Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director for  Children’s Services. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Communities] The  report will seek approval  of a partnership between Haringey and OnSide . It will also seek  approval  for consultation  to be undertaken on development of youth facilities on a potential area of council owned land,  prior to a request for land transfer via a long-term lease, in order to secure inward investment in youth provision.

The Cabinet Member for Communities introduced the report which sought approval to the development of a partnership with the charity OnSide, to take forward their proposal to create a Youth Zone, providing facilities and programmed activities for young people in Haringey. The proposal contributed to the wider vision to improve youth outcomes through participation, health and wellbeing and encouraging greater use for formal and informal recreation. The partnership would bring forward use of capital, revenue and private sector funding to provide a fully accessible facility, meeting the particular needs of young people in the borough.

In response to questions from Councillor Morris, the following information was noted:

• A number of potential sites had been explored, in both the east and west of the borough but this paper was seeking approval to the agreement with OnSide. The Council would continue working with OnSide to identify the Youth Zone site and there was current consideration of the Chestnuts site.

·         The Cabinet Member for Communities referred to Onside’s good reputation and work with other boroughs which provided confidence that they would be able to work with the Council on specific needs of Haringey. A commitment to outreach  work from other sites in the  borough  including, importantly, Bruce Grove  had been made.

RESOLVED

1. To agree the development of a partnership with OnSide to take forward proposals for a Youth Zone in Haringey, subject to site identification agreeable to both the Council and OnSide and subject to planning approval and agreed heads of terms for a lease on a suitable Council site.

2. To give delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Children Services and Director Regeneration, Planning and Development after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources to approve the final details of the project and the terms in respect of the grant funding agreement, lease, facility mix, and connection to other site specific regeneration proposals and operational detail.
   
   
3. To note that there is a guaranteed revenue funding requirement of £250,000 pa for three years for the Youth Zone.

Reasons for decision

The proposed Youth Zone development will engage young people across the   Borough in the creation of a unique facility that genuinely responds to their views and provides sustainable, 21^st century youth provision significantly beyond the scale that the Council alone can deliver, which will make a positive difference to the experience of being a young person in Haringey. The proposed Council capital contribution of £3m towards the Youth Zone development will lever in a further £3m capital and ongoing revenue investment from the private sector of £750,000 per annum for the first three years of operation.

This project would also make a significant contribution to the Borough’s vision – to work with communities to make Haringey an even better place to live through encouraging investment and creating opportunities for all to share in - a reality. Additionally, it will contribute significantly to each of our five corporate objectives enabling our young people to achieve their aspirations and growing our  ...  view the full minutes text for item 215