Issue - meetings

Report of the Corporate Director of Children's Services (Statutory DCS). To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Children, Schools & Families

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST MADE FOR ITEM:

None

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Agreed for additional budget to be secured to fund running costs for the building from April 2026 – March 2028 equating to the sum set out in the Exempt Part B report to allow Rising Green Youth Hub to continue to operate from the current location.
   
   
2. Noted the content of the report.

Reasons for Decisions:

Rising Green Youth Hub located in Wood Green opened in August 2022. Capital works and three years of running costs until March 2025 were funded predominantly from Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy funding (SCIL) alongside Neighbourhood CIL. A budget for dilapidation costs was not factored in as part of the development of Rising Green Youth Hub.

The costs of youth staffing have been met through use of the payments by results funding achieved through the Supporting Families Programme (SFP) which is due to end in March 2026. There will be no further funding available from this point.

Following CIL funding ending in March 2025, officers have been able to utilise funding from the Family Hubs Programme and SFP grant reserves within the service to fund the sum set out in the Exempt Part B of this report.

From April 2026, there will be no further funding available for both staffing and running costs for Rising Green Youth Hub. An organisational review of Early Help services (Children Centres, Youth Service and Family Support) will be completed over this year to achieve MTFS savings of £505k by the 1 April 2026. This will involve restructuring services to provide a reduced ‘Early Help Offer’ incorporating the lost revenue for staffing at Rising Green Youth Hub.

Alternative options considered

The options for Rising Green Youth Hub are:

agree for growth funding to fund running costs for the building from April 2026 – March 2028 equating to the sum set out in the Exempt Part B report and seek to enter a new lease with the Superior Leaseholder of the premises, from the expiry of the existing lease in May 2026 to March 2028, to allow Rising Green Youth Hub [RGYH] to remain in the premises. This is the preferred option as there is no viable alternative service provision at this stage, however the ongoing lease costs are unbudgeted and therefore will require savings to be made from other services across the Council.

agree for recurring growth funding from March 2026 to fund running costs for Hub to operate from new premises from lease expiry in May 2026. This will enable the youth hub to relocate elsewhere within Wood Green beyond May 2028. 

close Rising Green Youth Hub by May 2026.

Officers explored whether further funding could be provided from CIL. However, the corporate approach, including from Finance, is to focus CIL allocation on projects within the current capital programme which means.

a)    CIL allocations should help reduce capital borrowing costs to the council,

b)    CIL allocations are generally on capital projects and not on revenue as they are not  ...  view the full decision text for item 272

The Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families introduced the report.

It was explained that Rising Green was originally developed with young people as a centre in the heart of the borough where little or no provision was available for many years and that space was rented from the landlord, with the current lease due to expire in May 2026. It was explained that, from initial enquiries, the landlord agreed in principle to grant a new lease until May 2028 on the expiry of the new lease on 6 May 2026. This is contingent on funding and formal head of terms being agreed with the landlord.

It was explained by the Cabinet Member that initial funding for the centre was identified through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), reserves funding from the Supporting Families Programme, Family Hubs and other sources. However, it was explained that much of this funding was ceasing and a decision would be needed around funding the rent and running costs.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Agreed for additional budget to be secured to fund running costs for the building from April 2026 – March 2028 equating to the sum set out in the Exempt Part B report to allow Rising Green Youth Hub to continue to operate from the current location.
   
   
2. Noted the content of the report.

Reasons for Decisions:

Rising Green Youth Hub located in Wood Green opened in August 2022. Capital works and three years of running costs until March 2025 were funded predominantly from Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy funding (SCIL) alongside Neighbourhood CIL. A budget for dilapidation costs was not factored in as part of the development of Rising Green Youth Hub.

The costs of youth staffing have been met through use of the payments by results funding achieved through the Supporting Families Programme (SFP) which is due to end in March 2026. There will be no further funding available from this point.

Following CIL funding ending in March 2025, officers have been able to utilise funding from the Family Hubs Programme and SFP grant reserves within the service to fund the sum set out in the Exempt Part B of this report.

From April 2026, there will be no further funding available for both staffing and running costs for Rising Green Youth Hub. An organisational review of Early Help services (Children Centres, Youth Service and Family Support) will be completed over this year to achieve MTFS savings of £505k by the 1 April 2026. This will involve restructuring services to provide a reduced ‘Early Help Offer’ incorporating the lost revenue for staffing at Rising Green Youth Hub.

Alternative options considered

The options for Rising Green Youth Hub are:

agree for growth funding to fund running costs for the building from April 2026 – March 2028 equating to the sum set out in the Exempt Part B report and seek to enter a new lease with the Superior Leaseholder of the premises, from the expiry of the existing lease in May 2026  ...  view the full minutes text for item 272