Why council is selling schools, toilets and mall
Bruntwood WorksTwo former schools, a shopping mall, toilet blocks and several car parks are all be sold off by a cash-strapped council in a bid to raise about £10m.
Trafford Council is under pressure to make millions in savings after it failed to balance the books, with a loan of £12m needed from the government to bridge the gap.
The former Moss View Primary School site, Davyhulme Youth Centre and part of Stretford Mall are among more than 20 assets the authority is looking to sell off to raise cash.
A council spokesman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the sale of the "surplus" sites would help reduce costs and create regeneration opportunities.
O'Neil/GeographIt comes as Trafford residents are also set to be hit by one of the highest council tax rises in the country after special dispensation was given by the government for a 7.49% hike in the charge for the second year running.
Among the assets expected to be disposed of are the former Altrincham Library, and the former Trafford High School site in Flixton, documents revealed.
A number of car parks, a block of toilets and the Jubilee Centre, a community centre in Bowdon, are also proposed for disposal.
Altrincham Town Hall also appears on the list of assets to be disposed of, but the council has confirmed it will maintain ownership of the building and continue to lease it on a long-term basis to arts group Oyez Arts.
The council said it needed to generate about£10m through land and property sales to fund its capital programme over the coming years.
Several sites like the former Sale Magistrates site and land on Lacy Street, Stretford, where a probation office once stood, have been identified for regeneration.
Clarification 20 February: This article has been updated to reflect Trafford Council's full plans for Altrincham Town Hall, which was included in the disposal report.
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