Agenda and minutes

AGREED that Colin Marr act as Chair of the meeting.

The Chair welcomed new Council Members and thanked Councillor Pat Egan, previous Chair of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board of Trustees, for his diligent service over the years.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Ann Waters, Cllr David Beacham, Liz Richardson and Nigel Willmott.  An apology for lateness was received from Cllr Ali Demirci.

AGREED that the Forthcoming Events report would be taken at minute number APSC12 below.

Members of the Committee are invited to disclose any interest they may have in any of the items appearing on this agenda.

Councillor Jenks declared a personal interest as he was a member of the Warner Estate Residents’ Association (WERA).

Councillors Demirci, Peacock and Scott declared prejudicial interests in agenda items 7 (Park Update including Coronation Sidings Development) and 8 (Muswell Hill Entrance Footbridge proposals) as they were members of Haringey’s Planning Committee.  They would not take part in discussions.

Councillor Demirci declared a personal interest in item 11 – Item Raised by interested Group – as he was a member of the Haringey Standards Board Hearing of 30^th March 2011.

i.          To approve the notes of the meeting of Informal Joint Advisory and Consultative Committees held on 5^th April 2011.

ii.         To note the minutes of the Advisory Committee held on 5^th April 2011.

iii.        To note the minutes of the meeting of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board held on 28^th March 2011.

i.          Informal Joint Advisory and Consultative Committees – 5^th April 2011

AGREED that the notes of the Informal Joint Advisory and Consultative Committees meeting held on 5^th April 2011 be approved as a correct record.

Matters Arising

a)         Page 3, Item APSC05 (bullet pint 6) – Cricket Clubhouse and Grounds

There was confusion among some Committee Members as to why the Committee had made a recommendation relating to the school site when school grounds were not within the Committees’ remits.  It was highlighted that the minutes needed to be read in conjunction with the original report and it was explained that the Committees wanted to ensure that the reasons within the report for not proposing the large MUGA (Multiple Use Games Area) on the school site were made clear during consultations.

b)         Page 6, Item APSC10 – Alexandra Palace and Park Vision

The Colliers International Report considered by the Board on 9^th May had not been circulated to Committee Members.  Apologies were given for the oversight.

Action: Clerk

            c)         Page 7, Item APSC11 – Any Other Business

Review of Informal Joint Statutory Advisory (SAC) and Consultative Committees (CC)

The Committee received the tabled notes of the informal joint meeting held on 5^th April 2011.  The Chair stated that the ultimate aim was to have a single agenda and set of minutes for a formal joint committee in the future once the legalities surrounding the legislation of the Alexandra Palace Act (namely the section on the Statutory Advisory Committee (SAC)) had been dealt with.

The Chair also highlighted that there had been differing views about whether Councillors who were Board Members should be involved in the eventual joint committee.  Officers advised that if a formal joint committee was established the overarching committee would be the SAC, the purpose of which was to advise the Board, therefore, Board Members’ attendance could present conflicts of interests.

Some Committee Members expressed views including:

·        The SAC had been sidelined during the last round of meetings in April 2011.

·        Instead of separate meetings the SAC should formally agree its recommendations after each item is discussed by the Joint Informal Committees (rather than by a separate meeting).

·        The Consultative Committee could become degraded if the Committees were joined up simply as an enlarged SAC.

The Chair advised that the comments by Committee Members would be fed into the review of this meeting. It was possible that the working groups of the SAC and CC would meet before the recommendations of the review were presented to the Board

ii.         Statutory Advisory Committee

The draft minutes of the Advisory Committee held on 5^th April 2011 were noted.

iii.        Board

The draft minutes of the meetings of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board held on 28^th March 2011 were noted.

None were present.

To receive the report of the Park Manager, Alexandra Palace, which was considered by the Alexandra Palace and Park Board at its meeting on 9^th May 2011.

The full Coronation Sidings planning application and plans can be found at:

http://www.planningservices.haringey.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=233385

RECEIVED the Park Update report (Pages 25-32 of the agenda pack), presented by the Alexandra Park Manager, Mark Evison.

Clerk’s note: Haringey Planning Committee Members Councillors Demirci, Peacock and Scott left the meeting during discussions about the Coronation Sidings development.

NOTED

• Re: Paragraph 6.3 – Members asked how the Palace policed the growing number of “Exercise Professionals”.  The Park Manager explained that such users of the park who had not already submitted the relevant information were observed on the CCTV system, or and were approached or contacted using the details on their illegally fly-posted notices.
• Re: Section 8 – Coronation Sidings Development - the Chair highlighted that the Alexandra Palace and Park Board had agreed to respond to the consultation stating that it did not object to the planning application but that it recommended more screening be included to shield the building from the Palace views. The Interim General Manager (AP) added that the Board also asked that the permitted colour scheme blends into the landscape, that the Council bears in mind its own policies regarding views including the view from Alexandra palace and that the developer be asked to make a section 106 contribution to screening trees to be planted in Alexandra Park and Palace to mitigate the impact on the view from the palace.
• Some Committee Members expressed disappointment that the Board had not objected to the Coronation Sidings Development and asked that the Board be requested to reconsider its response to the application.
• The Chair reminded the Committee that a new Haringey Heartlands planning application was due to be consulted on and that the Board should be encouraged to make representations objecting to the proposals.

