Purpose

The
purpose of the decision is to approve the lease terms for the Unity
Centre, wherein a leasehold agreement is made with Northstowe Town
Council in accordance with the decision of Cabinet taken 24 June
2025.  The decision of Cabinet was
to approve an in-principle asset
transfer of the Unity Centre to Northstowe Town Council
and endorsed further discussion with the Town Council to progress
their proposal.
 
Cabinet
delegated responsibility to agree the final terms of the lease to
the Cabinet Member for Communities and the Senior Responsible
Officer for Northstowe (the Chief Operating
Officer).
 
The
Chief Operating Officer is authorised to complete all necessary
legal and administrative steps to execute the lease and facilitate
the transfer.
 
The
Agreement to Lease offers to the Town Council a twenty year
leasehold term and commits the district council to use reasonable
endeavours to procure Reversionary Lease Consent from the Secretary
of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to permit a
99-year term (i.e. to grant consent pursuant to s123 of the Local
Government Act 1972).
 
The
Lease Agreement will come into force following the district council
having taken practical completion of the building from its
construction partner, Kier. The Town Council has provided the
requisite details of its proposed operation and arrangements for
monitoring and evidencing ongoing community benefit.
 
Officers undertook further work with representatives and
officers of Northstowe Town Council between June 2025 and January
2026. Northstowe Town Council has approved entry into the lease on
the terms negotiated (Northstowe Town Council meeting 27
January).
 
This
decision authorises the signing and sealing of the Agreement to
Lease.

Content

To
enter into an Agreement to Lease the Unity Centre, Northstowe to
Northstowe Town Council.

Reasons for the decision

Cabinet
previously approved the in?principle asset transfer and delegated
authority to agree the final terms.
 
Northstowe Town Council has confirmed its acceptance of the
negotiated terms.
 
The COO
and Lead Member for Communities are of the view that the Town
Council’s proposed operating model will enable the community
benefits of this asset to be realised; the leasehold terms agreed
embed these community benefits and permit the district council to
step-in should this be required, thereby safeguarding the future of
the Unity Centre as a community asset.
 
Finalising the lease enables the timely transition of management
and control to the Town Council, consistent with the direction set
by Cabinet.

Alternative options considered

Option
1: to withhold a leasehold agreement and deny Northstowe Town
Council’s asset transfer request to manage and operate the
Unity Centre of Northstowe.
 
Reason
for Rejection: Cabinet made a decision to award the asset transfer
to Northstowe Town Council in principle, thereby entrusting the
management and maintenance of this key community asset to the most
local tier of government, subject to satisfactory terms being
agreed with Northstowe Town Council, which have been secured
through an Agreement to Lease.