Asset Transfer - Tolbooth Building, Stonehaven

We asked

Stonehaven Tolbooth Association (STA) submitted an Asset Transfer request to take ownership of the whole of the Tolbooth Building in Stonehaven. The proposal was to continue to run the museum on the ground floor with the Tolbooth restaurant continuing to operate on the upper floor. In taking responsibility for the whole of the building, STA would also have become the restaurant owner’s landlord. The community were asked for their views on whether they supported or objected to the proposal.

You said

We received 7 representations in support of the proposal with no objections being received. All documents relating to the Asset Transfer request and public comments can be viewed on the Council’s website – Asset Transfer - Tolbooth Building, Stonehaven - Aberdeenshire Council.

We will

In determining all Asset Transfer requests the Council must take into consideration all current Policies and Procedures. The Asset Transfer request was for the entire building which included the restaurant business which provides an annual income to the Council. The Council’s Asset Disposal Policy in general has a presumption against disposal of assets capable of producing an income unless a substantial capital receipt could be generated. Therefore Officers were only able to recommend the transfer of the ground floor with the upper floor being retained by the Council as a commercial income generating asset. On 26 March 2024 the Kincardine & Mearns Area Committee voted to approve the transfer of the whole building to STA for £1. As the decision was contrary to Officer recommendation, in line with the Council’s Governance structure, it at that point required the Asset Transfer request to be referred to the Business Services Committee for final determination. A report was presented to Business Services Committee on 13 June 2024 where Councillors voted to uphold the Officer recommendation taking into consideration the Asset Disposal Policy and therefore the decision was for the Council to retain the upper floor with only the ground floor transferring to STA. The Council will now work with STA to formally transfer the museum on the ground floor.