‘Bishop’s Stortford shopping parade could have better future under different owner’

The sale of a council-owned shopping parade in Bishop’s Stortford could lead to a “better future” for its businesses.

That claim came from East Herts executive member for finance, Cllr Carl Brittain (Green, Hertford Kingsmead), at a meeting yesterday (Tuesday, June 3) as plans for the disposal of shops and flats in Elizabeth Road were signed off.

He revealed: “I’ve had an email already from somebody who is interested in purchasing this row of shops.

“They are a landlord of these types of properties.

“Just because we’re selling it doesn’t mean it’s going to change its use.

“We may just sell it to someone else who can do the job better than we can because it’s not our core activity.

“Ownership is important to a degree, but actually, I think it could have a better future under a different owner.”

Cllr Brittain admitted that “historically the council has not managed these properties well” and said the shopping parade is “currently in a poor state of repair, having suffered from a lack of investment in recent years”.

He said selling the parade would be in “the best long-term interest of the local community” and would improve the council’s finances, “helping protect essential services.”

A council report said that carrying out full repairs and maintenance on the units – including energy efficiency upgrades set to be required by the Government – would lead to the council losing £485,500 over the next thirty years.

A lower level of repairs would cause a loss of £754,500 while doing nothing would create a deficit of £717,000.

It has led to the council agreeing to a sale that they hope will bring in £447,500.

Under current plans, the entire site will be sold, including the building, garages, car park, grassed areas and footpath, though Cllr Brittain said this was “negotiable with any interested buyer”.

Cllrs Yvonne Estop and David Jacobs, Labour members for Bishop’s Stortford Central, have raised concerns about the sale.

Cllr Estop said: “For the last two years, Cllr Jacobs and I have been asking for the three vacant shops to be let and for the short leases of the four businesses to be extended to ten-year leases.

“With this property, the council is a social landlord for active businesses and homes.

“These are the kind of community facilities that the council strives to achieve in new development masterplans.

“They are local neighbourhood gold dust.”

She asked whether the terms of sale could “protect the existing tenants and their businesses” and suggested the council report “exaggerated” the scale of maintenance and repair problems.

Cllr Brittain said he would have to take “legal advice” about potential sale conditions and warned that any conditions “would impact on the value of the property significantly”.

One of Cllr Britain’s executive colleagues, Cllr Chris Wilson (Lib Dem, Bishop's Stortford All Saints) the cabinet member for resident engagement, said the “passion” in support of shops from Cllr Estop and residents showed “there is a demand for the shops to be there, and somebody commercially-minded will hopefully recognise that”.

“We can’t really justify a lot of money being spent on a row of shops when we’re looking at waste, and planning, and licensing, and housing … we need to make sure those services are provided for the public as best as possible,” Cllr Wilson said.

The deputy leader of the council and executive member for neighbourhoods, Cllr Mione Goldspink (Lib Dem, Bishop's Stortford North), said selling the shops was “a very difficult decision” and reassured residents: “We all appreciate community assets, we all appreciate our local shops and appreciate the fact that they deliver a personal service. We do value them very highly.”