Agenda and minutes

County Councillor S. White declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest regarding agenda item 4 – Community Asset Transfer request for Drybridge House, Monmouth as she is a trustee of Drybridge House.

28^th January 2016

The minutes of the Strong Communities Select Committee meeting held on 28^th January 2016 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.  In doing so, it was noted that the Committee had discussed other methods of recycling and that officers would investigate alternative options with a view to bringing such options to a future meeting of the Select Committee.  The Chair stated that he would raise these issues at the next Cabinet meeting.

Context:

To consider a request from Bridges Community Centre to undertake a Community Asset Transfer of Drybridge House on the basis of a 99 year lease.

Key Issues:

Bridges Community Centre occupies Drybridge House on the basis of a 25 year lease granted on 7th March 2000. A rental fee of £1 per annum is payable with no provision for review. As a condition of the lease, Bridges undertook a number of refurbishment works funded by Heritage Lottery.

In March 2011, Cabinet agreed to grant a 25 year lease to Bridges to enable them to install photovoltaic panels. The new lease would be granted in accordance with the Council’s Concessionary Rental Policy which requires the occupier to pay a minimum 5% of the rental value of the property. To date, the new lease has not been entered into. However, the photovoltaic panels have been installed.

In December 2015, a Community Asset Transfer application was made by Bridges on the basis of a 99 year leasehold interest. This request was declined on the basis that it did not meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the Council’s Community Asset Transfer Policy. This was on the basis that the asset is considered to hold significant development value in the event that the building ceased to be used as a community centre and that a 25 year lease had already been agreed and was available for Bridges to enter into.

Within their application, Bridges has identified that its proposal for a 99 year lease is predicated on its desire to apply for Big Lottery’s Community Asset Transfer Funding, albeit that this funding pot is currently closed. Other funding streams require a minimum of 25 years unexpired at the point of any grant award. As advised a 25 year lease has already been made available to Bridges, but to date has not been taken forward by the Trustees.

Bridges Case to the Strong Communities Select Committee:

·         Bridges has been in occupation of Drybridge House since 2000 on a 25 year lease from Monmouthshire County Council.  It has contributed in excess of £2,000,000 in conserving the house and continues to spend about £50,000 year on year to maintain it.  This does not include the vital contribution made by volunteers.

·         Monmouthshire County Council has laid down the Asset Transfer procedure, in line with Welsh Government Policy, which is currently being implemented in respect of a number of buildings in Monmouthshire. Bridges saw this as an important opportunity to secure its future at Drybridge House.

·         Brideges submitted its application for a leasehold asset transfer on 16^th November 2015 with a detailed business plan demonstrating its viability.

·         Bridges has been told by Council officers that the request would not be granted due to the perceived value to the Council of the building as an asset.  However, Bridges has never been given a clear indication of what its value might be.

·         Conditions for major grant applications now require at least a 20 year term after completion of a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

We resolved to defer consideration of this as there was no officer representation available to present the report and answer Members’ questions.

We received the Strong Communities Select Committee Work Programme.  In doing so, the following points were noted:

·         A special meeting of the Strong Communities Select Committee would be held on 17^th March 2016 at 10.00am (A pre-meeting for Select Committee Members would commence at 9.30am).  The agenda items for this meeting will be:

-       Month 9 Budget Monitoring.

-       A County that Serves.

-       Strategic and Equality Plan Monitoring Report.

We resolved to receive the report and noted its content.

We noted the Strong Communities Select Committee action list.

We resolved to receive and note the Cabinet and Council Forward Planner.

Thursday 28^th April at 10am

We resolved that the following Strong Communities Select Committee meetings be held:

·         Special meeting – 17^th March 2016 at 10.00am.

·         Ordinary meeting  - 28^th April 2016 at 10.00am.