Agenda item

B  Report of the Director of Regeneration, Enterprise and Planning. (Copy herewith)

Abington Park Café

1.    Cabinet agreed (subject to the advertisement process set out in paragraphs 2.2 and 2.3 of this report) approval be given to the disposal of land by way of lease (shown edged red on Plan at Appendix 1 of the report) and licence (shown edged blue on Plan at Appendix 1) of land designated as public open space at Abington Park.

2.    Cabinet agreed that approval be given to the advertisement of the proposed disposal of public open space in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980.

3.            (a) That approval be given for the Cabinet Member for Regeneration Enterprise and Planning to consider representations received following the advertising of the disposal of public open space and to confirm the disposal if no objections are received, or

 (b) If objections are received for the disposal of public open space the matter be referred back to Cabinet for determination.

4.     Cabinet agreed that subject to paragraph 2.3 (a) approval be given to accept the surrender of the existing lease of the Abington Park Café and to grant a new lease of an extended area shown edged red on the plan attached as Appendix 1 of the report to the existing tenant.

5.     Cabinet agreed that subject to paragraph 2.3 (a) approval be given to grant an annually determinable licence for the placement of tables and chairs within the area shown edged blue on the plan attached as Appendix 1 of the report.

6.     Cabinet agreed that subject to paragraph 2.3 (a) approval be given for the Director of Regeneration Enterprise and Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration Enterprise and Planning to agree terms for a new lease and licence of The Abington Park Café.

           Park Inn Hotel

7.     Cabinet approved to grant an extension of the existing ground lease of

            the Park Inn Hotel site for a premium of £750,000.

8.     Cabinet gave approval for the Director of Regeneration, Enterprise and Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration Enterprise and Planning to agree terms for the grant an extension of the ground lease of the Park Inn Hotel site.

Councillor Stone requested that a catering strategy be put in place to ensure that there was not a monopoly on the catering facilities in the park and asked why there had been no proper tendering process, what the penalties would be should there be encroachment of café furniture onto public open space and why there had been no consultation.

Councillor Smith stated that it was important for people to remember that Abington Park was gifted to the people of Northampton and that consideration should be given to all people using the park and not just to the café owner.

The acting Leader commented that further information had been received from a variety of sources and any information submitted would be fed into the consultation.

Councillor Hadland as the relevant Cabinet Member submitted a report and explained that the current tenant of Abington Park Café still had 13 years on the lase and that the tenant had requested a 25 year lease. He further responded to earlier comments by confirmed that a competitive tendering process had not been undertaken as the tenant was still legally in place but that the crux of the report was about the loss of public open spaces. He confirmed that all objections would be considered and that all points raised could be addressed at the next step of the process which would involve public consultation.

Councillor Hadland reported that he was pleased to confirm that the Park Inn wished to extend their lease for a further 70 years on the same terms as the existing lease and noted that a premium of £750,000 had been negotiated which would be in addition to the ground rent.

RESOLVED:

Abington Park Café

1.    That subject to the advertisement process set out in paragraphs 2.2 and 2.3 of the report, approval be given to the disposal of land by way of lease (shown edged red on Plan at Appendix 1 of the report) and licence (shown edged blue on Plan at Appendix 1 of the report) of land designated as public open space at Abington Park.

2.    That approval be given to the advertisement of the proposed disposal of public open space in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980.

3.    (a) That approval be given for the Cabinet Member for Regeneration Enterprise and Planning to consider representations received following the advertising of the disposal of public open space and to confirm the disposal if no objections are received, or

 (b) If objections are received for the disposal of public open space the matter be referred back to Cabinet for determination.

4.     That subject to paragraph 2.3 (a) approval be given to accept the surrender of the existing lease of the Abington Park Café and to grant a new lease of an extended area shown edged red on the plan attached as Appendix 1 of the report to the existing tenant.

5.     That subject to paragraph 2.3 (a) approval be given to grant an annually determinable licence for the placement of tables and chairs within the area shown edged blue on the plan attached as Appendix 1 of the report.

6.     That subject to paragraph 2.3 (a) approval be given for the Director of Regeneration Enterprise and Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration Enterprise and Planning to agree terms for a new lease and licence of The Abington Park Café.

           Park Inn Hotel

7.            That approval be given to grant an extension of the existing ground lease of the Park Inn Hotel site for a premium of £750,000.

8.     That approval be granted for the Director of Regeneration, Enterprise and Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration Enterprise and Planning to agree terms for the grant an extension of the ground lease of the Park Inn Hotel site.

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Enterprise and Planning thanked the Director of Regeneration, Enterprise and Planning for his hard work and congratulated him on the work that he had done over the past few years and wished him luck in his retirement.

The acting Leader gave heartfelt thanks to the former Leader of the Council, Councillor Mary Markham for all of her hard work and noted that he hoped to continue with the honest and transparent manner in which she had conducted herself whilst in office.