Agenda item

The Assistant Chief Executive (Governance) and Monitoring Officer presented the report and took the opportunity to update the Committee on progress since the previous Charities Committee meeting held on 16^th September, 2016 and the Teversal Grange Advisory Committee meeting held on 23^rd March, 2017, as follows:-

Temporary Facilities for the Cricket Club

Committee were advised that temporary changing facilities continued to be provided to the Cricket Club by the Council for the current cricket season.  A licence was currently being drafted and would be with the Cricket Club by the end of the week.

Progress with Leases

Written confirmation had been requested from the Clubs confirming their acceptance of the Council’s heads of terms for entering into the leases by the 31st October, 2016.  With all confirmations duly received (the Visitors’ Centre had sent confirmation in May 2016), draft leases had been given to the Clubs and the Visitors’ Centre for consideration during March 2017.

In accordance with due process, the Council was now proceeding with advertising the leases in accordance with charities legislation and writing to CISWO to obtain their permission to enter into the leases prior to seeking consent from the Charities Commission.

Future Proposal for the Trust

At a previous meeting it had been agreed that discussions would take place regarding the Football Club’s proposition for a new charity to take over the Trust in its entirety from the Council.  Following the Council meeting in October 2016, a meeting took place between the Council and a local resident with experience of running charities but with no existing links to any of the Clubs and Visitors’ Centre at the request of the Football Club.

Information was exchanged at the meeting and in writing afterwards.  Committee Members were advised that no further meetings had taken place to date but the Football Club had confirmed that they were talking to the other Clubs and Visitors’ Centre about the proposals and would be reporting back to the Council in due course.

Forthcoming Events

Members considered the request to hold the Booth Decorators Summer League Race and the Notts. AAA’s Summer League Race in April 2017 and August 2017 respectively.  The Committee were also asked (following a request from the Clubs and Visitors’ Centre) to consider whether there was scope for introducing parking charges to groups using the car park or locating an honesty box on the site for donations as appropriate.

Utility Costs

Concerns were raised by the Visitors’ Centre at the recent Teversal Grange Advisory Committee meeting that the car park floodlights were still linked to their electricity supply and they were still paying for the energy use.  In addition, the Centre were still awaiting a refund from the Council in respect of previous energy costs incurred.

Confirmation was given to the Committee that work was underway to ensure all the occupants on site had their own utility accounts and were advised that a resolution to the car park lighting connection had been unavoidably delayed because the Council’s Energy Coordinator had been trying to find a solution which didn’t involve digging up the car park.  Updated quotes were now awaited to carry out the works which unfortunately, having exhausted all lines of enquiry, wouldn’t be able to avoid the digging up of the car park to make the connection.

Members were also advised that the Council would be liaising with the Visitors’ Centre to ensure they were reimbursed for the lighting energy costs as soon as practically possible.

Financial Position

The Deputy Chief Executive (Resources) explained the current financial position and reminded Members that the £120k deficit relating to the Trust was mostly due to non-payment of rent and business rates by the previous tenants of Teversal Grange (prior to its demolition).  The £120k debt had already been charged to the 2015/16 accounts as a doubtful debt and was, in accounting terms, already paid for and cleared.

In 2016/17, the Council had committed to £12k of expenditure on behalf of the Trust relating to work on the utilities for the site and legionella monitoring.  Once all the Clubs and Visitors’ Centres were operating under their individual leases, the only charges to be met by the Trust would be for lighting and maintenance of the car park.  It was also acknowledged that the Council would be offering some assistance to the Clubs and Visitors’ Centre should they wish to submit any grant applications for further funding in the future.

Members took the opportunity to briefly discuss the suggestion from the Clubs and Visitors’ Centre to consider charging groups for parking during planned events and accepted that some contribution to the ongoing maintenance of the car park might be a good idea.  A concern was raised regarding how this might affect regular users to the site (i.e. dog walkers) who might wish to use the car park during the planned events and whether they would also be subject to any charge.

A representative from the Visitors’ Centre, present at the meeting, advised the Committee that the Sutton Harriers usually made a donation to the Centre when they used the car parking and toilet facilities during their planned events.  However, he felt cautious about enforcing a donation/charge on a permanent basis as this could have a detrimental impact on groups wanting to use the site and facilities in the future. 

To conclude, the Assistant Chief Executive (Governance) suggested that she would take the comments away and liaise with the Council’s Locality and Community Empowerment Manager (who has regular contact with local clubs and community organisations) about the best possible mechanism for receiving donations for use of the car parking facilities at the Teversal site. 

RESOLVED that

a)    the current financial position, as set out in the report, be noted;

b)    the acceptance of the heads of terms by all the current users of the site and the progress made in respect of the leases and the next steps be received and noted;

c)    it be noted that the Football Club will update the Trust regarding its proposals for the future in due course;

d)    the two events run by Sutton Harriers to take place during April 2017 and August 2017 (the Booth Decorators League Race and the Notts AAA’s Summer League), as set out in the report, be approved with the comments of the Advisory Committee being duly noted;

e)    the current position in relation to the energy costs, as outlined in the report, be noted;

f)     the Assistant Chief Executive (Governance), having taken on board the comments raised at the meeting, be requested to liaise with the Council’s Locality and Community Empowerment Manager about possible mechanisms for receiving donations from local clubs and organisations for the use of the car parking facilities during planned events with a report back to the Committee on any outcomes in due course.

Reason:

To comply with the Scheme (Constitution) of the Teversal Community Centre and Recreation Ground, the Council’s Constitution and charities legislation overall.  The Trustee must act in the best interests of the long term future of the Trust and seek to generate income to sustain the charity.