Purpose

The
Council is delivering a temporary community centre at Phase 1
Northstowe as an interim arrangement, prior to delivery of the
permanent facility. The building is to be rented from Portakabin
for a three-year period. The Council will be operating the facility
and charging for use, although it is not pursuing a full cost
recovery model; the charges have been benchmarked against other
community facilities operated locally and scaled according to the
nature of the hire.
 
A
Management Board will be formed to oversee the operation of the
Temporary Community Centre and the Management Board in future will
review these charges on an annual basis, in alignment with South
Cambridgeshire District Council’s annual review of charges,
to recommend to Council any adjustment, for their
consideration.
 
The
Council is committed to supporting community development at
Northstowe; the charging structure proposed is designed to support
community led activities with lower rates, with higher rates
charged for private hires, fee-charging activity providers and
commercial operators.
 
In
order that the booking policy may be finalised, hire agreements
made, and licence payments set prior to opening the facility c.
June 2023, these fees and charges must be agreed now, outside of
the usual decision-making cycle (due to be considered by Cabinet in
November 2023) and the Constitution permits this, with the
agreement of the relevant Cabinet Member, in this case Cllr Bill
Handley, Lead Cabinet Member for Communities. The Fees and Charges
proposed, priced per hour, are set out in the table below. VAT will
not be charged.

 
Pricing Category
 

 
Commercial

 
Local/benefit for community *

 
Northstowe Community Groups

 

Without VAT

Without VAT

Without VAT

Assembly Room 1

 
£26.00
 

 
£18.00
 
 

 
£12.00
 
 

Assembly Room 2

 
£26.00
 

 
£18.00
 
 

 
£12.00
 
 

Assembly Rooms
 1 and 2 Combined

 
£52.00
 
 

 
£30.00
 
 

 
£20.00
 
 

 
Office 1

 
£10.00
 
 

 
£8.00
 
 

 
£6.00
 
 

 
Office 3

 
£14.00
 
 

 
£10.00
 
 

 
£8.00
 
 

 
NHS
Room

 
£15.00
 
 

 
£12.00
 
 

 
£9.00
 
 

Exclusive Use

If exclusive use of the entire premises is requested,
this could be negotiated at the discretion of the management board,
based on the areas to be in active use and any opportunity cost
that may result.

 

Content

Recommended option agreed.