Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the body in question.  Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

No members of the public were present.

To consider the transfer of the Community Centre to the Adelaide Academy Trust.

That  the St Johns Wood Millennium Community Centre, shown edged red on the plan attached to the report, be included as part of the site of the  St Johns Wood Special School within the academy lease to the Adelaide Academy Trust upon the conversion of the school to academy status.  The lease is substantially in the DfE model form of academy lease which provides for the grant of a term of 125 years at a peppercorn rent.

Blanket approval was granted on 1 August 2011 by the then Cabinet Member for Prosperity to transfer School Sites to the relevant Academy Trusts once an Academy Order had been issued by the Secretary of State; the St Johns Wood Millennium Community Centre located on the school site falls outside this blanket approval as the community centre had not previously been held by the Council for use by the school.

The building has now ceased to be used as a Community Centre and it was, therefore, proposed to be leased to the Adelaide Academy Trust as part of the academy lease.

A scheme of works, funded by the Council (Children’s & Families) had been completed within the former community centre to facilitate the provision of additional Special Educational Needs places at the school. The Local Authority was obliged to fund the provision of a certain number of Special Educational Needs places and these were currently provided out of the Borough. Such provision was desirable in terms of locality and it was also cost effective. Further works were to be undertaken within the Sports Barn facility at the School Site to enable the Sports Barn be made available for out of school hours community use after completion of the academy lease.

RESOLVED

That  the St Johns Wood Millennium Community Centre, shown edged red on the plan attached to the report, be included as part of the site of the  St Johns Wood Special School within the academy lease to the Adelaide Academy Trust upon the conversion of the school to academy status.  The lease is substantially in the DfE model form of academy lease which provides for the grant of a term of 125 years at a peppercorn rent.

To consider the premises leased by the Open Arms Youth Project.

That approval be given to simultaneously accept the surrender of the Open Arms Youth Project’s lease and grant the Open Arms Youth Project a new twenty year lease on terms and conditions to be agreed by the Executive Director of Economic Growth and Prosperity.

It was reported that the Open Arms Youth Project only had two years remaining on their existing twenty year lease and so were currently unable to sub-let part to the Riverside Housing Association for five years.  A simultaneous surrender and grant of a new twenty year lease would allow the Open Arms Youth Project to sub-let part of their building to the Riverside Housing Association for a five year term.

The Open Arms Youth project were keen to further develop a range of activities to improve the facilities and services for youth provision to the local community and act as an integral delivery centre as part of the Community Hub. They would vacate their current office situated nearby which would then be used as an affordable housing unit.

The opportunities for the local community would be greatly enhanced by retaining an estate based housing service and extend the use of the venue by hosting a range of additional facilities and services to form a robust community hub.

RESOLVED

That approval be given to simultaneously accept the surrender of the Open Arms Youth Project’s lease and grant the Open Arms Youth Project a new twenty year lease on terms and conditions to be agreed by the Executive Director of Economic Growth and Prosperity.