Minutes:
(a) Ms Hayter advised that she had 3 issues to raise, which she had given notification of prior to the deadline of 11 January 2007 but these had not been received by the Clerk. The Chair agreed to hear each of the matters.
(i) Ms Hayter referred to the future of the Consultative Committee following the Firoka Group’s take over of the lease, and clarification of its future status.
(ii) Ms Hayter referred to the inadequate supply of required notices during the period of the Commission’s notice period and that she had not been satisfied with the process to ensure adequate notice. Ms Hayter commented that had it not been for her efforts, as someone in the know there would not have been further adequate advertisement, and the irony that at the close of the advertisement period notices were almost everywhere. Ms Hayter commented that she had thought that it would be in the Palace’s interest to give ensure that the advertisement was ‘loud and proud’.
(iii) The future monitoring of the work of Firoka and how the supervisory/successor body would operate in a monitoring capacity.
The Chair asked Mr Holder to respond to the points raised.
In respect of point (i) Mr Holder advised that the Consultative Committee and its function would continue following the lease being signed and the Committee will continue to liaise with the Board of trustees as they would remain as landlord. The Consultative Committee would continue to have comment in relation to the operation and management of the Park as this function would remain with the Board of Trustees.
In respect of point (ii) Mr Holder commented that the Charity Commission had required 2 notices in the park, and 2 at the Palace and no more. However the palace had undertaken to display the notices in the local libraries and he had personally delivered notices to the Head of the Libraries Service of LB Haringey but these had been misplaced and not put up. However once his staff had knowledge of this default it was rectified and notices were then displayed within 24 hours. The notice information was then also displayed on the website for Alexandra Palace.
In regard to point (iii) it was the case that the Board of Trustees as Landlord would be appointing a Monitoring Surveyor who would ensure that the work carried out by the Firoka Group complied with the terms of the lease/project agreement and would report to the Board of trustees as landlord. Ms Hayter commented that whilst she appreciated that there would be initial monitoring etc whether this would be the case in 5 and 20 years and how effective would the Landlord be in stopping the Firoka group from doing exactly what it wanted – this view was shared by a number of representatives present. Mr Holder responded that it was the case that he would be remaining post transfer to oversee the work of the Monitoring Surveyor and see through the development. . In response to questions Mr Holder advised that it was the case that in future the General Manager would carry the responsibility to ensure covenants were not breached post the development/construction phase. In terms of the actual development it was the case that the Firoka Group would be unable to do anything other than prescribed within the lease and any departure from this would require consideration by the Board. Also any breach that occurred could result in the lease being terminated.
The Chair thanked Mr Holder for his responses.
NOTED
(b) Mr Thompson raised an issue in respect of the 3 year period following the transfer of the lease in terms of the TV studios proposals and sought clarification with regard to the terms and conditions of the proposed agreement and the level of rent to be determined.
Mr Holder responded that the Firoka Group would not commence discussion with any interested parties until the lease was signed and unconditional. At that point it was envisaged that the Firoka Group would then commence negotiations with interested parties, the studios being only one example. Further that individual groups or a Consortium should be composed to develop concepts and business plan. The rent would be set and determined by the Firoka group and the Board as landlord would have no involvement with this process.
In response to further comment by Mr Thompson Mr Holder advised that people needed to be clear as to the involvement of other parties i.e. the BBC. Mr Holder advised that it was a fact that the BBC had met with representatives of the Firoka Group and had clearly stated that it would not be a ‘player’ in the process and would offer no financial support. It was also the case that in the day before the Board met on 14 November 2006 to enter into the lease with the Firoka Group Mr Holder had received a call from the BBC to ensure that there was no mention of the BBC anywhere in the lease relating to the future of the Studios. In Mr Holder’s view that was an extremely clear and precise message. In response to further comments expressed by both Mr Thompson and Councillor Hare that the lease had not allowed for any room for manoeuvre on behalf of the interested parties or any protection in terms of levels of rent or future use of the studios, unlike the Ice Rink which had been protected, the Chair reiterated the comments of Mr Holder that a consortium of interested parties or individual groups would need to negotiate with the Firoka Group.
NOTED
( c) Ms Feeney raised the issue of a proposed event at the palace during the Easter period 2007 and whether this could be confirmed. Ms Feeney also asked if the previously circulated list of events could be re-circulated again.
In response Mr Holder advised that whilst this was a matter fro the trading company he could confirm that discussions were currently underway in respect of the proposed event which would last from 7pm on 7 April to 7am on 8 April 2007. In respect of likely noise monitoring, set procedures were now adopted to ensure that noise would not become intrusive to residences in the neighbourhood. A recent noise compliant had been caused by some faulty sound equipment and once repaired it had been shown that the event’s noise levels had been within acceptable levels. It was possibly the 4th occasion that the event had taken place and that the event would be ‘policed’ and monitored.
Ms Paley commented of the recent enquiry she had received from the Hornsey Journal, and Mr Holder confirmed that they had also contacted him about the event. Ms Paley added that the previous year she had been in the vicinity of Alexandra Palace Station at 7.00am and the behaviour of those who had attended the event was exceptional and good humoured.
NOTED
In conclusion the Chair asked that in future representatives give 24 hours notice of ‘any other business’ items.