Issue - meetings

(Report of the Director of Place and Sustainability. To be introduced by the Leader of the Council). The report seeks approval for the Council to enter into a long term lease with Fusion Lifestyle, a registered charity, for the leasing of White Hart Lane Community Sports Centre.

Cabinet considered a report, introduced by the Leader of the Council, which sought approval to enter into a long term lease with Fusion Lifestyle, a registered charity, for the White Hart Lane Community Sports Centre (WHLCSC).

It was noted that in February 2011, as part of a wider package of measures, Cabinet had agreed that the Council should pursue a separate bespoke partnership solution for the site in order to achieve savings of £478k per year (100% of the revenue subsidy). Cabinet was advised that the proposal put forward within the report to enter into a fifty year lease with Fusion Lifestyle reflected this decision.

In response to a question with regard to access arrangements for children and schools Cabinet was reminded that Fusion Lifestyle was a charitable organisation with clear objectives around widening participation in sports and that the Council would continue to work with Fusion Lifestyle to ensure that the services provided represented good value to residents.

Exempt information pertaining to the report was considered under Item 32.

RESOLVED:

1. That approval be given to authorise the disposal of WHLCSC (shown edged in red on the site plans attached at Appendix 4) to Fusion Lifestyle in accordance with the heads of terms dated 24 June 2013 and attached at Appendix 2 and exempt Appendix 3 of the report ;

2. That authority be delegated to the Director of Place and Sustainability to agree the final details of the Agreement to Lease and Loan Agreement, after consultation with the Cabinet Members for Communities and Finance and Carbon Reduction; and

3. That the making of a loan to Fusion to finance their initial redevelopment works be authorised and that authority be delegated to the Director of Resources to finalise and issue the loan agreement.

Alternative Options Considered

Options explored to determine the most effective approach for the future of this site were:

Ø  Full or partial closure

Ø  Seeking a solution with onsite stakeholders

Ø  Market testing to organisations that had previously been identified as potentially interested in the site

Reasons for Decision

This decision is required to implement the approach agreed by Members at the Cabinet meeting held on 8 February 2011 to lease the facility.

An invitation to leisure organisations to submit proposals for leasing the facility resulted in a bid that fulfilled the financial and service provision requirements of the 8 February 2011 Cabinet decision. The heads of terms agreed will form the basis of the Lease and Agreement to Lease with Fusion.