Agenda item

Report of Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets, Councillor Peter Jeffries

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets introduced his report, concerning the Petersfield Partnership and how the council has worked collaboratively with them to deliver a community and sports hub for St Peter’s and The Moors residents and the wider community.  The report includes information about the proposed lease arrangements with the Saracens Football Club and Petersfield Partnership, which are quite complex, but made clearer by the site plan at Appendix 4.  The cost of construction is set out in Section 4 of the report, together with details of fund raising secured so far, the lion’s share of which comes from the Big Local trust. 

In view of the historic nature and long involvement of the council in this item, he invited the Head of Communities, Wellbeing and Partnerships to provide some background. He highlighted the following points:

-       the Big Local programme was introduced in 2012 when the borough council was asked by a national body called the Local Trust to nominate an area of Cheltenham which had not seen much investment or regeneration.  CBC’s nomination of  St Peters and The Moors, an area in clear need, was accepted as part of the Big Local Programme as one of the 150 areas to benefit;

-       hallmarks of the Big Local programme, which is benefitting 150 areas nationally, include the requirement that the shape of the regeneration is led by residents rather than by local authorities, is not prescriptive, and puts the power in residents’ hands. Projects are also expected to be long-term investments and this is welcomed;

-       to take the project forward, the St Peters and The Moors Big Local Partnership was set up, constituted so that the balance of power sat with residents, with CBC, CBH and others always available in the background to advise when needed;

-       the Partnership has delivered a vast array of community-based projects, around green space, culture, community development, financial inclusion, trips and social events, many young people-based;

-       as it has matured and grown, and with the end of its term in view, the Partnership’s key focus over the last few years has been its legacy project and, having worked hard to appraise different options, came to the conclusion couple of years ago that a community and sports hub project ticked all the boxes and would be the recipient of the remaining Big Local;

-       with the national Big Local programme coming to an end in March 2026, and any unspent money will be taken back, the support of local trusts and organisations has been essential in providing the focus and effort to ensure that the plan can be delivered within that timescale.

Finally, he made the following minor correction to the report: 

-       in Paragraphs 3.4 and 3.5, the proposed 25-year term leases for Saracens Football Club and Petersfield Partnership should refer to the lease terms ending on 04 May 2047.

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities said that as ward councillor, she knows the area well and supports all the recommendations as set out, knowing how valuable this community centre and sports hub will be for the community.  The area, on both sides of the River Chelt, needs a focus in addition to The Rock on Tewkesbury Road and the YMCA,, and in this hub in this location will help bring the community together. She welcomed the great upgrade from the current units for Saracens Football Club, saying this will add huge value to a much-loved local sports club, and was happy to note that plans regarding a management agreement, changes to the lease, and grant agreement will support the Petersfield Partnership in completing the works in budget and on time.  She looked forward to the opening party next March.

In addition she noted that the community impact report highlights the value of this community asset in an area where 42% of the residents are aged 25 and under.  It will not only be a place to meet up, but will also provide access to services, and she hoped that all Members would be happy to support the recommendations.

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture, Wellbeing and Public Open Space also supported the benefits both for wellbeing, sport, and for getting communities together.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Customer Services made the following comments:

-       thanks to Councillors Atherstone and Willingham, ward councillors for St Peters, for all the support, and also David Bath, who was awarded Cheltenham’s Medal of Honour last year - he has done and continues to do great work at the heart of the community and is respected by everyone;

-       as Chair of Big Local since 2016-17, the long journey to today has been bumpy, with many ups and downs, but this is a community like no other in Cheltenham, and the community and sports hub will link it together, enabling it to grow and strengthen.  It will not be just a sports facility, but an important focus at the heart of the community, something that will help the community believe in itself and move forward, and inspiring other Cheltenham communities to do the same;

-       thanks to Richard Gibson, Head of Communities, Wellbeing and Partnerships, for carrying the project for so long, to Margaret Jackson, who was part of the original Big Local, and to Sophie Cowdell for all their great work in creating opportunities and giving the community something of which it can be proud for many years to come.

As borough and county councillor representing St Peter’s ward, Councillor Willingham made the following comments:

-       the value this facility will deliver is really important, and in his previous term at the county, he had been able to contribute 2% of the cost from the  Build Back Better fund, demonstrating the county’s willingness to support the scheme as far as it could;

-        the Assistant Chief Constable of Gloucestershire visited St Pauls and St Peters and The Moors recently, to see how Operation Endeavour’s ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ project – a three-stage approach to reducing crime and anti-social behaviour – is working.  Starting at St Pauls Community Hub, it was clear to see that having a community facility where services and outreach is provided, makes a huge difference;

-       the community and sports hub will provide that physical presence currently lacking in St Peters and The Moors, and will be an important part of Operation Endeavour which is a generational project set to continue for two decades or longer.   

He hoped that Members would support it.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets said he was proud of the Liberal Democrats’ track record in supporting communities, working collaboratively and collectively to overcome obstacles and challenges, and particularly in this instance where the community is taking the lead.

 RESOLVED THAT:

1)        the disposal by way of two separate leases of land subject to the meeting of a set of conditions set out in para 3.8 is approved;

2)        once these conditions are met, authority is delegated to the Director for Finance and Assets, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets and the Director of One Legal, to agree the terms of the lease and conclude the letting;

3)        allocation of the following sums to the hub building is committed to:

·           the Big Local fund of £356,643 which is currently held by the Local Trust, but which will be drawn down by the Council;

·                the council’s allocation of the future administration fee of £17,832, that accrues to the Council from its role as accountable body for the SPTM partnership;

·                     the previous administration fee of £42,143 that forms part of the funding currently held by the Council; and

·                other funding currently held by the Council for the project comprising the Big Local underspend, the contribution from the Housing Revenue Account and the Police and Crime Commissioner funding totalling £71,133.

4)        a grant agreement is entered into with the Petersfield Partnership CIO to facilitate the transfer of the funds set out above

5)        a management agreement is entered into with the Petersfield Partnership CIO to ensure that the hub building is managed for the benefit of the local community;

6)        authority is delegated to the Director of Governance, Housing and Communities, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets, to agree the final terms of the grant and management agreements and to conclude the arrangements to ensure the hub is managed for the benefit of the community;

7)        other such documents are entered into as the Director of One Legal deems necessary or desirable to reflect the terms negotiated.