East Cambridgeshire district councillors have unanimously agreed to sell the freehold of The Barn, public toilets and car park in Main Street, Littleport to Littleport Town Council for £1 each.

The decision was made at the Finance and Assets Committee on Thursday 27 November and includes restrictions designed to ensure the assets remain in community use for perpetuity.

Littleport Town Council made the request for the assets in preparation for Local Government Reorganisation which will see East Cambridgeshire District Council replaced by a single, larger unitary council which will provide the services currently offered by district and county councils.

East Cambridgeshire District Council has also agreed to sell for £1 the freehold for land next to St George’s Medical Practice, which is of strategic importance for future plans to expand the surgery.

If the land is not required to facilitate further expansion, the town council will maintain it as public open space in perpetuity. 

The town council has also agreed no car parking fees will be added to the car park and The Barn will remain in use by the town council or as a community facility.

Alan Sharp, chair of the Finance and Assets Committee, said: “These assets are an integral part of Littleport’s community. With Local Government Reorganisation just around the corner, it feels like the right time to sell them for a peppercorn fee to the town council to ensure they remain in use and managed by the very communities they serve.”

Littleport Town Chairman Councillor Clive Webber said: "The Town Council is pleased to be able to retain these assets for the benefit of the community of Littleport. The acquisition of these assets fits well with the council’s strategy to ensure the social infrastructure is in place for the town’s growing community."