Issue - meetings

That the committee does not declare the open space adjacent to the Gallagher Stadium, as outlined in red on the attached plan as Appendix 1, as surplus to operational requirements but asks officers to further investigate the possibility of a licence with the club.

The Parks and Leisure Manager presented a report on the Disposal of Land adjacent to the Gallagher Stadium which covered the following:

·  Maidstone Borough Council had been approached by Maidstone United Football Club to take over ownership of a strip of land to allow access to the North Stand.

·  The club would then take responsibility for the maintenance of the land, which included installing low level lighting to help guide fans from the land when there were evening games.

·  An alternative to permanent disposal was to provide a license for the use of the land, which would allow the club to use the land at certain times.

·  If MBC granted the club a formal license then it would retain flexibility of disposing the land and gave the council control over access and usage of the land.

·  If MBC were to dispose of the land as freehold or leasehold then the council would no longer control access or conditions of use.

·  For these reasons Officers recommended that the Committee did not declare the land surplus but instead further explore granting a license to the club for use of the land.

RESOLVED:

That the committee does not declare the open space adjacent to the Gallagher Stadium, as outlined in red on the attached plan as Appendix 1, as surplus to operational requirements but asks officers to further investigate the possibility of a licence with the club.

Voting:  For – 6  Against – 1Abstentions – 0 

Cllr Hinder left the meeting at 20:28, after the voting of this item.