Agenda item

To enable Cabinet to give consideration to recommendations made to it by the Service Development and Delivery Committee in respect of the above.

That the comments of the Portfolio Holder are endorsed.

Cabinet was informed that, at the meeting of the Service Development and Delivery Committee held on 31 May 2017, the Resources and Corporate Services Portfolio Holder (Councillor G V Guglielmi) who was in attendance, introduced the item to the Committee and gave an overview of the current situation regarding Community Halls owned by Tendring District Council (TDC).

The Council’s Head of Property Services (Andy White) was also in attendance and he had given a verbal briefing to the Committee on the Jaywick Community Resource Centre. He confirmed:

• The ownership of the land and Community Hall;

• That draft terms for the Lease of the Community Hall (which were subject to negotiation) had been sent to the Tenant and not a Lease Contract;

• How the ‘CAROS’ scheme worked; and

• That an assessment by experts had been carried out to establish the appropriate rental charge for Council owned Community Halls.

Sharon Corcoran, Councillor Watson and Councillor Raby were also in attendance to represent the Jaywick Resource Centre Committee. The Chairman of the Committee had given them the opportunity to address the Committee with their concerns.

Members had raised questions on various issues which were responded to by the Head of Property Services and/or the Resources and Corporate Services Portfolio Holder.

It was confirmed at that meeting that the Resources and Corporate Services Portfolio Holder and the Council’s Assets Team would offer to meet with the Jaywick Resource Centre Committee members on site before lease negotiations began; and

(1)  the Resources and Corporate Services Portfolio Holder had assured the Jaywick Resource Centre Committee members that Cabinet would take into consideration the special nature of the site during any negotiations;

(2)  that any public body that used the facility should be offering a financial consideration towards the upkeep of the Jaywick Resource Centre; and

(3)  that the Jaywick Resource Centre Committee members should supply the requested financial documents to TDC Officers in advance of any negotiations.

The Service Development and Delivery Committee had decided to recommend to Cabinet that:

(a)  Any future contract between TDC and the Tenant of the Jaywick Resource Centre includes the terms of the tenant’s liabilities; and

(b)  Any outstanding repairs at the Jaywick Resources Centre are reported to the appropriate Officers at TDC and that the repairs are investigated and actioned as work schedules allow.

The Cabinet had before it the following comments of the Resources and Corporate Services Portfolio Holder made in response to the recommendations of the Service Development and Delivery Committee:

“I would like to thank the Committee for their time and consideration. I note the Committee’s suggestion that any outstanding repairs are investigated and am sure that this will be actioned when officers hear from the tenants. I am also pleased to confirm that Officers will seek to ensure that any new agreement on the use of the building will be fully clear on the rights and responsibilities of both parties.”

Having considered the recommendations of the Service Development and Delivery Committee and the comments of the Resources and Corporate Services Portfolio Holder:

It was moved by Councillor G V Guglielmi, seconded by Councillor Honeywood and:

RESOLVED that the comments of the Portfolio Holder, as set out above, are endorsed.