Decision - St. Gabriel's 10-year lease

(1) Approves in principle to taking a lease of St. Gabriels, Wellington Road, Brighton.

(2) Delegates to the Director of Adult Social Care & Housing the power to approve the detailed terms of the lease providing the terms are certified by the Valuer to the Council as the best consideration reasonably obtainable.

(3) Authorises the Head of Law to prepare and execute any documentation necessary to give effect to the above.

(1)       Approves in principle to taking a lease of St. Gabriels, Wellington Road, Brighton.

(2)       Delegates to the Director of Adult Social Care & Housing the power to approve the detailed terms of the lease providing the terms are certified by the Valuer to the Council as the best consideration reasonably obtainable.

(3)       Authorises the Head of Law to prepare and execute any documentation necessary to give effect to the above.

The report is presented to seek the necessary delegated authority for Director of Adult Social Care and Housing to start in principle negotiations with a view to entering into a 10 year lease.  

This approval is being sought to provide the council with nomination rights to the development that will provide much needed accommodation for people with physical and learning disabilities in the city.

Alternative options that have been considered include:

• To not enter into a lease for the development and to seek to spot purchase placements according to need.

If the council does not enter into a lease there is a high risk that the developer will proceed and make their own arrangements which could lead to increased ‘ordinary residence’ claims (whereby people with Learning Disabilities are placed in the city by other authorities and because they have their own tenancy they become the financial responsibility of the host authority). Under this arrangement the council would not have the same influence over the development or the service to be provided.

• To enter into a lease for the development.

This option would ensure that much needed accessible accommodation with facilities for on site support would be available.