Decision details

11.1

This report outlines a proposal from Allama Iqbal Cricket Club to secure cricket facilities in Graves Park. The report seeks approval from Sheffield City Council, acting as sole trustee of Graves Park Charity, to grant a 5-year lease of the Cricket Pavilion and a 5-year licence of the cricket playing area to Allama Iqbal Cricket Club to enable their pursuit of funding from the English Cricket Board.

11.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Charity Trustee Sub-Committee:-

1.     notes the contents of this report;

2.     approves the lease and licence proposals based on the terms set out in closed Appendix 2.

11.3

Reasons for Decision

11.3.1

The proposal to grant a 5-year lease of the pavilion and 5-year license of pitch:

·       Provides a home ground cricket facility for a local club that encourages development of grass roots sports in the community.

·       Secures an increased income stream by way of rent and reduction of running costs of the charity.

·       Enhances the provision of recreational facilities in the park as a valuable asset for use by the community, thereby contributing to the charity objectives.

·       By granting a lease of the pavilion only, it minimises the reduction in public access to areas of the park and thus is not detrimental to the charity continuing to deliver its objectives. Because the license on the pitch and square does not grant exclusive use, it still allows public access to all of the park areas that are currently accessible.

·       Complies with the statutory provisions contained within the Act and further with the requirements of the Charity Commission

11.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

11.4.1

Alternative option 1: Do Nothing

If the facility is not leased or licensed out to a club, it will remain in its current condition which is of a low standard and with a ‘scruffy’ appearance in the park. A temporary license could be granted to the cricket club. This would allow them to play in the park, but due to the limited resources of the charity, there would be limited scope to bring these facilities up to the standard that the club would like to use. It is likely that the club would look to find an alternative playing area, and unless a club could be found that would accept the facilities in their current poor condition, the pitch and pavilion would fall into disuse. This would be the opposite of the charity’s objectives to provide recreational facilities for the people of Sheffield.

11.4.2

Alternative option 2: Shorter lease terms

The cricket club have been playing in Graves Park since 2023 under a temporary license arrangement. A short-term lease or license would grant permission from the Graves Park charity to allow the club to play in the park, but it does not allow them to obtain external grant funding to invest in the site and it also does not give them the security of playing location to encourage them to invest their own resources into the site and encourage increased participation of cricket in the park. Therefore, whilst this option was acceptable for the charity, it was not an option that was suitable for AICC and was therefore rejected.

11.4.3

Alternative option 3: Lease on the pavilion (Property 1) and not the land underneath it (Property 2).

In considering the concerns of FOGP regarding the potential that the Graves Park charity could lose long term control or ownership of the charitable land if it were to be leased to the cricket club, an alternative not to lease the land but to lease the building without the land underneath was investigated. Officers established that there would be no increase in legal protection to the charity by such an arrangement as the land beneath the pavilion would be effectively unusable for the duration of the lease term. This option was therefore rejected.