Issue - meetings

Lease of Land at Hempsted Meadow

Meeting: 07/02/2024 - Cabinet (Item 84)

84 Lease of Land at Hempsted Meadow pdf icon PDF 124 KB

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources and the Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure outlining options for the disposal of land at Hempsted Meadow by way of a lease for the provision of a dedicated event space to include a car boot sale, markets and associated amenities.

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that:

 

(1)       authority is given to the Investment Manager in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Policy & Resources and Culture & Leisure to undertake a competitive process to enter into a lease for a term of up to 15 years with 5 year breaks for the area identified at Appendix 1 of the report;

 

(2)       the site conditions are evaluated and recommendations made so that the site can operate all year round;

 

(3)       the existing operator is given a 9-month extension to their existing licence to enable the car boot sale to stay operational while the competitive process offering a lease of the area identified is undertaken.

 

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources, and the Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure that outlined options for the disposal of land at Hempsted Meadow by way of a lease for the provision of a dedicated event space to include a car boot sale, markets and associated amenities.

 

The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources advised Members that the car boot sale licence they had previously authorised (Cabinet 8th February 2023 Minute 79) had produced a consistent income for the pilot period (3.6). She stated that granting a lease on robust commercial terms would continue generate income for the Council in the same way.  The Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure commented that the Meadow site remained a fantastic resource despite its fragility due to flooding and that the time was right to formalise the lease to ensure the continuation of the car boot sales.  The Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Strategy reminded Members of the great interest from residents in the car boot sales.  She expressed confidence that residents would support the proposals.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

(1)       authority is given to the Investment Manager in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Policy & Resources and Culture & Leisure to undertake a competitive process to enter into a lease for a term of up to 15 years with 5 year breaks for the area identified at Appendix 1 of the report;

 

(2)       the site conditions are evaluated and recommendations made so that the site can operate all year round;

 

(3)       the existing operator is given a 9-month extension to their existing licence to enable the car boot sale to stay operational while the competitive process offering a lease of the area identified is undertaken.

 


Meeting: 05/02/2024 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 94)

94 Lease of Land at Hempsted Meadow pdf icon PDF 124 KB

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources and Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure outlining the options for the disposal of land at Hempsted Meadows by way of a lease for the provision of a dedicated event space to include a car boot sale, markets and associated amenities.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

94.1    The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources, Councillor Hannah Norman, introduced the report and explained that it outlined how the Council proposed to formalise a long-term lease for Hempsted Meadow. She reminded Members of the previous licensing arrangement and outlined the resolutions that Cabinet were being asked to approve, as set out in 2.2 of the report.

 

94.2    The Chair referred to Appendix 1 and asked for clarification on the map and site plans which Councillor Norman and the Investment Manager provided. The Investment Manager advised Members which areas of the map included grass and hard standing for the car park area, and noted that in order to accommodate toilets and office space on the site, the new leaseholder would look after a larger parcel of estate than the current arrangement.

 

94.3    Councillor Morgan queried whether there was a proposal to extend the lease to the land to the right of the access road which had been previously used for alternative purposes. The Investment Manager confirmed that the proposals covered the site included in Appendix 1 only, and the other parcels of the estate would be available for other leases or purposes, including events.

 

94.4    Councillor A. Chambers asked why the proposals for a long-term lease with regular break clauses were not in place previously. He further asked whether there would be joint break clauses within the new agreement. Councillor Norman advised that a license in respect of the site had been issued initially, following the hiatus where the land was used as a testing site during the Covid-19 pandemic. She expressed the view that now was the appropriate time to provide the license holder with the opportunity to continue to operate while the Council considered longer-term provision for the land. Councillor Norman also advised that the break clauses would need to be mutual.

 

94.5    In response to a further query from Councillor A. Chambers regarding the possibility of a replacement provider, Councillor Norman stated that there would be a competitive lease process and that the Council would be seeking a tenant who was committed to the site and financially stable.

 

94.6    In respect of the narrative at 3.6 and the fixed rate income, Councillor Wilson asked whether the proposed long-term lease arrangement would be index linked. Councillor Norman confirmed that this was the expectation however the valuation of the land would need to be considered for various uses to enable to Council to have the best possible consideration.

 

94.7    Councillor Wilson asked what the Council’s powers would be in the event of another pandemic. The Investment Manager advised that pandemic clauses were now common in lease agreements, and if there were pandemic restrictions on trading in the future, it would likely be in the new tenant’s best interest to work with the Council.

 

94.8    In response to a question from Councillor Pullen as to whether the new leaseholder would be able to sublease on the site, Councillor Norman advised that consideration would need to take place as part  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94