A report to the Council Executive revealed that the previously approved sale has been cancelled, as it no longer represents the best value for the council.
In November 2023, the sale of the site to West Coast Estates Limited (WCEL) for £850,000 was agreed as the best offer during a commercial bidding process. This included WCEL carrying out demolition work and clearing the site ready for commercial development.
WCEL's offer to purchase was conditional upon them securing planning permission for their proposed development, which meant ownership of, and responsibility for, the vacant building would remain with the council until this process was concluded. This process could potentially take six to nine months or longer, and the sale could only be concluded afterwards.
Following repeated vandalism and anti-social behaviour at the vacant site, health and safety concerns were raised regarding the property lying empty for a prolonged period, including comments by partners such as Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
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Discussions were held regarding bringing the demolition forward, especially after the instance of serious fire-raising at the former Broxburn Pool.
WCEL agreed, in writing, that the council would arrange and pay for the demolition of the building and that the associated costs would be repaid to the council by WCEL, if and when the sale concluded.
That agreement was intended to form part of the wider legal contracts that were being negotiated between the parties relating to the overall sale of the property, which was not yet complete.
Due to the significant concern for public safety, the demolition contract was awarded by the council while negotiations with WCEL were ongoing and works commenced on site urgently and ahead of the legal agreements for the proposed sale being concluded. The cost of demolition of the site is still to be finalised, but is expected to be under £180,000.
Unfortunately, WCEL then indicated that their position had changed and they were no longer willing to meet the demolition costs.
The council regards the cleared site as having a higher value than one that still requires demolition work, so the previous offer from WCEL no longer offers best value for West Lothian residents.
Therefore, the council has withdrawn from the sale and the site will now be remarketed for sale as a cleared site to recoup the costs of the demolition, with offers received going back to a future meeting of the Council Executive for a decision.
The public artwork on the site called 'Symbiosis' has been safeguarded during the demolition works, while a new nearby suitable location is agreed in conjunction with the West Lothian Public Art Group and other stakeholders.
