Issue - decisions

Worthing Borough Council has been allocated £809,083 from the LAHF which is a government fund specifically for the provision of rented housing for refugees. The allocation is to provide six homes (of which one must have four bedrooms and the others at least two bedrooms). Given the timescale attached to the funding, the acquisition or improvement of existing homes was considered to be the only way to deliver these in Worthing.

Options were considered, with the preference being for new property which could be quickly and easily acquired.

The following properties have been identified and are considered suitable.  Full building surveys have been carried out and legal reports produced.  Approval to purchase them is requested:

1 Violet Close, Worthing (4-bed house) for the sum of £415,000

Flat 2 Deora Place, Worthing (2-bed flat) for the sum of £235,000

Flat 4 Deora Place, Worthing (2-bed flat) for the sum of £255,000

Flat 7 Deora Place, Worthing (2-bed flat) for the sum of £255,000

The following properties have also been identified as suitable for purchase utilising the LAHF grant money.  To purchase these additional budget is required, which has informally been approved by Officers, however, formal approval from Worthing JSSC will be sought in June 2024.  Should the budget be approved, we propose purchasing the properties, subject to the successful undertaking of legal reports and building surveys.

The approval to purchase the following properties, subject to the above conditions, is requested:

Flat 5 Ordinges Place, Worthing (2-bed flat) for the sum of £275,000

Flat 7 Ordinges Place, Worthing (2-bed flat) for the sum of £285,000

Total purchase cost: £1,720,000