Agenda item

This report presents the results of further negotiations between Officers and York Racecourse with regard to the granting of a new lease, as requested at the Executive (Calling In) meeting on 27 November 2007, and recommends that the new lease now be granted.

RESOLVED:(i) That Option a) be approved and the existing lease for the Racecourse be surrendered in favour of a new 99 year lease from the end of the current season based on the changes summarised in paragraphs 2 & 3 of the report;

                        (ii) That a growth bid be submitted by the Director of Learning, Culture & Children’s Services for the provision of temporary toilets on Race Days on an experimental basis starting from 2009, in the 2009-10 budget round;

                        (iii) That officers be instructed to negotiate with the Race Committee to ensure that the Cycle Rally is not compromised by extra race days.

REASON:(i) To ensure that York Racecourse and facilities connected therewith retain and enhance their position both nationally and for the benefit of the local economy, whilst at the same time making some provision to mitigate the effects of high visitor numbers on local residents;

(ii)               So that Members can consider allocating funding for this purpose balanced against other spending priorities in next year’s budget;

                        (iii) To ensure that extra race days do not prevent the annual Cycle Rally from taking place at the Racecourse.

Members received a report which presented the results of further negotiations between Officers and York Racecourse with regard to the granting of a new lease, as requested at the Executive (Calling In) meeting on 27 November 2007, and recommended that the new lease now be granted.

The following options were presented for consideration:

a)     To agree to the new 99 year lease incorporating the changes summarised in paragraphs 2 & 3 of the report;

b)     To decline to extend the lease;

c)      To agree a new lease but subject to different conditions.

Officers reported that a six day trial providing 12 off-site toilets, plus 2 disabled toilets, would cost approximately £5600.

Two written representations had been circulated to Members from local residents, outlining concerns regarding the impact of race days on their locality.

Members noted that following a court case between Wigan FC and Greater Manchester Police, it had not been possible for police forces to recoup the cost of policing off sports grounds and that this ruling applied to the Racecourse.  The Police now accepted this position, and had put extra resources into the area.  As a result, there was little that could be done to enforce payment contributions from the Racecourse, and there was no precedent found elsewhere to suggest that doing so would be normal practice.

Residents had reported anti social behaviour problems in nearby streets.  As the Racecourse had indicated that they were not willing to provide toilets off site, any provision would have to be funded by the Council.  All the current budget for the rent sat in the Learning, Culture and Children's Services Directorate, and as such any decision to allocate additional funding would have to be made as part of the budget setting process for that department.

Members expressed the view that, from a property and financial perspective, it made no sense to refuse the lease extension as it would provide financial and other benefits to the Council and the local economy.

RESOLVED:(i) That Option a) be approved and the existing lease for the Racecourse be surrendered in favour of a new 99 year lease from the end of the current season based on the changes summarised in paragraphs 2 & 3 of the report;¹

                        (ii) That a growth bid be submitted by the Director of Learning, Culture & Children’s Services for the provision of temporary toilets on Race Days on an experimental basis starting from 2009, in the 2009-10 budget round;²

                        (iii) That officers be instructed to negotiate with the Race Committee to ensure that the Cycle Rally is not compromised by extra race days.³

REASON:(i) To ensure that York Racecourse and facilities connected therewith retain and enhance their position both nationally and for the benefit of the local economy, whilst at the same time making some provision to mitigate the effects of high visitor numbers on local residents;

(ii)               So that Members can consider allocating funding for this purpose balanced against other spending priorities in next year’s budget;

                        (iii) To ensure that extra race days do not prevent the annual Cycle Rally from taking place at the Racecourse.