Agenda item

Report of the Director of Property Services and Development

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Property Services and Development which provided an update on the Stoke Aldermoor Life Centre as of November 2021.

Stoke Aldermoor Life Centre (“the Centre”) is owned by the Council and has been managed by Volunteers of Stoke Aldermoor Community Association since they occupied this part of the building in 2007.

The purpose of the report was to update the Cabinet Member and to seek approval for an ‘expressions of interest exercise’ to consider if any other community groups would be interested to operate community activities. This exercise would be conducted whilst the existing occupier remained in-situ to continue with the daily activities within the centre and for the benefit of the wider community.

Stoke Aldermoor Community Association (SACA) currently occupy and operate out of Stoke Aldermoor Life Centre which is a Council owned building and within the operational property portfolio. SACA conduct various activities for the local community to use and the Council currently has a ‘landlord’ and tenant’ relationship with the volunteers of the centre but without a formal agreement in place.

In February 2016, Cabinet approved the Connecting Communities Phase 1 report which included a recommendation that all community centres should be self-sustaining by March 2017 (no subsidy in the form of repairs and maintenance) and that Community Associations enter into leases to that effect. Majority of the community centres have entered into long leases and SACA remains one of the last few to complete this. The current set up of the existing organisation has not made it possible to enter into a long lease.

To date, the Council had spent £14,088 in 2018/2019, £18,620 in 2019/2020 and £25,829 in 2020/2021 and £11,400 during the current financial year 2021/2022, in reactive repairs and maintenance works in the centre.

The purpose of the report was to seek approval to invite community groups to express their interest to run and manage Stoke Aldermoor Life Centre. Following this exercise, a long lease would be available for the selected community group to consider further and take on the full management and maintenance of the centre. It was vital to appoint the right organisation for the benefit of all residents and the whole of Lower Stoke community. The main criteria for the organisation was to demonstrate a sound financial plan, previous building management experience and the proposal must include the facility to include all members of the community, regardless of age, sex religion and socio-economic backgrounds.

The existing occupier SACA would continue to run and operate from the centre and would be invited to submit their ‘expressions of interest’ accordingly.

Since the publication of the agenda and the report, an updated Business Plan has been submitted by Stoke Aldermoor Life Centre. The updated business plan had now fulfilled the criteria that was set out to them to confirm their financial position, trustees information, structure of the organisation and confirmation as a ‘CIO’ status. The business plan was forwarded to the Cabinet Member for information. 

On the basis that the group had now provided the required information to enable the Council to consider them for a one year lease, the Cabinet Member would be now be recommended to proceed with Option 2 of the report at paragraph 2.2; “to consider entering into a lease for one year with SACA on a full repairing basis”.

Councillor C Miks, a Lower Stoke Ward Councillor, attended the meeting and commented that the Centre has been running exceedingly well and expressed her gratitude for the excellent work that the Centre has been doing and welcomed the opportunity to continue supporting the diverse community of Lower Stoke.

Representatives of SACA and Grapevine attended the meeting and expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to continue their work in the Centre.

Members present at the meeting welcomed the change in recommendation and considered this to be excellent news for the Centre and the wider community.

The Cabinet Member explained that the report had to be published to meet legal deadlines even though the negotiations were still ongoing in the background at the time.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities:

1.  Approves the existing organisation, Stoke Aldermoor Community Association (SACA) to sign a one year lease and manage the Centre on a full repairing and liability basis with no financial support from the Council. This is on the basis that the organisation has now submitted an updated business plan to the satisfaction of the Council which demonstrates how they will operate and run the Centre

2.  Requests that an update report be submitted during the last 2 months of the one-year lease ending.