Agenda item

The Committee is to note the content of the report.

At its meeting on 26 October 2011, Cabinet agreed a report on Community Halls managed by Culture & Leisure services, as a follow-up the overview and scrutiny committee had requested a review of the recommendation in order to monitor the action.

The Head of Culture & Leisure presented a report that detailed the following progress on these recommendations.

1. The closure of Dukes Hall and to delegate to the Lead Member for Value and the Lead Member for Culture, Towns and Communities authority to agree terms for its disposal.

Update: Dukes Hall remained open until the end of July 2012 to specifically cater for a pre-school playgroup to ensure the children benefited from a complete ‘academic’ year. A majority of the regular hirers at Dukes Hall were helped with finding alternative venues. There were very few of the regular hirers that, despite our offers of assistance, did not let us know whether they found an alternative venue or otherwise. Dukes Hall has now been disposed of, with the purchasers of the site being Weston Homes plc.

2. To demolish Old Windmill Hall, to be initially funded from Capital Contingency, which would be reimbursed from the Dukes Hall receipt.

Update: Old Windmill Hall was demolished in autumn 2012.

3. In principle to a proportion of the capital receipt arising from the disposal of Dukes Hall being utilised to deal with urgent repair and maintenance issues at the New Windmill Hall and Tweed Way Hall, assuming that these two halls transfer to a community organisation under a lease agreement. To delegate the decision on the level of capital spend from the Dukes Hall receipt on alternative community halls managed by Culture and Leisure Services, to the Lead Member for Value and the Lead Member for Culture, Towns and Communities.

Update: Both New Windmill Hall and Tweed Way Hall were successfully transferred to two community organisations under a Lease Agreement. An Executive Decision report (72/12) was signed on 17 April 2012 to agree that up to £100k could be spent on essential work that was highlighted within condition surveys for both New Windmill Hall and Tweed Way Hall. This sum was match funded with a £90k grant from Veolia, providing an overall investment of £190k. This was split with £136k investment at New Windmill Hall and £54k investment at Tweed Way Hall, in line with the urgent works required at each hall as set out in the respective condition surveys. The full allocation of funds would be spent addressing the essential items in the condition surveys.

The works at New Windmill Hall were almost completed, and are progressing well at Tweed Way Hall, with further works underway at the time of writing this report. New Windmill Hall has had the following works: roof/masonry repairs, cleaning of the heating ducts, a new kitchen, refurbished toilets, re-wiring and re-decoration. Tweed Way Hall has had the following works: New windows, refurbished toilets, re-decoration and general building works to the annexe. The works to replace the kitchen are currently being planned.

4. In principle to the transfer of the management of the New Windmill Hall to a community group or, in the event of this not proving possible, bring a further report back to Cabinet for consideration of subsequent options.

Update: A new Community Association had been formed comprising of users of New Windmill Hall.  The New Windmill Hall Community Association was granted a lease on 6 August 2012 and was successfully managing the Hall. The Charity Commission formally registered the Association as a charity on 8 February 2013 (Reg. No. 1150748).

5. In principle to the transfer of the management of the Tweed Way Hall to a community group or, in the event of this not proving possible, bring a further report back to Cabinet for consideration of subsequent options.

Update: A new Community Association had been formed comprising of users of Tweed Way Hall.  The Tweed Way Hall Community Association was granted separate leases for the Hall and an adjoining Storage Shed on 8 November 2012 and is successfully managing the Hall & Shed.  An application for the Association to be formally registered with the Charity Commission as a charity is just about to be submitted.

6. To delegate decisions on all property matters associated with the transfer of New Windmill Hall and/or Tweed Way Hall, including the criteria for selecting the preferred voluntary group if more than one group expresses an interest in managing one of the halls, the selection of the preferred community group(s) and finalising lease terms, to the Lead Member for Value and the Lead Member for Culture, Towns and Communities.

Update: The existing users of both New Windmill Hall and Tweed Way Hall agreed to set up new Community Associations to run and manage their respective halls. Two Executive Decisions have been signed agreeing the lease terms on 13 July 2012 for New Windmill Hall (75/12) and 8 October 2012 for Tweed Way Hall (120/12).

7. In principle to protect existing bookings at those community halls that transfer to a community group, to be set out in relevant agreements.

Update: All groups who decided that they wanted to continue their bookings at each of the halls were able to do so. Given that many of the regular hirers were represented on the Committee of the Community Associations, they were well placed to represent their particular group’s interests.

8. To the demolition of the Old Windmill Hall building given the danger it posed to people who might try to enter the site, subject to the Dukes Hall site being disposed of and to be funded from the associated capital receipt.

Update: Old Windmill Hall was demolished in autumn 2012.

9. To receive a further report on the option of disposing of the Old Windmill Hall site and adjoining land, to secure further investment in the New Windmill Hall facility for the purposes of leasing the building to a community group and surrounding facilities, in the context of improving the local environment and taking account of the setting of nearby listed buildings.

Update: Reports regarding the disposal of the Old Windmill Hall site and adjoining land were considered by Cabinet on 13 February 2013 and the 14 August 2013. The first Cabinet report was confirmed by the Value Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 12 March 2013. The second Cabinet report was also requisitioned and considered at this Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 3 September 2013. The Cabinet decision was confirmed at their meeting. As set out earlier in the report the works to address urgent items at New Windmill Hall have almost been completed.

10. In principle for Cottons Hall to be re-opened when a lease can be agreed with a suitable community organisation or, if this does not prove possible, to receive a further report on the future of the site.

Update: No community organisation has yet been found to manage the Hall and take on a lease. There was an initial interest from a sports club based at the site, but after a number of meetings and consideration by the club, there appears to be no further interest. The Council are still awaiting written confirmation that the sports club have no interest in the Hall. This club are considered to be the most suitable occupants of the Hall given that they also occupy the changing rooms and showers that sit on the ground floor, with the Hall located above on the first floor. The Hall remains closed at this time and was secured whilst the changing rooms on the ground floor continue to be used.