Agenda item

Report Attached.

The following item was submitted as urgent business with the Chair’s agreement in accordance with Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the reason being to ensure the latest up to date information is included in the report.

 

Members were requested to consider a report of Councillor Stephen Smithson, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, to seek approval to enter into a new lease of the Coach House, Glass House, Boot Room & Walled Garden to The Friends of Rhyddings Park (‘FORP’)(charity number 1175682), as shown on the plans in appendices 1 and 2 of the report.

 

Councillor Smithson reported that the Coach House opened 6 days per week with activities attracting over 400 visitors each week.  The report responded to a request from the Friends of Rhyddings Park for a new lease including additional financial support.  Councillor Smithson indicated that the Council would not be charging a rent for this lease and picking up the building running costs, would be value for money in terms of community benefit.

 

Approval of the report was not deemed a key decision.

 

Reasons for Decision

 

In July 2018 Cabinet agreed to lease the Coach House within Rhyddings Park to Friends of Rhyddings Park (FORP) to assist the Council in delivering outcomes expected in connection with £1,461,900 Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) it received in 2016. The HLF grant conditions would apply until 2038.  The lease was granted to FORP for a term of 5 years commencing 1^st October 2018

 

The funding secured from the HLF grant was reported in 2018 to be for:

 

·       The restoration of the Coach House as a community venue;

·       Returning the derelict walled garden to its traditional use of food growing, including the construction of Victorian style greenhouse;

·       Working with Bootstrap Enterprises to develop a social enterprise based in the restored former Coach House, generating income for the park from meeting rooms, a cafe and a training kitchen;

·       Creating a performance space area and developing a programme of community arts ;

·       Establishing a training and volunteering programme linked to park management, community engagement and health promotion;

·       Providing education resources and opportunities for local schools;

·       Developing programmes of guided walks and family fun activities.

 

Many of the outcomes of the HLF grant had been achieved, but the community engagement and volunteering requirements were on-going and as such, a new lease of the Coach House was required to continue to meet HLF grant funding terms.

 

Friends of Rhyddings Park are a registered charity (number 117562). The FORP Trustee Annual Report for the period 1^st November 2021 to 31^st October 2022 states they are working to support the Rhyddings community events programme in addition to running a community café in the park using produce grown in the kitchen garden. FORP’s charitable objects as detailed in the report are:

 

·       To benefit the inhabitants of Oswaldtwistle and surrounding area.

·       To prove or assist with the provision of facilities for recreation and other   leisure time occupations in the interest of social welfare

·       To improve the  conditions of life for the inhabitants of the area

·       To preserve, promote, support and assist with the improvement of Rhyddings Park 

 

FORP have requested an extension of their current lease for an additional 5 year term, which in addition to the Coach House would include the Walled Garden, the Glass House and Boot Room. These areas had been used by FORP since Bootstrap and Newground, both former partners in the project and lease, removed their support or ceased to exist between 2018 and 2020.

 

The new lease would assist FORP in any future funding bids such as, the Reaching Communities strand of the National Communities Lottery Fund, which would enable them to extend and develop activities, further widening the social and economic benefits to the community. This in turn would assist the Council to meet its ongoing obligations of the HLF grant received in 2016.

 

The current uses of the Rhyddings Park buildings and walled garden are:

 

 Coach House (shaded green on the plan, attached as appendix 1 in the report)

·       Café – currently opening 3 days per week

·       Overcoming depression and low mood group

·       Carers support group (people living with loved ones with mental health illness)

·       Mindful movement

·       Mindful crafts

·       Rhyddings walkers

·       Zen Yoga

·       Qi Qong

·       Wellbeing Qi Qong

·       Exercise to music

·       Pilates

·       Art friendship Group

 

Boot room (shaded red on the plan, attached as appendix 1 in the report)

 

·       Rest, relaxation and canteen area for use of the FORP volunteers (Park operatives  will share WC facilities within the boot room shaded purple)

 

Walled Garden (unshaded area on the plan, as attached in appendix 1 of the report) – Park operatives would need access through this area)

 

·       Garden club

·       Social events

·       Qi Qong, Mindful Movements (summer months)

 

Glass House (shaded blue on the plan, as attached in appendix 1 of the report)

 

·       Garden club

·       Potting plants

·       Garden arts and crafts

 

FORP also employ a Community Gardener and Community Activator on fixed term contacts and these posts are funded by external grants awarded to FORP.

 

It was proposed that under the terms of the new lease (similar to the current lease as agreed by Cabinet on 18 July 2018), the Council, would forgo a rental income or premium receipt (valued at £19,321 for commercial use or £10,606 for community use) and continue to pay the running costs associated with the demised areas up to a cost of £27,500. These running costs included building health and safety compliance checks (which the Council routinely undertakes on all its buildings), utility costs, repairs & maintenance and replacement of any equipment named in the original lease.

 

To strike a balance between supporting FORP in delivering their community activities and managing Council budgets it was proposed that the terms of the lease limit the Councils liability for costs associated with running the Coach House, Glass House, Boot Room & Walled Garden to £27,500 per annum. Should running costs exceed this amount a further report would be brought back to Cabinet.

 

As per the original lease, it was proposed that FORP would be asked to contribute 50% of any profits towards the running costs of the Coach House, Glass House, Boot Room & Walled Garden. To date FORP has not yet been in a position to contribute to these costs as FORP has not yet made a profit in relation to its community activities. FORP are currently in the process of developing a business plan to enable their activities to continue sustainably for the longer term. 

 

FORPs activity schedule (which follows the NHS 5 steps to well-being) meant the coach house was open 6 days each week, staffed by volunteers operating for 120 volunteer hours per week (or 6,240 volunteer hours per year). This in turn meant that the activity schedule run by FORP and their volunteers realised approximately 400 user visits each week to Rhyddings Park, which equated to approximately 20,000 user visits per year.  As such, even with the Council not charging a rent for this lease and picking up the building running costs, officers believed this represented value for money in terms of community benefit and contribution to community wellbeing. 

 

Alternative Options

 

The Council could decide not to lease the Coach House, Glass House, Boot Room & Walled Garden building to FORP. This was not recommended, as it was a key requirement of the HLF funding that the Council had received for the project at Rhyddings Park.  In addition, the social and well-being benefits provided by FORPs activity programme and by volunteers giving their time and expertise to the community, would be lost.

 

The Council could also have chosen to re-charge all costs (compliance, repairs & maintenance, utility costs) but this would have taken funding away from the delivery of community activities and events that provided social and community benefits. In addition FORP had indicated that this would be financially unsustainable for them. 

Resolved                           (1)  That the lease of the Coach House, Glass House, Boot Room & Walled Garden in Rhyddings Park to the Friends of Rhyddings Park for a term of 5 years at nil rent and nil premium and Council support for running costs, be agreed;

                                            (2)  That authority be delegated to the Head of Regeneration to agree the terms of the lease and thereafter instruct Legal and Democratic Services to draft, negotiate and complete the lease with the Friends of Rhyddings Park;

                                            (3)  That a contribution to the annual costs associated with running the Coach House, Glass House, Boot Room & Walled Garden up to £27,500 per annum be agreed; and

                                            (4)  That the costs associated with running the Coach House, Glass House, Boot Room & Walled Garden be reviewed annually to enable further reports to be brought back to Cabinet in the event the running costs exceeded the budgeted figure of £27,500 per annum.