Burnham and Highbridge Town Councillors have voted in favour of taking over Apex Park’s main building in the car park.
The building, pictured, currently houses an office, storeroom and toilet facilities.
The Town Council will be taking on the management and maintenance of the property from Somerset Council.
Town Councillors approved a recommendation from the council’s Devolution Working Group to take over the management and maintenance of the office at their latest meeting.
Cllr Mike Facey told the meeting the proposal “sounded quite sensible to us – we looked at it from all the various aspects and I support the recommendation to proceed.” He said it would be a useful asset for the council, and that a local business has been approached to sponsor the cost of a new defibrillator.
A Town Council spokesperson adds: “During discussions with Somerset Council regarding how the Apex Park building will be managed when the Town Council takes on responsibility for the public conveniences situated within the building, it became clear that it would be very difficult to split the management of the building.”
“Somerset Council have proposed that the Town Council take on the management and maintenance of the whole building.”
“This consists of a small office area, which includes a kitchenette. Somerset Council do not have records of any regular users for this room. The building seems to be in good condition, although a survey has not been undertaken.”
“If the Town Council does take on the building, it would be required to take on the responsibility and costs relating to the defibrillator. Although this will be very minimal, the defibrillator is quite old and is a different make the other defibrillators the Town Council has installed elsewhere.”
“There is also a water fountain on the building that the Town Council would need to take on responsibility. The former District Council had a contract with a company for 3 visits a year for cleansing, which cost in the region of £200 p.a. Somerset Council are trying to find out if this contract is still in place and the terms of the contract.”
“There are a couple of noticeboards on the building, which could be used for Town Council
information. Somerset Council would charge a peppercorn rent for the whole building instead of just the public conveniences. The additional insurance costs would be approximately £80.00.”
“Somerset Council have not provided running costs for the building, however, the main costs relate to the public conveniences, which has already been budgeted for. Other costs that would need to be covered; general maintenance and repairs, defibrillator and the water fountain.”
Councillors voted in principal to support the recommendation for the Council to approve the Devolution Working Group’s recommendation to take on the management and maintenance.
