Sell off of Doncaster Council assets raises millions for capital projects

DMBC is halfway through a four-year mass sell off plan in order to generate revenue into housing developments and commercial units to strengthen economic development in the borough.

Over the period of the programme to date, 45 sites have been disposed of generating just shy of £6.1 million. Council chiefs say the money is expected to provide over 90 new homes and a range of commercial development.

A further ten properties are currently under offer with a combined value of around £16m which includes disposing of a residential development sites which is hoped to provide a further 700 homes.

Some of the sites sold off include: Hungerhill in Edenthorpe which is predicted to provide 500 plus homes; College Road in Doncaster town centre to South Yorkshire Police for a new station and custody suite and various plots around Lakeside for housing and commercial developments.

Documents show over eight acres of land at Windhill in Mexborough could be another key site the council are looking to offload.

Other asset sales include youth clubs in Skellow and Hatfield, Elmfield House for conversion into flats and the former Mexborough Day Centre.

David Stimpson, property manager at DMBC, said: “The sale of council property assets will generate new property developments for the borough, both commercial and housing.

“New developments will generate growth in the local economy and create and support local jobs through development and associated local infrastructure.

“Future council revenues will be supported from new development by the creation of additional Business Rates and Council Tax from sites as they are developed.

“Without a series of disposals of council property assets to generate capital receipts, the capital programme cannot be delivered and additional benefits to the council through council tax and business rates relief will not be generated.”