AGREED

i.                    That the Alexandra Palace and Park Board be informed of the Joint Committees’ disappointment that the Board had not objected to the Coronation Sidings planning application, and

ii.                  That the Board be requested to reconsider its response to the application to include objection to the proposals on the grounds that the views from the Park and Palace would be blighted.

iii.                That the Board be asked to consider submitting an objection to the Haringey Heartlands planning application, due to be consulted on in the near future, based on the potential impact on the Park.

To consider proposals by the London Borough of Haringey to improve a footbridge at the Muswell Hill entrance of Alexandra Park.

RECEIVED the report on the Muswell Hill Entrance footbridge proposals (pages 33-35 of the agenda pack), introduced by Park Manager, Mark Evison.

Clerk’s note: Haringey Planning Committee Members Councillors Demirci, Peacock and Scott were not in the meeting room during discussions about the Muswell Hill Entrance Footbridge  proposals.

Further to clarification that the proposals included replacement railings and comments by the Committee in support of the proposals the report was NOTED.

Clerk’s note: Haringey Planning Committee Members Councillors Demirci, Peacock and Scott returned to the meeting at this point (20:30 hrs).

To receive a verbal update on Governance and the Future Vision of Alexandra Palace.

The Interim General Manager – Alexandra Palace, Andrew Gill, provided a verbal update on governance.

NOTED

Joint Statutory Advisory Committee (SAC) and Consultative Committee (CC)

Dialogue with the Charity Commission had begun regarding the possibility of changing the membership and remit of Advisory Committee to include the Consultative Committee groups.

Further to tonight’s meeting of the Joint Committee a review meeting would take place to consider the possibility of continuing as a Joint Committee.

Alexandra Palace and Park Finance and Human Resources Working Group

The Board had created a working group to look at how money was spent by the Charitable Trust and it would be chaired by Cllr Nigel Scott.  Whilst the working group would report to the Board (via the Interim General Manager) its meetings would not be public.

Concern was raised about the working group potentially taking over the roles of the SAC and CC in advising the Board.  Officers highlighted that the working group would be looking at specific and detailed internal issues, separate to those considered by the Committees.

Recruitment of Independent Advisors

A high quality, low cost recruitment exercise would take place for the recruitment of independent advisors to the Board.

Recruitment of Chief Executive of Alexandra Palace

Long-listing for the position of Chief Executive of Alexandra Palace had taken place and final interviews would be held on 30^th June.

To receive a verbal update on the work of the Alexandra Palace and Park Regeneration Working Group.

The Interim General Manager – Alexandra Palace, Andrew Gill, provided a verbal update on the Alexandra Palace and Park Regeneration Working Group (APPRWG).

NOTED

• At its meeting on 9^th May 2011 the Board received a presentation by the APPRWG and agreed the key recommendations in the Locum Consulting team of Colliers International report as detailed below:

The recommendation by the Locum Consulting team of Colliers International is for the Trustees to approve the selection of the „Leisure and Entertainment? Strategic Concept and pursue a „core use? for the Palace and Park which focuses on „Live Music?. This is made alongside two notes:

 Firstly, the recommendation focuses only on the „core use? which will relate to only part of the overall Palace and Park. It is anticipated that many other complementary uses will ultimately form part of the whole destination offer of Alexandra Palace and Park (many of which are already active) and all of which will embrace the core themes of community and the rich cultural heritage to underpin the regeneration strategy and its long term sustainability.

 And secondly, of particular relevance to other uses is the „Sport and Active Leisure? offer (considered in sections 5.6 and 6 of the Colliers International report) which is recognised to have clear synergy with the core use of Live Music and which to a certain extent already takes place through the existing ice skating rink. 

• At its next meeting on 21^st June 2011 the Board will be advised on the forecast costs and project highlights of the Alexandra Palace and Park master-plan.
• The Committees were reminded that the Regeneration Working Group membership included: Haringey’s Director of Place and Sustainability (who also chaired the working group), the Interim General Manager – Alexandra Palace Charitable Trust, the Managing Director - APTL, Haringey’s Director of Corporate Resources,  Rick Wills  & Kumar Muthalagappan (Non-Executive Directors - APTL) and Mark Hopson (Haringey’s Head of Regeneration and Planning).  The working group could co-opt other experts at meetings as required.
• A Committee Member expressed support for more music events to be held at the Palace if the number of exhibitions held at the Palace was in decline. He asked questions about whether a section of the palace would be leased to an operator or whether a licence would be obtained by the operator (rather than an exclusive agreement) and suggested that the Committees be provided with more details about the “Heads of Terms” described in the Colliers International report.
• In response to the above the Interim General Manager – Alexandra Palace explained that the decision to provide a lease or a licence to a future operator of the Palace would be taken at a later stage and it was also too early to discuss the Heads of Terms, which in any case could be a commercially sensitive issue. No such arrangement was currently or imminently being considered.
• Cllrs Matt Cooke (Chair of the Board) and James Stewart (Vice Chair of the Board) advised that the intention was to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

Issue raised by Jacob O’Callaghan (Hornsey Historical Society):

To discuss the London Borough of Haringey Standards Board hearing held on 30^th & 31^st March 2011 investigating the complaint against the former Chair of the Board of Trustees.

