Agenda item

Reference was made to article 41 of the minute of the Committee meeting of 10 December, 2009, at which time there was under consideration a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure regarding the interest expressed by Transition Extreme Sports Limited as tenants of the immediately adjacent area of ground at Queen’s Links, in leasing the site of the former Queen’s Links Outdoor Sports Centre which the Council had now declared surplus to requirements.  The resolution of the Committee at that time, having considered Transition Extreme Sport’s (TES) proposals for the site, was to agree the granting of a new long term lease of the former outdoor sports centre site to TES, on similar terms and conditions to those currently in place for the adjacent site at Queen’s Links but subject to the receipt of confirmation that appropriate loan funding from Social Investment Scotland had been received by 31 March, 2010 and also that the financial stability of TES had been evidenced to the Council’s satisfaction.  In the event that the conditions imposed were not purified by the due date, appropriate Council officers were instructed to advertise the outdoor centre site as being available for lease for any use capable of achieving planning permission.  The Committee had now before it a further report on the matter by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure.

The report (1) made reference to the decision taken by the Committee at its meeting of 10 December, 2009, and advised that TES had been unable to purify either of the conditions imposed although it had provided an explanation as to why the timeframe of 31 March, 2010 had not been met; (2) outlined the current situation as regards engagement with Scottish Enterprise, the carrying out of an activity feasibility study and meetings with planning and building consultants to commence discussion on the physical site preparation and planning; (3) gave an indication of the progress made as regards an application to Social Investment Scotland (SIS) for grant funding support; and (4) referred to the existing relationship between TES and SIS who already regard TES as an award winning social enterprise and youth charity.  On the matter of satisfying the Council of its financial stability, the report confirmed that TES had provided the Council with audited accounts for the year ending March, 2009 and cash projections for 2010 and 2011, together with other financial data which were currently being assessed by the Head of Finance.  By way of additional information relating to the future use of the former outdoor centre at the Queen’s Links, the report made reference to a second unsolicited approach received which involved a use similar to the proposals being put forward by TES and in respect of which the Council may wish to pursue in the event that TES are unable to raise the finance that they require to take their plans forward.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to grant Transition Extreme Sports Limited an extension to its previous deadline of 31 March, 2010, until 30 September, 2010, to confirm receipt of appropriate loan funding from Social Investment Scotland and to evidence its financial stability to the Council;

(ii)        that in the event that the appropriate confirmation and evidence is produced by the new deadline, to instruct the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to formally conclude a lease on similar terms and conditions to those pertaining to its ground lease of the adjacent site (rent at £1 per annum etc) until 29 March, 2047 and subject to such other terms and conditions as are felt necessary to protect the Council’s interests;

(iii)       that in the event that Transition Extreme Sports Limited cannot either obtain appropriate loan funding or evidence its financial stability by 30 September, 2010, to authorise the Head of Asset Management and Operations, if appropriate, to advertise the Queen’s Links Outdoor Centre for lease on the open market for any use capable of achieving planning permission; and

(iv)       that in the event that the provisions referred to at (iii) above come to pass, it be remitted to appropriate officers to report back to a future meeting of the Committee on the responses received to the advertising process.