An independent recycling co-op has been given assurances it won’t be evicted from its home after it turned down a chance to buy it.
Magpie and its retail outlet Shabitat sent a letter to customers this week saying the council planned to sell the site, saying this would lead to a “devastating loss” for the co-operative.
But Brighton and Hove City Council said that although it had sounded out Magpie to see if it wanted to buy the site, no sale was currently being progressed.
The letter from Magpie said: “We have recently been made aware of Brighton and Hove City Council’s potential plans to sell the land that shabitat and Magpie Recycling occupy.
“Potentially this would have a huge impact on the park and surrounding area. This would be a devastating loss not only for our co-operative, but also the local community and of course our customers.”
It asked customers to call or message via Facebook to find out how they can help.
Councillor Jacob Taylor, deputy leader of the council, said: “In December last year the council approved the potential disposal of various commercial properties, as part of an overall strategy for managing our property portfolio, and because of the difficult overall financial position of the council.
“In February our agents made initial contact with Magpie to see if they were interested in purchasing the site. Their response was that they had no definite plans to acquire the building, though said this may change if it impacted the area they lease.
“That is as far as the conversations went and the council has taken no other action at present.
“To be clear – the council is not evicting Shabbitat or Magpie and will continue to engage with them on the future use of the site.”
Magpie and Shabitat have been based at the council-owned site next to Saunders Park in Lewes Road since the 1990s.
It is one of several on a list of sites earmarked for possible disposal by the council in December. The full list was not disclosed in public council papers.
I suspect this is was to feel out of they could reduce costs of maintaining these buildings by passing them onto social organisations.
Could potentially be of benefit to the organisation, having full control of the building. But also an increase in responsibility.
Precisely.
And the sort of thing councils do on a regular basis.
It would bring in a capital receipt and end any maintenance liability on the buildings / site but at the loss of a regular rental income.
BTW selling off council property was proposed by the tories as a way of helping to fund the Madeira Terraces.
Magpie is a lifesaver. The only place that recycles plastic as the incompetent council signed a contract with Veolia that doesn’t include plastic.
Coop takes soft plastics and has them recycled in the UK by Jayplas.
https://www.coop.co.uk/environment/soft-plastics
There is already a sleeper company waiting in the wings to bid for this site almost certainly for redevelopment into flats or student accommodation and able to pay a hell of a lot more than a decent, local recycling company. There has to be a balance of the existing community’s wishes and those of proposed developments’. We’ve had 7yrs of almost constant building work going on and a more thoughtful, balanced approach would be welcome.
Oh, if any space in Brighton turns up, I wouldn’t be surprised there being a developer being interested, just generically.
How much did the council ask Magpie for the site? Is there the opportunity to crowdfund/set up a cop-op to buy this and keep it out of developers hands permantly?
Asset lock it via a CBS would also do the trick.
Or make it an asset of community value which it surely is