Nottingham City Council will declare the former Highbury Vale Community Centre in Bestwood surplus to its operational requirements, paving the way for the site to be sold and potentially redeveloped after several years standing empty.
The decision covers the single-storey community centre on Brooklyn Road, including its associated car parking and surrounding grassed and play areas that form part of the former centre’s footprint. Importantly, the wider area of public open space and the adjoining play park next to the site are not included in the disposal and will remain in council ownership.
The building itself has not been in use since 2019. Since that time, it has continued to represent an ongoing cost to the council through security, maintenance and general asset management, despite no longer delivering any frontline services to residents. In June 2021, the frontage of the site was already declared surplus, but the latest decision extends this to the whole former community centre, allowing the council to market the site as a single, comprehensive opportunity rather than a partial disposal.
The council says this approach is intended to make the land more attractive to potential buyers and enable alternative use or redevelopment, subject to future planning permission. Responsibility for agreeing the final sale terms, including the price, has been delegated to the council’s Head of Estates, a move designed to allow officers to respond quickly to market interest and negotiations.
The disposal forms part of Nottingham City Council’s wider Asset Rationalisation Programme, which has been running for several years as the authority seeks to reduce the size and cost of its property estate. Under the programme, buildings are assessed using a decision matrix that looks at factors such as physical condition, future repair and energy efficiency costs, ongoing revenue liabilities, strategic importance, and likely market appeal.
Highbury Vale Community Centre was reviewed through this process and endorsed as suitable for disposal. Council officers concluded that retaining the building offered no clear operational or strategic benefit, while continuing to expose the authority to financial liabilities at a time of sustained pressure on council budgets.
Under Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972, the council is legally required to secure “best consideration” when disposing of land or property, meaning it must achieve the best price reasonably obtainable unless specific consent is given otherwise. Legal advice included with the decision confirms that the council must be satisfied that both the capital receipt and the overall terms of the deal meet this requirement.
The decision also notes that legal services assume relevant ward councillors have been engaged in discussions about the proposed disposal and that any local observations have been considered before the site was formally declared surplus.
The decision to sell the site is classified as an operational executive decision and falls below the £300,000 threshold that would require a higher-level approval route. Any capital receipt generated from the sale would contribute to the council’s finances rather than being earmarked for revenue spending.
