Decision details
Brickfields
Decision Maker: Cabinet
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
Decisions:
Councillor Pat Patel (Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Culture, Leisure & Sport) introduced the report on Brickfields and highlighted:-
a)
The report set out the £21 million investment in Brickfields
that would not only transform the site but also the opportunities
available to the Devonport communities and across the city, as well
as providing new opportunities for Plymouth’s professional
sports clubs;
b)
The project had been developed cross party and in partnership with
Plymouth Argyle Football Club, Plymouth Argyle Community Trust,
Plymouth Albion and Devonport Community
Leisure Trust;
c)
It would increase participation in grassroots rugby;
d)
Plymouth Argyle Football Club and Plymouth Argyle Community Trust
would be investing £18 million;
e)
The project showed the ambition for better access to facilities for
local people, and a commitment to improve their health and
wellbeing;
Andrew Parkinson (Chief Executive Officer, Plymouth Argyle Football Club) and Mark Lovell (Chief Executive, Plymouth Argyle Community Trust) added:-
f)
The project would enhance and underused site and would improve
facilities for the local community, whilst also providing and
exemplar multi-sport venue for Plymouth Argyle Football Club and
Plymouth Albion, amongst others, to use;
g)
One of the aims was to be able to attract, retain and develop the
best sporting talent in the city as well as connecting the local
community with the site through a hub;
h)
Plymouth Argyle Community Trust, along with partners had engaged
with local people and the themes that emerged was a desire for
indoor spaces, improved outdoor spaces, a community offering at a
low cost, versatility, health and wellbeing, open spaces,
café and youth engagement;
i)
There would be two floodlit play zones which would be open to the
community as well as a full size 3G rugby pitch, the only one in
the city, as well as a full size 3G football pitched which would
have community usage;
j)
The athletics track would be retailed and a 3G covered indoor
pitch, the first in the south west, all of which would be connected
by active walkways around the complex;
k)
A dedicated site would be provided for the displaced hockey
group;
l)
A community hub would be available on site with a health and
wellbeing offering, a centralised youth zone for young people to
access with education and employment opportunities, hub breakout
spaces for social interaction and family engagement, increased
formal and informal activities on site, improved gym offering at a
low cost with increased hours of access;
m)
Plymouth City Council would retain the freehold and there would be
three leases: Plymouth Argyle Football Club, Plymouth Argyle
Community Trust and Plymouth Albion;
n)
The operational community aspects would be overseen by the trust
with a deed granting easement over the common areas and there would
be regular meetings with a board of key stakeholders;
o)
Plymouth Argyle is trusted within Plymouth and the Plymouth Argyle
Community Trust had a proven record within the city at Manadon in
developing community facilities and would be applying for grants
that wouldn’t otherwise be able to be accessed;
Max Venables (Managing Director, Plymouth Albion) added:-
p)
The aspirations of the three organisations had aligned and they had
a good working relationship and had been working together on the
deal for around 2 years;
q)
It was important to get a multi-sports facility to ensure the
facilities would be used more often;
r) Thanked Ruth Harrell, David Draffan, Liz Slater and Matt Ward for their work on making the deal happen;
Matt Ward (Head of Strategic Development Projects) added:-
s)
Plymouth City Council, as landlord, would be able to ensure
provisions were met with regards to community access and ongoing
community use;
t) Pre-application discussions had taken place with the planning team and the planning application was expected in later 2023 in order for work to begin on site in early 2024;
The Leader added:-
u)
Thanks to all the officers involved in the project;
v)
Thanks to Plymouth Argyle and Plymouth Albion, who the city were
proud off, for coming together on such an incredible
project;
w) Data on health outcomes and inner city deprivation showed a need for projects like this one.
The Cabinet agreed
to:-
1.
Approve the grant of
leases for land at Brickfields to each of the following parties on
the terms set out in Part II of this report: - Plymouth Argyle
Football Club; - Plymouth Argyle Community Trust; and - Plymouth
Albion Rugby Football Club;
2.
Note the proposed
termination of the tenancy between Plymouth Active Leisure Limited
and Devonport Community Leisure Limited and delegates authority to
the Director of Public Health to agree any resulting changes to the
agreement between Plymouth Active Leisure Ltd and the
Council;
3.
Approve the termination
of the services currently provided at Brickfields by Plymouth
Active Leisure Ltd and delegates authority to the Director of
Public Health to agree any resulting changes to the agreement
between Plymouth Active Leisure Ltd and the Council;
4.
Note the possible need
for a transfer of relevant staff from Plymouth Active Leisure Ltd
to Plymouth Argyle Community Trust;
5.
Approve the termination
of the existing leases with Devonport Community Leisure Ltd and
City of Plymouth Athletics Club;
6.
Note the reprovision of facilities for pétanque on land at Stonehouse
Creek;
7.
Approve a commitment
from the Council to support the provision of facilities for hockey,
to mitigate the loss of the sand based artificial grass
pitch;
8.
Approve and make an
allocation for the provision of up to £2,752,903 of capital
funding for the project and delegates authority to the Director of
Public Health to agree the terms for the grant, subject to legal
advice being obtained that no issues arise under the Subsidy
regime;
9.
Note the relocation of
the health and wellbeing hub from the Cumberland Centre to the new
community wellbeing and sports hub;
10.
Delegate authority to
the Director of Public Health and the Strategic Director for Place
to agree the terms of the leases, transfer of staff and all other
documents associated with this transaction and subsequent
redevelopment of the site, including (but not limited to) any
easement, wayleave, grant funding agreement, or any other third
party agreements, including any agreements intended to protect
community uses;
11.
Delegate authority to
the Director of Public Health and the Strategic Director for Place
to consider, at the relevant time, whether the conditions set out
in section 5 of the Part I report have been met;
12. Delegate authority to the Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Leisure & Sport to waive any of the conditions set out in section 5 of the Part I report, if this is considered appropriate on advice from officers from Legal Services.
Report author: Place
Publication date: 10/03/2023
Date of decision: 09/03/2023
Decided at meeting: 09/03/2023 - Cabinet
Effective from: 18/03/2023
Accompanying Documents: