Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

To report the Sincil Community Land Trust’s proposal to lease an area of land located off St Andrews Close in Sincil Bank and request approval to proceed with preparing a lease for the use of the site as a community social space.

Decision

That the request to lease the land adjacent to St Andrews Close to Sincil Community Land Trust be approved and officers be authorised to finalise the Heads of Terms, advertise the transfer of the site in the local newspaper and, subject to no objection being received, prepare a lease for the Sincil Community Land Trust for the community space.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reason for Decision

The Council had been approached by the Sincil Community Land Trust who wished to lease an area of land at the western end of the southern boundary of St Andrews Close, as set out in the site plan appended to the report. This land was previously a play area but for a number of years had been an inaccessible site, with the play equipment removed and was maintained as part of the Council’s contract with Continental Landscapes.

Sincil Community Land Trust, working with the Sincil Bank Community Partnership, had received a grant of £25,000 from the Ministry for Communities, Housing and Local Government to develop this site into a Pocket Park for use by the local community.

It was recommended that the request to lease the land be approved, subject to some specific terms outlined at paragraphs 4 and 5 of the report regarding proposed use of the site and the City Council’s obligations to enable disposal of the site. Details of the lease arrangements were outlined in paragraph 6 of the report.

Councillor Chris Burke highlighted that there was a lot of support in the community for this particular scheme.