Lower Upham Stores and ‘Community Right to Buy’
Winchester City Council has received notice of the owner’s intention to sell Lower Upham Stores in Winchester Road, Lower Upham.
Lower Upham Stores was added to the Winchester district’s list of ‘assets of community value’ in April this year because the services it provides further the social well-being of the local community.
Under the Localism Act 2011 (Section 95) local facilities that are considered to be of value to a community can be placed on the list to give local people a chance to buy them before they are sold on the open market.
There are two key elements to the Community Right to Buy process:
1. Nomination of an Asset of Community Value: Lower Upham Stores was listed as an Asset of Community Value in April this year
2. Sale moratorium: an interim moratorium of six weeks is triggered once the City Council receives a notification of intent to sell, a full moratorium of six months is triggered if an intention to bid is received from an appropriate group.
The City Council has now received notification of intent to sell. If the Council receives an intention to bid, this stops the sale for six months.
A Parish Council, charity, community interest company, company limited by guarantee or industrial and provident society may submit an expression of interest.
An expression signifies that a community interest group would like six months to prepare a competitive capital bid for the Lower Upham Stores, during which time the property cannot be sold on the open market.
Winchester City Council must receive a written expression of interest by Tuesday 3 November 2015. For more information contact Winchester City Council on 01962 840 222 and ask for Jo Anderson.