RECEIVED the comments of Jacob O’Callaghan in relation to Haringey Council’s Standards Determination Hearing decision of 30^th March 2011 (Page 39 of the agenda pack).

NOTED

• The questions for the trustees posed by Mr O’Callaghan:

1. Do the trustees, and the council solicitors, consider the licence given to Firoka either valid and binding, or, ultra vires and not binding? If the latter, will the trustees challenge that the charity’s funds should indemnify those losses and order they be not charged to the charity’s funds as a debt?

2. Have the trustees taken independent legal advice as to whether the charity’s various legal advisers should have (a) checked the final version of the licence and warned the trustees accordingly; (b) monitored and intervened on behalf of the charity to protect it during the licence period; (c) advised the trustees to terminate the licence with Firoka and evict them immediately after the successful JR, and (d) consider whether the charity or council should take action to recover the resultant losses to the charity, from those advisers?

3. Have the trustees taken advice as to legal action against Firoka Ltd for an account of profits during its occupation of the Palace?

• The Interim General Manager – Alexandra Palace advised that he had been aware that the Interested Group intended to raise a question but as he had not seen Mr O’Callaghan’s detailed questions in advance he was not able to provide comprehensive answers on the spot. Mr Gill advised that that the Trust's solicitors had been instructed to consider and advise on the question of whether there may be a claim against the former Chair for breach of trust, namely the loss of the opportunity of the charity to avoid having made the loss by entering into the licence with Firoka.  The Board would be further informed when legal advice had been received.
• Board Members had been advised not to discuss this matter in public as legal advice on this matter may be exempt.
• The Chair of the Statutory Advisory Committee considered that the facts were still unclear and suggested that a full investigation be conducted as to how the charity could have entered into such a binding agreement with Firoka without others within the Charitable Trust and those working at the Palace being made aware of the fact and the Board ought to investigate further.  It was not acceptable simply to brush a matter, which created such a significant loss, under the carpet. 
• In response to Mr O’Callaghan’s suggestion that the Board investigate recovering some of the money lost as part of the Firoka agreement Cllr Bob Hare explained that losses to the Charitable Trust might not be recoverable and that the Walklake Report had clarified that governance had been the key issue in the proceedings.  He suggested that discussions could make it clear where it was felt responsibility lied so that examples can be set and warnings for the future.  Cllr Reid highlighted the need to concentrate on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

RECEIVED the circulated document on Forthcoming Events presented by Rebecca Kane, Managing Director APTL.

NOTED

• The Drive-In Cinema would not be held at the Palace this year as the organisers had decided not to proceed.
• A small handful of complaints had been made about noise disturbance on the second night of the Swedish House Mafia music event held on 28 and 29 May.  The Managing Director APTL explained that tight restrictions regarding noise were imposed throughout the venue, and although the licence does not impose a maximum DB level, AP abided by the ‘Pop Code’ and always tried to go above and beyond it in a bid to be a good neighbour. The MD apologised that on the second day of the event (Sunday), the air vents in the Great Hall had been left open, due to human error, thereby causing noise to bleed from the venue.   The Managing Director apologised but reassured those present that this demonstrated that the venue was more than capable of hosting 21,000 people over 2nights and that the sound could be contained – as it had been on the first night (Saturday). She also confirmed that future checks conducted before music events would include ensuring that air vents were closed to avoid noise ‘bleed’.   
• Members highlighted to officers that the Swedish House Mafia event had been advertised with posters on Alexandra Park gates and surrounding lamp-posts, which had not been in keeping with the Palace’s advertising material.  The Managing Director APTL explained that AP does not tolerate illegal fly posting and that this was clearly stated in our contracts with promoters. She also reassured those present that she would ask the team at AP to investigate and asked that any future incidents of fly-posting were reported to the Palace using the following number: 0208 365 4308.
• Further to concerns raised about broken glass, litter and other mess in the Park after such large events it was noted that general clean up operations began immediately after the close of the event and continued again the next day when it was light.          Members sought reassurance that with the prospect of more events on this scale, lessons should be learnt from the experiences of 28/ 29 May.           
• The Managing Director - APTL drew the committees’ attention to the new services offered at the Swedish House Mafia event last weekend: a fleet of shuttle buses connected all visitors to the night bus service routes, pre-booked taxis were offered via an e-shot and the AP website and signage and staff directed all 21,000 attendees to leave via the front of the building to avoid any disturbance to residents behind the Palace. This had proved very successful.

None.

Tuesday 13^th September 2011

Tuesday 8^th November 2011

Tuesday 10^th January 2012

Tuesday 6^th March 2012  

All meetings will start at 7.30pm and will be held at Alexandra Palace.

NOTED the meeting dates.