Issue - meetings

This report seeks approval to grant a long lease of the site of the Museum Garden toilets, together with an adjacent store building and an adjoining area, to The Lendal Tower Venture.

RESOLVED: (i)         That, subject to obtaining the Charity Commission’s consent to the transaction, Option A be approved and the Property be leased to The Lendal Tower Venture based on the Heads of Terms Development Agreement included in Annex 2 to the report.

REASON:      To improve a publicly accessible space.

                        (ii)        That the consideration sum be applied to the benefit of the Yorkshire Museum and Gardens Charity.

REASON:      To comply with the Council’s obligations as custodian trustee.

                        (iii)       That, if necessary, at the next Full Council meeting a sub-committee be constituted as the Yorkshire Museum Gardens Committee, in accordance with the 1960 Charitable Scheme (pending the final agreement of the new replacement Scheme), in order to remove from the endowment the property required to build the proposed restaurant, in compliance with the Charities Act 2006.

REASON:      To comply with the Charities Act 2006 and to make a proper application to the Charity Commission for consent to dispose of the property.

Members considered a report which sought approval to grant a long lease of the site of the Museum Gardens toilets, and an adjacent store building and adjoining area (the Property), to The Lendal Tower Venture (the Developer).

The Property was illustrated on the plan attached as Annex 1 to the report.  Members had already agreed in principle to closing the toilets and leasing the site to the Developer as part of a scheme to build a restaurant with an outdoor terrace.  That scheme had now received planning permission.  Ward Members were supportive of the development and it was considered that the advantages to Museum Gardens outweighed the loss of the public toilets.

The available options were:

Option A – grant a lease of the Property for the proposed restaurant scheme.  This was the recommended option.

Option B- retain the Property.  This was not recommended, as the chance to provide an enhanced entrance to Museum Gardens would be lost.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive on this item, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That, subject to obtaining the Charity Commission’s consent to the transaction, Option A be approved and the Property be leased to The Lendal Tower Venture based on the Heads of Terms Development Agreement included in Annex 2 to the report.

REASON:      To improve a publicly accessible space.

                        (ii)        That the consideration sum be applied to the benefit of the Yorkshire Museum and Gardens Charity.¹

REASON:      To comply with the Council’s obligations as custodian trustee.

                        (iii)       That, if necessary, at the next Full Council meeting a sub-committee be constituted as the Yorkshire Museum Gardens Committee, in accordance with the 1960 Charitable Scheme (pending the final agreement of the new replacement Scheme), in order to remove from the endowment the property required to build the proposed restaurant, in compliance with the Charities Act 2006.²

REASON:      To comply with the Charities Act 2006 and to make a proper application to the Charity Commission for consent to dispose of the property.