A report by the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management sought consent to grant a lease to Woodchurch High School for the adjoining sports hall as part of a service level agreement.  The report referred to a decision made by the Cabinet at its meeting on 3 November 2011 to a twenty year lease agreement between the School and the Council for the use of the new all weather pitch facility which had been under construction at that time (Minute No. 185 refers).

The Cabinet was told that the school would primarily use these new facilities during the day and others could use them in the evenings and at weekends.  It was now proposed that the school be granted a lease of the sports hall on the terms approved for the running of the all weather pitch namely: a term of twenty years at a peppercorn rent with prime use of the school in the day time and use by others outside these times.  This reflected the existing practice on site.

The proposal was in support of the Council’s goals of ensuring that the health and well being of children and young people was improved.

The granting of the lease would allow the school to run the sports hall facility on behalf of the Council.

The granting of the lease was a statutory duty given that the school was a Foundation School and the Council therefore had to document its right to use the sports hall as part of the School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools (England) Regulations 2007).  Moreover if the school was to progress its application for academy status then it would be required to demonstrate that it had a right to use the sports hall.

RESOLVED:

That the lease be granted in accordance with the terms outlined above.