Content

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.