Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons he did not allow direct negotiations with Colchester Borough Council for the sale of the former Army Base Repair Organisation site at Flagstaff Road, Colchester, to the Council; and if he will make a statement.
The disposal site at Defence Support Group Colchester was listed on the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service (e-PIMS) tool on 14 August 2020 with an expiry date of 23 October 2020. Colchester Borough Council (CBC) did not respond within this period. CBC subsequently submitted an offer in at tender stage, but this was unsuccessful as it did not represent the best financial outcome.