Issue - meetings

That:

1)        Finchampstead Baptist Church be the preferred operator for the new community facility within the Arborfied Strategic Development Location, subject to agreement of the terms of lease;

2)        a report will be received by the Executive at a later date recommending the specific terms of formal agreement with the Finchampstead Baptist Church to operate the community facility within the Arborfield Strategic Development Location.

The Executive considered a report setting out the proposal for the Finchampstead Baptist Church (FBC) to be the preferred operator for the new community facility being provided as part of the necessary infrastructure for the Arborfield Strategic Development Location.

The Executive Member for Planning and Enforcement explained that FBC was chosen as the preferred operator as they were already doing a fantastic job at another community site.  The reason for getting the FBC in early was so that they could start working with the SDL Team and Crest Nicholson to play an integral role in the design and delivery of the new community facility.

Councillor Kaiser stated that the FBC already had a large operation in Finchampstead and queried whether any commitment on time had been agreed as he would not want them to come back at a later stage and state that they were having difficulty running two centres.  Councillor Smith confirmed that extensive discussions had taken place between the FBC, in conjunction with the local Parish Council and Churches on the Green, and the feeling was that this would not be an issue.  He also drew Members’ attention to the second recommendation which stated that the Executive would receive a report on the specific terms of agreement and if it was felt that the FBC could not cope with both facilities there would be an opportunity to pull out then. 

Councillor Haitham Taylor was pleased that the FBC had come forward to run the facility however she wanted to ensure that the building would be accessible and welcoming for everybody in the community and would be affordable for all who wished to make use of the facility.  Councillor Smith confirmed that during discussions all those areas had been covered.

RESOLVED that:

1)        Finchampstead Baptist Church be the preferred operator for the new community facility within the Arborfied Strategic Development Location, subject to agreement of the terms of lease;

2)        a report will be received by the Executive at a later date recommending the specific terms of formal agreement with the Finchampstead Baptist Church to operate the community facility within the Arborfield Strategic Development Location.