Issue - meetings

"Please can the Leader update the Council as to how much was finally received from Cambridgeshire County Council towards the grant of £250,000 agreed by this council to Cambridge Rowing Lakes for the upgrading of the cafe area at Milton Country Park?”

Councillor Deborah Roberts asked the Leader of the Council the following question:

"Please can the Leader update the Council as to how much was finally received from Cambridgeshire County Council towards the grant of £250,000 agreed by this council to Cambridge Rowing Lakes for the upgrading of the cafe area at Milton Country Park?”

Councillor Ray Manning, Leader of the Council, clarified that the total grant was £261,000. He stated that contractors for the work had been appointed, with preliminary work to commence during the week beginning 30 November. The estimated completed date for the project was 2 April 2010. Cllr Manning advised that the County Council had agreed to contribute £130,500 towards the costs of the project, and that the district council was currently in the process of submitting its claim for these funds. This Council was also close to releasing the first staged capital payment of £5,700 to meet the costs of the preliminary work.

To authorise the Leader to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 2 July 2009 as a correct record.

The Leader was authorised to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 2 July 2009 as a correct record.

Further to Minute 4 (Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust: Request for Capital Grant Aid), the Leader confirmed that Cambridgeshire County Council had agreed to fund half of the project, making the Visitor Centre extension and improvements a joint venture between the two authorities.

Having noted a potential grant of £261,000 for the Cambridge Sports Lakes Trust towards the extension and improvements to the Milton Country Park Visitor Centre I would ask the Portfolio Holder if;

a) The Council's established policy of considering capital grants of between 15-50% of total costs for village community projects has changed, and that all applicants must explore and exhaust all other areas of funding;

b) The Council has changed its policy of making such grants out of revenue funds;

c) He could assure Council that all grant applicants must be financially viable and have sustainable futures?'

Councillor NS Davies asked the New Communities Portfolio Holder the following question:

Having noted a potential grant of £261,000 for the Cambridge Sports Lakes Trust towards the extension and improvements to the Milton Country Park Visitor Centre I would ask the Portfolio Holder if:

a) The Council's established policy of considering capital grants of between 15-50% of total costs for village community projects has changed, and that all applicants must explore and exhaust all other areas of funding;

b) The Council has changed its policy of making such grants out of revenue funds;

c) He could assure Council that all grant applicants must be financially viable and have sustainable futures?

Councillor RMA Manning, Leader of the Council, advised that the Council’s established policy had not changed – funding was between 15-35% of the overall cost of community schemes, and up to 50% in respect of play and youth sport facilities. The Leader stated that the request by the Community Sports Lakes Trust (CSLT) related to a one-off capital project which had not been considered under the community facility grants policy.

Council was advised that the award of grants from revenue funds was established practice adopted following Council Tax capping, but was not official policy.

In terms of the applicant’s viability, CSLT had made a detailed presentation to Cabinet outlining its business plan, and had produced more detailed financial projections than the Council usually sought in respect of grant applications.

By way of a supplementary question, Councillor Davies asked, in the context of the CSLT application, how the Cabinet intended to support villages elsewhere in the district in their desire to provide excellent facilities for their communities.

The Leader of the Council stated that the grant request by CSLT would be a matter for Council to determine later at the meeting. In the event of Council supporting the request, funding would be allocated from reserves, therefore other grant budgets would not be directly affected.

Cabinet RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that a revenue grant of £261,000 be awarded to Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust towards the cost of an extension and improvements to the Visitor Centre at Milton Country Park.

The report and appendix considered by the Cabinet can be accessed using the following link to the Council's website (www.scambs.gov.uk) - Agenda item 5 refers. In addition, copies are available to view in the Members’ Room. Please contact Democratic Services if you wish to receive a hard copy, telephone (01954) 713016

e-mail democratic.services@scambs.gov.uk 

Council RESOLVED that a revenue grant of up to £261,000 be awarded to Cambridge Sports Lake Trust towards the cost of an extension and improvements to the Visitor Centre at Milton Country Park. 

During debate of this item Council resolved unanimously, in accordance with Standing Order 22.1, to suspend Standing Order 12.5 for the duration of the item to allow debate to exceed thirty minutes.

Councillor RMA Manning moved and Councillor MP Howell seconded the recommendation of the Cabinet that a revenue grant of £261,000 be awarded to Cambridge Sports Lake Trust (CSLT) towards the cost of an extension and improvements to the Visitor Centre at Milton Country Park.

