Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment

Recommendations:-

1.    That the request for an Asset Lease agreement as detailed within the report be approved.

2.    That the Acting Assistant Director – Planning, Regeneration and Transport be authorised to negotiate the terms of the request and the Assistant Director of Legal Services be authorised complete the necessary documentation.

Consideration was given to the report which sought approval for the granting of an Asset Transfer Lease, without break options, which was a diversion from the current adopted policy and therefore could not be approved under the existing Officer Scheme of Delegation.

Chislett Community Centre - Kimberworth Park Community Partnership (KPCP) held an Asset Transfer lease, on the youth and community centre, dated 24th February, 2014 under a 21 year lease without break options and, therefore, fell outside the Council’s current Adopted Asset Transfer Policy. This was granted to allow the partnership to secure funding to extend/develop and refurbish the community centre.

The Partnership subsequently requested that the existing term of the lease be extended to a 99 year lease to secure the long term future of the Community Centre, which was approved by Cabinet and Commissioner’s on the 11th September, 2017.

At this time the Partnership also requested that the currently underutilised, former garage site to the north east be transferred to them under the Adopted Asset Transfer Policy with a mutual break option which could be dealt with under the existing Officer Scheme of Delegation. It was proposed to use this area as additional parking for the community centre, maintaining the required secondary access to the adjoining Redscope Primary School.

This current request, therefore, related to the lease for this part of the land. As the Partnership intend to carry out major improvements to this area of land they have requested that consideration be given to an Asset Transfer Lease, without break options, in line with the existing terms of the Chislett Centre. The lease would expire at the same time as the Community Centre lease.

The proposal was considered acceptable as, the former garage site had very limited development opportunity, due to its size and location, and served as the secondary access, to Redscope Primary School, which needed to be retained. Onsite parking at Chislett was restricted, and therefore without utilising this area of land users and visitors would have to park on Kimberworth Park Road, which could cause issues for neighbouring residents.

In order to mitigate any future maintenance liabilities to the Council, it was recommended that the access road was also included within the transfer, with full rights of access reserved over both this access way and the former garage site for Redscope Primary School

Resolved:-  (1)  That the request for an Asset Lease agreement as detailed within the report be approved.

(2)  That the Acting Assistant Director – Planning, Regeneration and Transport be authorised to negotiate the terms of the request and the Assistant Director of Legal Services be authorised to complete the necessary documentation.