Decision details

To authorise s106 contribution and entry into a community use agreement with ARU.

Matter for Decision

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) were proposing redevelop of their Howe’s Place sports ground facility off Huntingdon Road.

 

The nearby site of Darwin Green was a major growth development area, and part of the development was being built upon Sidney Sussex playing fields. This part of the Darwin Green proposal received objections from Sport England which had to be mitigated to allow the whole site to be approved. These mitigations were adopted into the S106 Agreement for Darwin Green for the loss of sporting facilities and playing pitches and a specific ring fenced sum of £250,000 was agreed for offsite contribution to improve local sports facilities and pitches but were restricted to only being able to be spent in the four neighbouring wards or within 1 mile of the City Boundary.

 

It was proposed that the ring fenced £250,000 of developer contributions are invested into the ARU sports pavilion building.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Community, Arts and Recreation

 

The Executive Councillor resolved to:

 

     i.        approve the release of £250,000 of developer contributions derived from the Darwin Green - 14/0086/REM - Sidney Sussex playing fields development towards the ARU development of sports pitches and ancillary facilities at Howe’s Place – (subject to South Cambridgeshire District Council planning approval being granted for the application) and add to Capital Plan for 2015/16; and

 

    ii.        authorise Officers to enter into a Community Use agreement to secure public access to the Howe’s Place facilities based on the provisions in 3.11 of the Officer’s report to be agreed by the Executive Councillor, in consultation with the Chair and Spokes.

 

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Sports and Recreation Manager and noted the additional wording to be added to recommendation 2.1 of the Officer’s report as follows: and add to the Capital Plan for 2014/15.

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

     i.        Concerns were expressed that problems experienced with similar schemes elsewhere in the City would be repeated if the Community Use Agreement was not tight enough and backed up with promotional material.

    ii.        Some Members were concerned about delegating the final decision regarding the Community Use Agreement to officers without any further opportunity to review it.

 

Councillor Reid Proposed the following amendment to recommendation 2.2. The following additional working to be added: to be agreed by the Executive Councillor in consultation with the Chair and Spokes.

 

The amendment was agreed unanimously.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Sports and Recreation Manager clarified the following:

   iii.        The pricing structure would be agreed by the management group and would be set at a level which would ensure local residents were not priced out. 

  iv.        It was anticipated that local schools would be encouraged to use the facilities in the day time.

   v.        An outreach programme was planned to promote the use of the facilities to local communities.

  vi.        Officers

 vii.        In response to concerns expressed about the 12 year repayment plan if ARU decided to exit from the agreement, officers confirmed that this was in line with other S106 agreements.

 

Councillor Austin was concerned that football was the dominant sport being offered and wondered why there was not more provision for other sport in the proposal. The Head of Arts and Recreation undertook to provide members with an update of other sports provision agreed for the Darwin Green site, which would address such concerns.

 

The Committee resolved unanimously to endorse the amended recommendations.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.