In moving the recommendation, Councillor Manning set out the background to the application for grant aid by CSLT. During the discussions which had led to the transfer of the park to CSLT, it had been established that the visitor centre required improvement; however, the Council had not been able to make any financial commitment to support this work at this stage. The Cabinet considered that CSLT had provided a realistic and robust business plan and that its application should be supported to enable the Council to contribute to the provision of a successful and sustainable recreational facility for the occupants of major developments. Councillor Manning provided an update on discussions which had taken place since the Cabinet meeting which, he was pleased to report, had resulted in a proposal by the Cambridgeshire County Council, as part-owners of the park, to match-fund any contribution by the district council. Such match funding would have the effect of reducing the Council’s contribution to £130,500.

In anticipation of match-funding being formally made available by the Cambridgeshire County Council, Councillor SM Edwards moved and Councillor Mrs SM Ellington moved an amendment in the following terms (additional words marked in bold italics):

‘That a revenue grant of up to £261,000 be awarded to Cambridge Sports Lake Trust (CSLT) towards the cost of an extension and improvements to the Visitor Centre at Milton Country Park.’

In accordance with Council Standing Order 14.6(b), the mover and seconder of the original Motion gave consent for the amendment to be incorporated within it, consequently the original Motion stood altered and the amendment withdrawn.

Councillor D de Lacey moved and Councillor MJ Mason seconded a procedural Motion under Council Standing Order 13(d) that the matter be referred to the Scrutiny and Overview Committee for further examination before being resubmitted to Council with full relevant documentation. Members speaking in support of this Motion considered that there were several significant questions which required satisfactory answers before Council could consider itself in a position to make an informed decision on the grant request, specifically those relating to the proposed match-funding arrangement and CSLT’s future viability.

The Procedural Motion, on being put, was declared lost, with 15 Members voting in favour, 30 against and two abstentions.

During debate of the substantive Motion, some Members welcomed the prospect of match funding by the Cambridgeshire County Council and considered that it was appropriate for the Council to support an important community facility which was valued by residents and which contributed to the provision of an important green wedge to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30

Mick Woolhouse, Company Secretary and Director of CSLT and Mike Muir-Smith, Chairman of CSLT will be making a short presentation to Members prior to consideration of this item

Cabinet RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that a revenue grant of £261,000 be awarded to Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust towards the cost of an extension and improvements to the Visitor Centre at Milton Country Park.

The Council had received a request for a grant towards the extension and improvements to the existing Visitor Centre at Milton Country Park.  Messrs Mick Woolhouse, Company Secretary and Director of the Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust (CSLT), and Mike Muir-Smith Chairman of CSLT, presented to Cabinet their business plan.  Local Members Councillors Mrs HM Smith and RT Summerfield spoke in support of the request, describing the increased number of visitors to the park and Council’s 2007 decision to support, rather than close, Milton Country Park.  The New Communities Portfolio Holder asked members to keep in mind that there was not any zero-cost option, as there would be on-going maintenance and insurance costs to the Council if the park were to close.

In response to questions, Messrs Woolhouse and Muir-Smith, and the Council’s Senior Lawyer, confirmed that:

Business Plan and Cambridge Sport Lakes facility:

·                      Although the Business Plan projected losses up to the end of its five-year life, the long-term outlook was positive as completion of the Cambridge Sport Lakes project next door to the Country Park, due in the next 2-3 years, should increase use of the Country Park and comparable facilities elsewhere in the country had a £1 - £1.5 million annual turnover;

·                      Once the Cambridge Sport Lakes had opened, the Milton Country Park management costs would be included in the CSLT overheads and no longer chargeable to Milton Country Park;

·                      The Business Plan assumed that salaries were net of any indexation at this point, accommodated the recession and was the result of a comprehensive working method to produce the final figures;

·                      CSLT was an admitted body in the Cambridgeshire County Council pension fund and employer and employee contributions had continued since the transfer of Milton Country Park from South Cambridgeshire District Council.  It was believed that the facilities could continue with the existing staff and that efficiency savings would be sought on wages for casual employees;

·                      References to “other premises costs” in the Business Plan included £7-8,000 to the insurers, and the increase in capital costs was a result of depreciation costs expected when built facilities progressed through their lifecycle;

·                      The first flood risk assessment had been completed, subject to conditions, and the planning process, including s106 agreement, for the Sport Lakes was nearly ready to proceed to the consultation stage after slight delays due to negotiations for the transfer of land owned by Cambridgeshire County Council; and

·                      Once the s106 agreement had been signed, the planning decision notice could be issued: a donor was in place to buy the land and a two-year fundraising phase had begun.

Existing funding and grants:

·                      The £250,000 dowry granted by the Council in 2007 remained in the CSLT accounts, and the loss shown in 2008/09 of the Business Plan should be netted from that dowry;

·                      There was regular income from birthday parties and corporate away days, but without expansion of the available space, there were limited options for increasing income through making the Visitor Centre available to hire for functions.  The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4