Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The Cabinet considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), which set out proposals for the Council to enter into a Strategic Partnership with the Historic Coventry Trust for the transfer of the Council’s historic properties.

A corresponding private report detailing confidential aspects of the proposals was also submitted to the meeting for consideration.

The Council own a number of historically important heritage assets that were under used and required significant capital investment.  The Council neither had the funds or the expertise to restore the properties and, at present, the condition of these buildings was deteriorating.  It had been estimated that capital expenditure in excess of £3m would be required to ensure that they would be put back into a state of reasonable order.

To save and protect these assets for future generations, it was proposed to transfer identified heritage assets to the Historic Coventry Trust (HCT) to refurbish, maintain and manage.  The HCT would be able to secure grant funding to enable them to refurbish and bring these properties back into use.  The identified properties were:-

·  Council owned properties in Burges

·  Charterhouse Heritage Park

·  Drapers Hall

·  Anglican and Non-Conformist Chapels in London Road Cemetery

·  Lychgate Cottages (3-5 Priory Row)

·  Swanswell and Cook Street Gatehouses

·  Whitefriars Gatehouse and adjoining land

·  Whitefriars Monastery and adjoining land

The proposed Framework Agreement would establish an exclusivity period of five years for HTC to acquire the properties.  To activate the transfer, the HTC would have to submit a robust business case on a case by case basis to the Council for approval, satisfying set criteria, detailed within the report, illustrating how the properties could be managed and maintained for the long term benefit of the people of Coventry.

The aims of the HTC (a registered charity) were to raise funds for the historic properties for their restoration and reuse, thereby securing the assets for future generations, whilst improving and building upon the City Centre offer as a cultural and tourist destination.

It was also proposed that the Cabinet Member for Community Development become a Trustee and Board Member of the HCT in order to represent the Council and ensure the long term protection of the assets.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet recommend that Council:-

1.  Approve that the Council enter into the Framework Agreement with Historic Coventry Trust for a period of five years.

2.  Delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration to transfer identified assets to Historic Coventry Trust subject to receipt of a satisfactory business case and secured funding satisfying the set criteria.

3.  Appoint the Cabinet Member for Community Development to the Board of Trustees for the Historic Coventry Trust.

4.  Delegate authority to Legal Services Manager to execute all the necessary documentation to give effect to all the subsequent transfers.

5.  Approve the set criteria that the Historic Coventry Trust must satisfy in their business case before the historic asset transfer can be completed, as set out in paragraph 2.1.14 of the report submitted.

6.  Delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, to make any subsequent variation in relation to the terms of the proposals in this report.