Call-in challenge could undermine car park housing plan

The Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee will review a formal “call‑in” over Cabinet plans to dispose of the Vyne Meadow car park below full market value on Thursday, July 30.

Vyne Meadow, the car park on Vyne Road, next to the mainline railway station, has 349 spaces, most used by permit holders during the week; council studies rank it among the town centre’s least-used car parks, and the authority wants 100 per cent affordable homes on the central site.

Five backbench councillors have triggered the call-in, saying “your money deserves better” and raising concerns over transparency, value for money and information given to Cabinet.

Vyne Meadow car park (Image: BDBC)

What is a call‑in?

• In local government, a call‑in is a formal mechanism that lets councillors pause a Cabinet (executive) decision that has been made but not yet implemented, so it can be reviewed in public by a scrutiny committee
• A valid call‑in usually has to be requested by a set number of councillors within a few working days of the decision being published, with reasons and any suggested alternatives clearly set out
• The scrutiny committee then holds a special meeting where it hears from the councillors who requested the call‑in, the relevant Cabinet member, officers and, in many cases, members of the public before deciding whether the decision should go ahead or be sent back for reconsideration
• Call‑ins cannot directly overturn a decision, but they act as an important safety valve, forcing decision‑makers to “think again” and demonstrate that their actions are transparent, evidence‑based and offer value for money.

Their notice says the sums involved are “substantial” and selling a prime public asset below market value demands the “highest standards of scrutiny”.

They say Vyne Meadow is the latest major council site marked for sale without being listed in an open disposal programme or long-term plan.

They say the lack of an open sales list blocks scrutiny, sidelines the public and damages trust in the council’s property dealings.

The councillors question whether Cabinet had evidence that selling below market value is taxpayers’ best option, and want the committee to test the costs, alternatives and the “opportunity cost” to residents of losing the strategic site.

Cabinet papers say a 100 per cent affordable scheme has a negative residual land value, so the site is “likely” to sell at “less than best consideration” if it goes ahead; the council says any below-market sale must meet legal rules, bring clear social and economic benefits and include safeguards, including a buy-back option if the housing provider fails to deliver.

Thursday’s meeting will not decide planning permission but will test whether Cabinet’s sale strategy followed the right process and offers value for money; under the Local Government Act 2000, a call-in lets backbench councillors pause some Cabinet decisions for public review before they take effect.

After the chair opens the meeting, the five councillors will have up to 25 minutes to set out their concerns and what they want examined, before the public and visiting councillors speak and the Cabinet member and senior officers explain the decision, its background and financial impact.

Committee members will question Cabinet and officers, debate the issue and hear the chair’s summary before deciding whether to let Cabinet’s Vyne Meadow decision take effect or send it back with their concerns for reconsideration.

The five councillors say public confidence is at stake if the council does not seek the highest return on a major asset, and that any departure from “best price” must be “exceptionally clear and capable of withstanding public scrutiny”, with residents entitled to know why Vyne Meadow was chosen, which options were rejected and why it offers best value.

For residents concerned about parking, housing and the below-market sale of public land, Thursday’s hearing offers a public chance to watch the debate before a final decision.

Vyne Meadow was previously considered for housing or a multi-storey car park in 2010, when the council consulted more than 1,000 residents and businesses on options.