Agenda item

An officer from the Council’s Property Services will be present to provide an update on the current situation with regard to Braunstone Hall.

The Chair introduced Sir Peter Soulsby, the City Mayor, to the Meeting. 

Sir Peter explained that he had had early discussions with the Ward Members about issues in the Ward, so was aware of local issues of concern.  He had been very impressed by the Action Plan for the Ward and considered that it could become a model for other Wards.

Sir Peter advised the meeting that he was aware of concern about finding a suitable use for Braunstone Hall.  He shared this concern, as it was recognised that the Hall was important to the history of Leicester, as well as the area, and he made the following points:-

·           Although there were issues with the building, it was structurally sound and most of the problems were superficial.  However, care needed to be taken to ensure that the building did not deteriorate further;

·           Better use could be made of the stable block;

·           Two parties initially had expressed an interest in the Hall, but it was felt that there now was only one party with a serious interest in the property.  They were interested in using the Hall for the leisure and hospitality industry;

·           The interested party had a proven track record of using sensitive buildings well, but the cost of any scheme could be a problem.  It could be too expensive for the new user to meet the full costs of making the building usable, so the Council was negotiating the level of help it could give.  There was confidence that agreement could be reached;

·           Negotiations also were underway on how public access to the grounds could be maintained;

·           It was hoped that all negotiations could be concluded by the summer; and

·           The Council originally had considered funding development of the Hall by selling some land at the corner of Oswin Road, but it was felt that it would be a shame to do this, as the land had ecological value.  This sale also would complicate the issues involved in bringing the Hall back in to use and the land had no relationship to the site of the Hall.  Funding for this development should be clear and straightforward.

The following points were then made in discussion:-

·           The possibility of selling land at the corner of Hinckley Road and Winstanley Drive had not been considered.  It was part of the school site, so did not link naturally with Braunstone Hall.  A strategic objective in the Ward was to develop land for housing whenever possible and the land on this corner was the second prime site in the Ward;

·           The development being considered was very exciting and would give the Hall a sustainable future.  Detailed plans had not been seen by the Council yet, but any development would need to be done in a way that was satisfactory for the building and the community;

·           The Council was aware that public opinion was that the worst option for the Hall would be for the developer to do something that shut local people out, so would be robust in its negotiations with the developer on that aspect of his plans.  However, he had always stated that there would be a level of community use;

·           The Hall would be leased to the developer, so the Council would retain ownership of the site;

·           The Council had worked successfully with this developer in the past and was confident that it could do so on this occasion.  Previous examples of the developer’s work included the City Rooms, Belgrave House and the large house in Western Park.  All had been developed differently.  However, the meeting still had some concerns that access to Braunstone Hall would not be maintained;

·           There currently was no fence round the area, but if people were using the Hall, it could help security if one was erected;

·           An important consideration in current negotiations was ensuring that whatever was provided at the Hall was affordable for the community.  Better use could be made of the stable block, which could help with the provision of affordable facilities;

·           The Council wanted appropriate facilities to be provided for community use, alongside the development of the Hall.  For example, a café could benefit from passing trade and provide a useful facility.  It was important that the community endorsed such facilities, as it then was more likely to use them.  The stables and gardens would not be part of the area leased to the developer, which gave good opportunities to provide facilities;

·           The potential for vandalism would be reduced once the Hall was in use;

·           It was suggested that a check could be made to see if the large Cedar tree at the rear of the Hall had a Tree Preservation Order on it, but it was noted that the Council could not place such Orders on its own trees;

·           The City Mayor undertook to come to the Community Meeting to explain what was happening with the development if it an agreement had not been reached by early summer;

·           The Council was fully aware of the condition of the Hall and was keeping it wind and water-tight.  The potential developer had asked the Council to ensure that the roof was in good condition and it was anticipated that this would be checked within the next two months.  The developer would be doing his own surveys as well;

·           It was not possible to make detailed plans at this stage, but it was anticipated that, if agreement could be reached before the summer, it would be approximately 6 – 12 months before the redevelopment was started.  This allowed time for approvals such as detailed planning permission and listed building consent to be obtained;

·           The Council preferred not to enter in to some kind a profit-sharing arrangement for this project, as it would complicate arrangements for the use of the Hall.  However, this option could not be ruled out completely;

·           Part of the reason for the condition of the Hall was that it had been in a poor condition when it was transferred from County Council ownership to City Council ownership, but it was recognised that it had taken too long to find a use for the property.