Agenda item

Councillor Roberts submits a report seeking Cabinet approval to the uptake of grants in relation to the Sports Lottery project for the development of the sporting and Adult and Community Learning facilities at the Highfields Youth and Community Centre.

Councillor Roberts submitted a report seeking the Cabinet’s approval for the uptake of grants in relation to the Sports Lottery project for the development of the sporting and Adult and Community Learning facilities at the Highfields Youth and Community Centre. The report also outlined details of a bid to the Learning and Skills Council that would support the development of Adult and Community Learning.

A revised set of recommendations was also circulated.

Councillor Roberts noted this report was the final stage for agreement to take up the Sport England Lottery Board grant by mid April. He noted that the Council would hear soon if the bid to the Learning and Skills Council was successful to enable an enhanced Community facility to be built.

The Head of Lifelong Learning detailed for the Cabinet the capital and revenue risks associated with the Highfields Youth and Community Centre (HYCC) project, including the possibility of clawback from the Lottery’s Board Sports England.  It was noted the Chief Financial Officer and the Head of Legal Services had been consulted on the risks set out in the report.  

The information on the risks is attached as an Appendix to these minutes.

The Chair enquired if any further details on the grant had been received from Sport England. The Head of Lifelong Learning stated that he had recently had confirmed verbally that any clawback of the grant, if the conditions were not met, would be in proportion to the amount they had invested minus the period of use. This would also be confirmed in writing.

Members of the Cabinet also enquired what liability the Council would face if the centre was to be managed by an independent organisation. Officers reassured the Cabinet that safeguards would be included in any contract for the management of the facility with a third party.

The Chair welcomed the report and particularly expressed his support for the involvement of the Learning and Skills Council whose contribution could enhance the Lifelong Learning opportunities for disadvantaged communities and enable the scheme originally planned to proceed.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the risks set out in the report and attached to these minutes, be noted;

(2)that acceptance of the Sports Lottery funding, be confirmed, agreeing that such acceptance meant that the Council would meet the revenue consequences of the Lottery funded project including any deficits;

(3)that the change of the signatory from Highfields Community Association to the City Council, be approved, as the association had no power to bind the Council to this project or funding in respect of a Council run project; and

(4)that, having been appraised of the risks as set out in the report and in the Appendix to these Minutes, the full scheme be approved, subject to confirmation of external funding approval from the Learning and Skills Council and if the Learning and Skills Council funding was not available, then the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead for Education and Lifelong Learning, be authorised to decide to proceed with the reduced £2.8m scheme; and

(5)to note that the grant would not be accepted without:

(a)assurance from Sport England that clawback will only apply to the facilities they have funded (not the whole Highfields Centre as the conditions currently appear to imply), or other comfort regarding the maximum clawback;

(b)confirmation of our interpretation of the term “sport development objectives”, or some other satisfactory classification.