Agenda and minutes

City Council - Tuesday 18 October 2011 4.30 pm

Venue: COUNCIL HOUSE, PLYMOUTH (next to the Civic Centre)

Contact: Nicola Kirby, Senior Democratic Support Officer (Cabinet)  Email: nicola.kirby@plymouth.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

75.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillors will be asked to make declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

Minutes:

The following declarations of interest were made in accordance with the code of conduct from councillors in relation to an item under consideration at this meeting –

 

Name

 

Item

Interest

Reason

Councillor John Smith

Minute 76 – Plymouth Argyle Football Club

 

Personal

Family member works for Plymouth Argyle

Councillor Stark

Minute 76 – Plymouth Argyle Football Club

Personal

Season ticket holder

 

Following the declaration by Councillor Stark above, the Leader advised that, following consultation with the Assistant Director for Democracy and Governance, she had been advised that there was no need for season ticket holders to declare any interests.

76.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE FOOTBALL CLUB pdf icon PDF 56 KB

The recommendation from Cabinet of 18 October 2011 will be submitted together with the written report of the Director for Development and Regeneration to Cabinet on the possibility of the purchase of the freehold of Home Park, by the Council, on a commercial basis.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The City Council received the written report of the Director for Development and Regeneration on Home Park Football Stadium which had been submitted to Cabinet together with the Cabinet recommendation and Cabinet decisions of 18 October 2011 (minutes 69 and 69a refer).

 

The Leader (Councillor Mrs Pengelly) submitted the proposal to amend the capital programme to incorporate the purchase of Home Park and Councillllor Fry seconded the proposal. 

 

The Council was advised –

 

(a)

of the events that had led to the request today;

 

(b)

that if the request was not approved, the Plymouth Argyle Football Club would go into liquidation;

 

(c)

the Council was asked to support the continuation of the club,  to protect land interests at Home Park and  to protect the wider interests set out in the Central Park Area Action Plan and the Environmental Master Plan;

 

(d)

that James Brent had been identified as the preferred purchaser by the administrators and that the Council had been contacted with an offer as set out in the written report;

  

(e)

 

that due diligence had been undertaken on land values through the  District Valuer.  The standard land price was £2.2m and the proposed price of £1.6m represented good value for money;

 

(f)

 

of the proposed terms and amendment to the covenant;

 

(g)

that the City Council was only part of rescue package.

 

During the debate, the following points were made –

 

(h)

that the proposal was right for city, those who work for the club, the club and the fans;

 

(i)

that the Council should pay tribute to Chris Webb (Chair of the Plymouth Argyle Fans’ Trust) and thank staff at the club; 

 

(j)

that the officers should be thanked for their work on this issue;

 

(k)

that there was a distinction between the use of council tax for services and use of resources for capital assets;

 

(l)

that this was a commercial opportunity for the wider benefits and for the local community;

 

(m)

that the Leader should be thanked for leading the Council in negotiations.

 

The Leader summed up and endorsed the comments.  She thanked all those mentioned above and also all those people who had contacted her to offer support.

 

Following a request from tencouncillors for a recorded vote, there voted –

 

For the motion (50)

 

CouncillorsMrs Aspinall, Ball, Mrs Beer, Berrow, Bowyer, Mrs Bowyer, Mrs Bragg, Browne, Casey, Churchill, Coker, Delbridge, Evans, Foster, Mrs Foster, Fry, Gordon, Haydon, James, Jordan, Martin Leaves, Michael Leaves, Sam Leaves, Lock, Lowry, Dr Mahony, McDonald, Monahan, Murphy, Mrs Nelder, Nicholson, Mrs Nicholson, Penberthy, Mrs Pengelly, Rennie, Reynolds, Ricketts, Singh, John Smith, Peter Smith, Stark, Stevens, Thompson, Tuffin, Tuohy, Vincent, Wheeler, Wigens  Wildy and Wright.

 

Against the motion (0)

 

Abstentions (1)

 

The Lord Mayor

 

The following Members were absent (6)

 

Councillors Bowie, Davey Mrs Dolan, Drean, Dr Salter and Williams.

 

Agreed the amendment to the capital programme as set out in the report,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 76.