Issue - meetings

Report of Director of Regeneration and Planning.

Lead Cabinet members:  Councillor Jonathan Dow.

(KD) (1) That the future lease of the Royal Hippodrome Theatre on the broad lease terms outlined in para 5.2 of this report be agreed. (2) That the Director of Regeneration and Planning, in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance be given delegated authority to take all steps necessary to complete the lease.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Regeneration and Planning regarding the granting of a long lease to the Royal Hippodrome Theatre (RHT).

Attempts had been made over the last ten years to put a firm management in place for the RHT and these were detailed in the report.

The grade two listed theatre was being run on a licence from the council by the Community Interest Company (CIC), set up in 2015. The company had recently secured external grant funding of £100,000 for improvement works to the façade of the theatre.

A local family had approached the council with a request to take over the management of the RHT, which required at least £1.4 million investment to restore the building.

Should Cabinet grant a long lease, the CIC would continue to manage the RHT and the local family would be appointed as Directors of the CIC. Retaining the freehold of the building would protect the building’s use as a theatre for future generations.

The Cabinet were advised that recommendation two in the report should be amended to read “To delegate authority to the Director of Regeneration and Planning, in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance to take all steps necessary to complete the lease.” This was unanimously agreed.

Resolved:

(1) That the future lease of the Royal Hippodrome Theatre on the broad lease terms outlined in paragraph 5.2 of the report be agreed.

(2) That the Director of Regeneration and Planning, in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance be given delegated authority to take all steps necessary to complete the lease.

Reason for decision:

To endorse new leaseholder arrangements for the Royal Hippodrome Theatre at Devonshire Park and new contractual agreement with operator.