Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

To consider an offer that had the potential to secure external funding for a play area at Keadby Close through a partnership agreement.

Decision

That the proposal for the play area at Keadby Close to be adopted by Hartsholme Cricket Club be approved, in principle, and the Director of Communities and Environment be authorised to agree suitable terms of lease.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reason for Decision

The Council had received an informal approach from Hartsholme Cricket Club to consider whether it would be prepared to allow the club to ‘adopt’ the adjacent play area at Keadby Close.

The Cricket Club had a new strategy for development including much wider engagement with the local community and it believed that taking on the existing poorly equipped play area, and investing in it so as to make it an asset to visitors to the site, would both help the community and aid the club’s strategy.

The Club had requested to lease the site, at no cost, in return for which it would invest in the site, take on its maintenance commitments and maintain public open access.

Due to wider financial pressures on the City Council, it had not been possible to increase the budget for maintaining play areas beyond inflation for some time. However, safety demands had continued to escalate considerably and as a result the costs had increased without additional budget provision to cover these costs. It had been necessary to prioritise spend accordingly and the effect of this was that some of the Council’s play areas were now equipped with a reduced amount of equipment and in some cases without any equipment at all, awaiting opportunities for investment.

The play area at Keadby Close was an example of this, where any available funding had been directed to the larger and much more heavily used nearby site in Hartsholme Country Park. Whilst the site in the Country Park had therefore been protected, Keadby Close had gradually become less equipped, to the extent that it currently had just one item of equipment left which was a static climbing frame.

On the basis that the Cricket Club would invest in the site, take on the maintenance commitments and maintain public open access whilst meeting full requirements of safety standards, the Portfolio Holder for Recreational Services and Health had been prepared to allow this offer to progress within the Council for further considered views.