The Sheffield Council's Charity Trustee Sub-Committee met on 8 September 2025, to discuss several matters relating to the city's parks, including approving a lease extension for the Endcliffe Park cafe, and considering options for the future of Norton Nurseries in Graves Park. The committee also approved a licence for Sheffield Wednesday Football Club (SWFC) to use the Hillsborough Park car park.

Norton Nurseries Update

The committee discussed the future of Norton Nurseries, considering a report from the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services. The report outlined options for the longer-term provision of maintenance services for the Graves Park Charity, and the use of Norton Nursery as a council operations base.

The report set out four options:

• Option 1: The council continues to use Norton Nurseries for the maintenance of Graves Park and other green spaces, under a formal five-year licence agreement with market-based charges.
• Option 2: Reduce the footprint of the Norton Nursery operational base, while allowing the Parks and Countryside (P&C) service to continue to use the site to service green spaces, including Graves Park, under a formal five-year licence agreement with market-based charges.
• Option 3: Withdraw all council operations from Norton Nurseries, with P&C continuing to provide maintenance services to the Graves Park Charity from an alternative operational base.
• Option 4: Withdraw all council operations from Norton Nurseries, with the Charity either delivering its own maintenance services or outsourcing them from another provider (not SCC) through a contract.

The report recommended further consideration of options 1, 2, and 3. The committee was reminded that any decision made by the committee in its capacity as charitable trustee may be subject to approval by the Charity Commission.

The discussion was informed by correspondence with the Charity Commission, and external legal advice. The legal advice stated that trustees should consider three short term options:

(i) To continue the present arrangements whereby the council uses Norton Nursery as an operational base to manage Graves Park and several other non-charity green spaces, under a licence agreement, with appropriate charging structures passing each way between the Charity and the Council.

(ii) For the Charity to allow the Council to continue to use Norton Nurseries as an operational base, for the sole purpose of maintaining the Graves Park Charity.

(iii) For the Charity to take back possession of Norton Nurseries from the Council and cease to use the site as an operational base entirely. The Charity would provide its own maintenance services, either directly, or by procuring from a third party (which may or may not be the Council).

The committee had previously agreed to grant a short-term, 12-month licence to Sheffield City Council’s P&C Service for continued use of the Norton Nurseries site as an operational base for the maintenance of green spaces including Graves Park, but this decision is subject to s105 approval by the Charity Commission.

The report noted that the Graves Park Animal Farm is relatively self-contained with a dedicated staff cohort and extremely limited use of any Norton Nurseries facilities.

The committee was presented with a soft-market test exercise for the management and maintenance of Graves Park, and it was noted that two responses were received, neither of which were able to provide all services.

The committee was reminded that the revenue grant for 2023/2024 from the council was £291,126 (for both the Park and the Animal Farm), and that this value is based upon the support in-kind provided by the council to the charity.

Rose Garden Cafe Progress Update

The committee received an update on the progress of the Rose Garden Cafe Partnership regarding the restoration of the Rose Garden Cafe in Graves Park. The report provided an update on the progress made by the Rose Garden Café Partnership (Friends of Graves Park, Save the Rose Garden Café Campaign and Sheffield City Council) on the recommendations approved by the Charity Trustee Sub Committee on 18 October 2023.

The report noted that a project delivery team was appointed in September 2024 to produce the concept design for a restored and refurbished Rose Garden Café, and that the Stage 2 design was completed in February 2025 with a costing of £2.6m.

The report recommended a phased approach to the works, and that the Partnership continue to establish funds for the full restoration and refurbishment for the Stage 2 cost plan estimate of £2,600,000, noting that it will be raised in tranches to meet the spending profile.

The Partnership has agreed to not proceed to the next stage of design (RIBA Stage 3) until further funding is secured.

The Partnership fundraising task group continues to undertake and plan innovative ways of fundraising, and the initial fundraising target of £25,000 has now been met and therefore at the Partnership meeting on 11 July it was agreed to extend the fundraising target to £37,500 to align with the amount required to apply to funders for the first phase of the restoration (5% of phase 1 total).

The committee was reminded that the structural defects of the Rose Garden Café have been assessed and meet the prioritisation criteria for accessing the Essential Compliance and Maintenance fund, and that the fund is dedicated to addressing critical maintenance and compliance issues within the Council's operational estate.

Endcliffe Park Cafe - Lease of Cafe

The committee approved the grant of a lease for a term of two years to the existing cafe tenant at Endcliffe Park, with a rolling break clause, at the end of the current lease. The Head of Property Services was authorised to offer the property to the market during 2026 and identify potential operators, and a recommendation will be brought back to the committee as to the results of the tender process and to seek approval to enter into a lease arrangement with the recommended operator.

The report noted that the charitable object for Endcliffe Park is the provision of public walks and pleasure grounds, and that the provision of a cafe in the park is seen as fulfilling the requirement to improve public's conditions of life by providing a place where the public can socialise and take refreshments as part of the overall Park experience.

Hillsborough Park Car Park

The committee approved the grant of a licence to Sheffield Wednesday Football Club (SWFC) to use the Hillsborough Park car park for matchday parking for supporters. The licence permits sole use four hours prior to kick-off until 90 minutes after the final whistle on 28 days each year.

The report noted that the charitable object for Hillsborough Park is the provision and maintenance of a public park and recreation ground in Sheffield for the use of members of the public resorting thereto with the object of improving their conditions of life.

The report noted that there are equality implications arising from this proposal, principally in supporting disabled and older SWFC supporters to park close to the ground, which is otherwise problematic within the locality, and that the proposal also has a corresponding loss of parking for park-visitors on matchdays.

The licence provides additional income to the Charity at almost half of the total car park income, annually.

Work Programme

The committee agreed the sub-committee's work programme, including additions and amendments. The work programme lists all known, substantive agenda items for forthcoming meetings of the sub-committee, to enable the sub committee, other committees, officers, partners and the public to plan their work with and for the sub-committee. The work programme includes the following items:

• Endcliffe Park Cafe - Request to commence Marketing Exercise
• Rose Garden Café Progress Update
• Norton Nurseries Update
• Hillsborough Car Park
• Endcliffe Park Lodge – Request for Award of Lease Following Marketing Exercise
• Lease of the Nursery within the First Start Building at Firth Park
• Firth Park Clock Tower