Former School Premises, Clearview Street, St Helier

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A decision made (04/05/2007) regarding: Former School Premises, Clearview Street, St Helier – Proposed Sale.

Subject:	Former School Premises, Clearview Street, St Helier – Proposed Sale
Decision Reference:	MD-PH-2007-0033	Exempt clause(s):		None
Type of Report: (oral or written)	Written	Person Giving Report (if oral):		N/A
Telephone or e-mail Meeting?	N/A	Report File ref:		NS 1206
Written Report – Title	Former School Premises, Clearview Street, St Helier – Proposed Sale	Written report - author		Neil Sproston
Decision(s): The Minister hereby approves the Report and Proposition for the proposed sale of the former school premises at Clearview Street, St Helier and agrees that it be lodged ‘au Greffe’.
Reason(s) for decision: In view of the terms of this proposed transaction, it has been deemed appropriate to bring a Report and Proposition to authorise the sale of this vacant site to the prospective purchaser. The proposed transaction has received support from the Housing Department and the Department of Health and Social Services.
Action required: The Greffier of the States to be requested to lodge this Report and Proposition ‘au Greffe’ for debate by the States.
Signature: (Assistant Minister)[1] Deputy J Le Fondré			Date of Decision: 4th May 2007

Former School Premises, Clearview Street, St Helier – Proposed Sale.

FORMER SCHOOL PREMISES, CLEARVIEW STREET , ST HELIER

PROPOSED SALE

P R O P O S I T I O N

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion -

a) To approve the sale of the freehold interest in the former School at Clearview Street, St. Helier as shown on Drawing No 1206/07/104 from the Public of the Island to the Scott Gibaut Homes Trust for a nominal sum of £10 for the purpose of developing the site to provide an ‘Independent Assisted Living Housing Scheme in accordance with the necessary Planning and Building-Bye Law approvals; and

b) to authorise the Attorney General and the Greffier of the States to pass as appropriate on behalf of the Public such contract as may be necessary in connection with the said property and any interest therein.

MINISTER FOR TREASURY AND RESOURCES

FORMER SCHOOL PREMISES, CLEARVIEW STREET , ST HELIER

PROPOSED SALE

R E P O R T

In July 2003 the States approved the transfer of administration of former school premises at Clearview Street, St Helier to the then Environment and Public Services Committee for the purposes of entering into an agreement with the Scott Gibaut Homes Trust to procure on this site an “Independent Assisted Living Housing Scheme”.(P 87/2003 refers, copy attached).

Having previously received support from a number of former key States’ Committees, including Health and Social Services and Housing, the Trust has, since November 2005, occupied the premises on a licence basis paying a nominal charge. This has allowed the Trust the opportunity to finalise its development plans to the point where it now believes it is in a position to proceed with the proposed purchase of the site.

Scott Gibaut Homes Trust : Background

The primary objective of the Trust is to provide affordable, purpose designed accommodation to brain injury survivors and sufferers of Cerebral Palsy. This includes both physically and cognitively disabled young people, for which there is currently no provision. Its client group takes in those persons with only minor physical disabilities but severe cognitive impairments such as memory, perception and planning, with a consequential loss of life skills and management function. It is believed there are at least 24 sufferers of the two conditions, to whom suitable housing is not available. The name of the trust was chosen in memory of a young man who died from a brain injury aged 15.

Its trustees include: Andrew Green MBE (Chair), founder Chairman of Headway (Jersey) for the past 10 years and National Trustee for Headway UK as well as board member and treasurer of Brain Injured Families in Europe; Angie Nicholson (Secretary) , who is Chairman of the Jersey Cerebral Palsy Group and is also a professional carer. She has worked extensively with young people with a wide range of physical and learning difficulties in respect of the Duke of Edinburgh award Scheme and sport for the disabled in the Island; Allan Bougeard (Treasurer) is retired from fulltime employment, though has spent the majority of his working life with a major financial services company, having been a senior director and shareholder; Deputy Ben Fox, a retired policeman and past Chairman of Jersey Diabetic Association. Deputy Fox has worked extensively with young people having a wide range of physical and learning difficulties, as a volunteer with the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme; Peter Brown, a building manager with over 40 years experience, who is currently employed as a co-ordinator for the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme and Peter Hesten, who is a social worker and active Rotarian, with considerable experience in the housing of young people with difficulties.

The Development Proposal

To date the Trust has invested £57,000 of its own money in respect of preliminary site investigation work, planning and survey fees. Should the States agree to the transfer of the land, this will enable Phase 1 to proceed, comprising seven self-contained, one-bedroomed flats on two levels. It is hoped that in the future with the aid of further fund-raising Phase 2 will follow, incorporating additional communal and meeting facilities for the occupiers of the units. The accommodation will be used by locally qualified individuals capable of living independently, though with a degree of support and who are also sufferers of brain injury and cerebral palsy. The units will be advertised openly by the Trust, which will consider applications by prospective tenants on their merits.

Development approval for the scheme, which includes the retention and conversion of the former Victorian school hall, was granted in September 2003 (P2003/1179) and April 2004 (RP/2004/0606) respectively. Building-Bye Law approval has also been obtained, which is only subject to final confirmation of structural engineering calculations.

The Trust, which became a registered charity in April 2005, has been formed by Headway and Scope, specifically to effect a purpose-built facility of the type proposed. Since being formally established, it has been successful in fund–raising in its own right and has received pledged sponsorship from local charity groups equating to approximately 32% of the projected total cost, excluding those fees previously expended. In order to bridge the funding gap, the Trust has agreed loan finance to fund the balance, subject to its lender having the ability to take a charge against the property, as security, once it has been transferred out of Public ownership.

The Proposed Contract of Sale

It has been agreed that the transfer of the site will be affected at a nominal consideration of £10 with each party bearing its respective legal and professional costs in connection with the proposed conveyance. Although covenants will be imposed on the purchaser to restrict the development in accordance with the planning permission granted, its subsequent use will solely be for the provision of affordable, independent, assisted accommodation in accordance with the constitution of the Trust.

In addition, as with the sales of other sites to recognised Housing Trusts, legal provisions shall be contained within the conveyance to protect the long term interests of the Public. These include a provision whereby the property has to be offered back to the Public prior to the Trust being in a position to voluntarily sell to a third party. Such a sale would be at a value based upon its use for social rented purposes. Further, in the event of bankruptcy, the Public is granted (should it so choose) an option to recover the property by taking on the liabilities of the trust at that time. As is normally the case in the light of these arrangements, the lender will be party to the contract of sale.

It is intended that the Trust be issued with a “letter of comfort” to limit their interest rate exposure to a level of 6%. Otherwise, there are no additional financial implications to those stated above, although in transferring the site on the above terms, the Public shall forego a notional capital receipt from the possible sale of this property on the open market. There are no manpower implications resulting from the proposed sale of the property.