Biggleswade Town Council - purchase of Magistrates' Court.

Whilst pursuing where the £200,000 from the sale of the Avenue Centre went, I was provided with extracts of documents, (which I paid for),but did not ask for, but nevertheless are interesting.

They are extracts of the agenda / minutes of a Town Council meeting held on 25th April 2006.  I believe they were given to me to prove that the Avenue monies were not spent on the Magistrates Court. I am still pursuing where the monies did go.

Source of Funds for the Acquisition and Refurbishment of the Magistrates Court Building

The agenda extract says:

It has been recommended by our Accountants that the order of priority of funds should be:-

1. Proceeds of Chestnut Avenue

2. PWLB Loan

3. Proceeds Cemetery Lodge

4. Earmarked Reserve.

Computers, furniture etc from Capital Rolling Fund.

The proceeds of the Cemetery Lodge can only be used for acquisition or major enhancements of capital assets, not for revenue purposes.

Remaining balances of the Earmarked Reserve not utilised can be redirected for any purposes, including revenue, i.e. unrestricted.

Members are therefore asked to approve the Cemetery Lodge proceeds in priority to Earmarked Reserve.

The minutes extract says:

Members considered the recommendation by our Accountants that the order of priority of funds should be:

1. Proceeds of Chestnut Avenue

2. PWLB Loan

3. Proceeds Cemetery Lodge

4. Earmarked Reserve.

Computers, furniture etc from Capital Rolling Fund.

It was RESOLVED that the Cemetery Lodge proceeds are approved in priority to the Earmarked Reserve.

My notes:

1. No 1 Chestnut Avenue was sold in June 2006 for £171,000.

2. PWLB is the Public Works Loan Board, who are a statutory body operating within the United Kingdom Debt Management Office, an Executive Agency of HM Treasury. PWLB's function is to lend money from the National Loans Fund to local authorities and other prescribed bodies, and to collect the repayments.

3. I cannot find a sale price for Cemetery Lodge.

Central Bedfordshire Council tell me that they sold the old Magistrates Court in March 2006 to Biggleswade Town Council for £325,000.