The Ship Inn, Owslebury, and ‘Community Right to Bid’
Winchester City Council has received notice of the leaseholder’s intention to transfer the lease of The Ship Inn, Whites Hill, Owslebury.
The Ship Inn was added to Winchester City Council’s list of ‘Assets of Community Value’ in 2013 because of the services it provides to 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 bid for them before they are sold on the open market.
There are two key elements to the Community Right to Bid process:
1. Nomination of an asset of community value – this happened in summer 2013 for The Ship Inn, which was nominated by the Parish Council and agreed by the City Council
2. Sale moratorium - an initial period of six weeks once the City Council receives a notification of sale or transfer of a lease. If a request to be treated as a potential bidder is received and accepted from an appropriate community interest group, this period is extended to six months.
The City Council has now received notification of a transfer of a long-term lease for the Ship Inn. If the Council receives an appropriate intention to bid by 2 May 2016, this stops a relevant disposal for six months, until 21 September 2016.
A parish council, charity, community interest company, company limited by guarantee or industrial and provident society may submit an expression of interest as a potential bidder. Submission of a bid then allows the group a period of six months from the original notification to the Council, in order to prepare and negotiate a competitive bid for The Shin Inn with the current leaseholder, during which time the property cannot be sold on the open market.
Written expressions of interest to be considered as a potential bidder must be submitted to Winchester City Council by 2 May 2016. For more information contact the Council on 01962 840222 and ask for Jo Anderson or Antonia Perkins.