access to the perimeter of the police station for maintenance and exit from a fire door is across the Old Court House land.

   The owner of the Old Court House and the site access is proposing some alterations to the site in order to separate vehicular access and effectively provide NYP with our own access to the site, separate from the owners access to his Old Court House property. This is shown at Appendix 2 as area E. Additionally the owner of the Old Court House is intending to erect a fence between the police station and his property along the existing boundary line.

   In order to support NYP in maintaining access to the perimeter of the police station and provide NYP with our own vehicular access the owner of the Old Court House is proposing a land swap. Appendix 2 shows the proposed swap with the Owner of the Old Court House receiving from NYP area C, D and NYP receiving from the Old Court House and land owner Areas A, B, and right of way over E.

2. The Benefit of this swap for NYP is to have dedicated access to the site with full access to the Police station perimeter and unrestricted egress from the fire escape door. This has the potential to improve any future disposal value of the facility for the OPCC should a decision ever be made to dispose. The Old Court House owner would receive the piece of land Area C and D – photographs of which are in appendix 3. Matters for consideration

   It is considered that the area of garden that NYP would be losing in this swap would not impact on the value of the plot as a whole if we came to sell in the future.

Other options considered, if any

Not applicable

Contribution to Police and Crime Plan outcomes

This would contribute to the Police and Crime plan outcome ‘Fit for the Future’, by ensuring that NYP property assets are accessible.

Consultations carried out

Not applicable

Financial Implications/Value for money

The parties will be paying their own costs. NYP costs will be paid from within base revenue budgets.

Legal Implications

Having read this report and having considered such information as has been provided at the time of being asked to express this view, the Deputy Force Solicitor is satisfied that this report does not ask the PCC for North Yorkshire to make a decision which would (or would be likely to) give rise to a contravention of the law.

Equality Implications

There are no equality implications as a result of this proposal.

Appendices

072 Appendix 1 Easingwold Police Station Title Plan
072 Appendix 2 Easingwold Boundary Adjustments-SN (28 6 13)
072 Appendix 3 Easingwold Photos (2)

Public Access to Information

The Police and Crime Commissioner wishes to be as open and transparent as possible about the decisions he/she takes or are taken in his/her name. All decisions taken by the Commissioner will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

As a general principle, the Commissioner expects to be able to publish all decisions taken and all matters taken into account and all advice received when reaching the decision. Part 1 of this Notice will detail all information which the Commissioner will disclose into the public domain. The decision and information in Part 1 will be made available on the NYPCC web site within 2 working days of approval.

Only where material is properly classified as restricted under the GPMS or if that material falls within the description at 2(2) of The Elected Local Policing Bodies (Specified Information) Order 2011 will the Commissioner not disclose decisions and/or information provided to enable that decision to be made. In these instances, Part 2 of the Form will be used to detail those matters considered to be restricted. Information in Part 2 will not be published.

Is there a Part 2 to this Notice – NO