Questions were asked about how a business renting its shop from Brighton and Hove City Council could run up five-figure rent arrears.
Green councillor Sue Shanks asked how fragrance firm Pecksniff’s managed to owe £73,000 in rent arrears at its former Meeting House Lane premises.
A report to the council’s cabinet on Thursday (23 April) said that the council-owned grade II listed building was left in a dilapidated state after the company moved out in May 2024.
The Labour deputy leader of the council Jacob Taylor said that he did not want to see any rent arrears on council-owned commercial property in his capacity as finance lead.
But Pecksniff’s was one of a number of tenants to fall behind with rent payments during the covid-19 pandemic, he said.
A payment plan was put in place but, when talks about a new lease fell through, it ended in the rent arrears being lost.
Pecksniff’s, though, is still trading, having taken over the former Sass and Belle shop at 27 Bond Street, Brighton, and was contacted for comment.
Councillor Shanks also shared concerns about land at Downsview not being developed in-house with the council as the provider.
The site is leased as a pony paddock and Councillor Taylor said that there was interest from a registered adult social care provider to build supported housing.
He said: “We think this is really positive and exciting that this site could be used for much-needed accommodation for people with learning disabilities or disabilities in the city.
“The view from the department is that any such facility for people with complex needs would be best suited to one of the many excellent registered providers that have expertise in the area.”
The report to the cabinet said that the proposed scheme was for four self-contained single-storey homes and a block of four one-bedroom flats over two storeys.
The self-contained homes would be designed to support people with learning disabilities and/or autism with high complex needs and challenging behaviour to live with two carers for each person 24-hours a day.
Currently, 12 such people in Brighton and Hove need this sort of specialist housing. An out-of-area placement would cost on average of £6,600 a week but the sum would be an average of about £5,000 a week in Brighton and Hove.
Other commercial properties going up for sale are 69a and 65 Ditchling Road, a hairdressers and screen printers, either through direct negotiation with the tenants or through agents.
Mrs Fitzherbert’s, at 25-26 New Road, is another council-owned property which is to be sold after a 16-minute closed session.
Money generated as part of the council’s “asset management plan” is going towards the cost of adding 2,000 more affordable homes, 200 more temporary homes and “rationalising” the commercial portfolio, “releasing” assets for disposal.
The council’s cabinet agreed to seek permission from the government’s Education Secretary to use the former Hertford Infant School site, in Hollingdean, for social housing.
Councillor Taylor said: “Initially, there had been consideration as to whether other educational uses, potentially special educational provision, could be used on that site.
“But the clear view from the education department is that there isn’t an educational need for that site so therefore it can be released.
“I am really pleased that we’re going to consider (housing) for that site and potential social housing which is so needed in our city.”
