Medway Council to Sell Car Parks to Balance Budget

The council needs money. They plan to sell some car parks. These car parks are worth over a million pounds. Medway Council wants to sell parking areas. This will help them balance their budget and reduce costly upkeep.

The Brook car park in Chatham might be next. It has 544 spaces and adjoins a shopping center. Britton Farm car park in Gillingham is also for sale. Selling these two spots could save money. The council could save £4.3 million in maintenance.

Other car parks are on the list too. These are Upper Mount, Albatross Avenue, and others. They expect to save £12,500 each year. The council expects £1.1 million from these sales, excluding Britton Farm and The Brook. Demolishing The Brook costs more than it’s worth.

The council also wants to sell Britton Farm Mall. It is a run down shopping center in Gillingham. Last October, they shared a list of properties, which initially consisted of 30 properties for sale.

That list contained Temple Manor, a historic building. Gillingham Business Park was also on the list, as was Rainham District Shopping Centre. Eight more properties are now for sale, and their total value is about £2 million.

These include Hopewell Business Centre and St George’s Centre. Public toilets and village halls are also being considered. Selling these properties saves money too. They project £175,000 in yearly revenue savings and a potential drop of £366,000 in required maintenance.

Some properties are worth less than £500,000. They can be sold more easily by officers. Operational properties, however, need cabinet approval.

The council will not sell schools or parks. They believe there’s no gain from it. Councilors will talk about these plans next week. The cabinet will decide on March 11.