This meeting was about a decision to be made by Conrad Hall, the Corporate Director of Resources, about whether to grant a lease on the Tate Institute to an organisation called Respace Projects.

Agreement for Lease and Lease of Tate Institute, 1 Wythes Road, London E16 2DN (Tate Institute) to Respace Projects Ltd (Respace Projects)

The report pack included for discussion an officer's recommendation to approve an agreement for lease and a lease of the Tate Institute building to Respace Projects, who were described as having been awarded a £1.38 million grant by the council to refurbish and operate the building. The report proposed that the agreement for lease be signed immediately, with the full lease being signed after the refurbishment has taken place. It was noted in the report that the lease would be for 25 years, and would be a full repairs and insurance lease. The lease would require Respace Projects to pay rent of £55 per square meter per year, but this could be reduced by up to 80% in exchange for Respace Projects providing social value to the community. The report argued that there was no alternative to granting the lease to Respace Projects, and that doing so would help the council to achieve its priorities for the borough, as well as contributing to the Mayor of Newham's Community Wealth Building agenda. The report also described how Respace Projects had committed to engaging with local people, saying:

Respace Projects, within their tender response (Appendix 2) have outlined how they will engage with local residents and businesses in a way that will allow them to actively shape the future direction of this project.

The report pack also included a report to cabinet from 4 July 2023 which contained details of a decision to seek a contractor to refurbish and operate the Tate Institute. The report set out the background to the decision, and described how the council had secured funding for the refurbishment from the government's Levelling Up Fund. The report also said that the council had a number of objectives for the refurbishment, including:

 Delivering an Enterprise hub (Opportunities for business development and training)  Production facilities and event space (including art and cultural activities)  Creative studios and workshop space (with educational opportunities for young people)  A communal garden

The report to cabinet noted that there had been limited public consultation on the proposals for The Tate Institute, but that this would change after the appointment of the contractor, saying:

There’s been limited public consultation to date on either building, however, this is expected at a later date in the process, particularly post-identification of a developer/operator partner.

The report to cabinet also argued that the proposed refurbishment would help the council to achieve its objectives for the borough, saying that it would:

contribute to the following Building a Fairer Newham Corporate Plan Priorities: 5.1.1 Priority 3 – Outcome 1 – Satisfaction with the Local Area. Via improving run down and long-term vacant Council Assets. 5.1.2 Priority 3 – Outcome 4 – CO2 Footprint. Via drastically enhancing the thermal efficiency of the two buildings. 5.1.3 Priority 7 – Outcome 2 - Satisfaction with the Local Area. Via improving run down and long-term vacant Council Assets.