Issue - meetings
General update to Trust Members on Property Matters
Meeting: 08/09/2015 - Barham Park Trust Committee (Item 5)
5 General update to Trust Members on Property Matters PDF 223 KB
To update the Trust with regard to the status of the various units at Barham Park and to seek approval in regard to their future use and tenure arrangements.
Minutes:
Richard Barrett (Property Advisor to the Trust) referred to a number of items discussed at the previous meeting that had been deferred for further discussion at this meeting. He drew attention to paragraph 3.1 of the report before the Trust Members which provided an update on the letting of Unit 8. Trust Members went on to discuss a maintenance profile plan. It was explained that the calculation of a service charge was based on internal repair requirements and that, whilst an incoming tenant would be required to take on the responsibility for the internal upkeep of the building, it would be unreasonable to expect prospective tenants to bear full responsibility for any major works that might be found to be necessary, such as roofing, window, wiring etc. works. A maintenance profile plan would inform the Trust Members of what further works were required. A view was put to the meeting that this approach undermined the tendering procedure which had not made clear that a prospective tenant might not be made responsible for some aspects of the maintenance of the building. It was explained that this would be a matter of negotiation with an incoming tenant and that it reflected on the Trust, as landlord, acting in a reasonable way.
Richard Barrett reported that the Barham Park Veteran’s' Club (the Vets) had supplied a copy of their constitution and membership. He read from these documents and undertook to circulate them to the Trust Members after the meeting. In response, Trust Members expressed their continuing concern over the membership criteria and the actual operation of the club and were reluctant to take any decision on formalising the club’s occupation of Unit 2 until they had received re-assurances as to the clubs inclusivity. It was therefore agreed to ask the Council's Equality Team to discuss with the club how it might up-date its constitution to better reflect the approach to diversity that the club was expected to endorse.
RESOLVED:
(i) that a consultant be procured to draw up a maintenance profile plan and that the plan be reported to a future meeting of the Trust Committee;
(ii) that a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Trust Committee on the outcome of the work carried out by the Council's Equality Team with the Barham Park Veterans' Club before a decision is taken on leasing the snooker and billiard rooms (Unit 2) to the club.
Meeting: 02/07/2015 - Barham Park Trust Committee (Item 6)
6 General update to Trust Members on Property Matters PDF 6 MB
This report updates the committee on the marking of the Barham Park Lounge, seeks approval to vary the decision made regard the marketing of the Card Room and for the procurement of consultant to draw up a Maintenance Profile Plan for the envelope of the buildings, details the results of the external valuation determining the market rent for the Children’s Centre and outlines the progress achieved with respect to leasing the Snooker and Billiard Rooms.
Decision:
i) That it be noted that the marketing process for Unit 4, the Barham Park Lounge, was underway and the deadline for receipt of tenders was Friday 10 July 2015.
ii) That Unit 1, the Card Room, be offered to Third Sector Organisations utilising Brent Council’s Community Asset Transfer Policy.
iii) That the decision regarding approval of the procurement of a consultant to draw up a Maintenance Profile Plan be deferred to the next meeting of the committee.
iv) That the decision to seek Charity Commission approval to let Unit 8, the Children’s Centre, at a rent of £11,300 for a term of 5 years with consent to an organisation to continue the Children’s Centre service, be deferred to the next meeting of the committee.
v) That the decision to proceed to complete the approved letting of Unit 2, the Snooker and Billiard Rooms, to the Barham Part Veterans’ (Wembley) be deferred to the next meeting of the committee.
Minutes:
The Chair informed the meeting that due to unforeseen circumstances, Richard Barrett (Operational Director, Property and Projects) was unable to attend the meeting. It was noted that as Property Adviser to the Trust, his input was likely to be necessary with regard to a number of the proposals before the committee regarding the Barham Park complex of buildings.
In discussing the report, members were pleased to note that the marketing process for Unit 4, the Barham Park Lounge, had been targeted locally. A member of the public expressed a concern that part of the criteria required an organisation to provide three years worth of audited accounts; it was felt that this disadvantaged smaller charities which were only required to submit their accounts to the charity commission and it was suggested that the criteria be amended accordingly. Arnold Meagher (Principal Housing and Litigation Lawyer) explained that it would not be possible to amend the criteria without restarting the tender process. The committee highlighted that the marketing process was already underway; however agreed that officers should take this issue under consideration for any future marketing processes.
The Chair drew the committee’s attention to the proposal to utilise Brent Council’s Community Asset Transfer Policy with regard to Unit 1, the Card Room. Members noted that the Trust had previously agreed to proceed with a marketing process with a specific emphasis on community use. Though the Trust was not bound by the council’s policy, employing this new approach could represent a better way forward for the trust in securing community use of the unit.
The committee noted that further information was required with respect to the proposals regarding the maintenance profile plan for the complex of buildings; the valuation of Unit 8, the Children’s Centre; and the letting of Unit 2, the Snooker and Billiard Rooms, to the Barham Park Veterans’ (Wembley). Members therefore agreed to defer consideration of these decisions to the next meeting of the committee. In doing so, members took note of the concern raised by a member of the public regarding the basis on which current service charges were decided in light of the proposal to obtain a maintenance profile plan. Members of the committee also highlighted that concerns had been raised by a member of the public regarding accessibility of the membership of the Barham Park Veterans’ Club (Wembley) which required further investigation and that the committee had not had sight of the diversity questionnaire.
RESOLVED:
i) That it be noted that the marketing process for Unit 4, the Barham Park Lounge, was underway and the deadline for receipt of tenders was Friday 10 July 2015.
ii) That Unit 1, the Card Room, be offered to Third Sector Organisations utilising Brent Council’s Community Asset Transfer Policy.
iii) That the decision regarding approval of the procurement of a consultant to draw up a Maintenance Profile Plan be deferred to the next meeting of the committee.
iv) That the decision to seek Charity Commission approval to let Unit 8, the Children’s ... view the full minutes text for item 6