Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Safer & Stronger Communities

Forward Plan Ref: 2011/039

Contact: Martyn Brown, County Heritage & Arts Officer Tel: (01993) 814114

Report by Director for Social & Community Services (CA9).

This report follows reports to the Cabinet in November 2008 and as a delegated decision to the Cabinet Member for Social and Community Services in May 2009.Those reports respectively instructed officers to establish a new charitable trust to manage Cogges Manor Farm Museum and established the objects and powers of the new Trust. This report describes the work that has continued subsequently, seeks approval for the final stages of leasing the Cogges Manor Farm Museum to the new Trust including related property issues, its proposed charitable objects, and the financial implications.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED, subject to one-off funding support of £50,000 from West Oxfordshire District Council:

a.                  to authorise the County Councils Assistant Head of Property to agree the grant of a lease of Cogges Manor Farm to the Trust on terms to be agreed

b.                 to authorise the County Councils Assistant Head of Property to enter into such other property arrangements in respect of the Mawles Lease and the Church Lease and on terms to be agreed as are appropriate to facilitate the new Trust in operating the Cogges Manor Farm

c.                  to authorise the Head of Legal Services to agree the creation of the Trust and its constitution

d.                  to nominate two representatives from the County Council as Trustees (currently Simon Kearey and Martyn Brown)

e.                  authorise the County Solicitor to agree suitable agreements with the Trust to cover the Council’s funding support, the loan of exhibits and the transfer of chattels

Cabinet considered a report that described the work that had continued since authority was given to officers to establish a new charitable trust to manage

Cogges Manor Farm Museum and since the objects and powers of the new

Trust had been established.

In introducing the report the Cabinet Member for Safer & Stronger Communities thanked officers for their efforts over a very long period of time working with the Shadow Board.

During discussion it was suggested that the Board should have at least one elected Member and it was proposed that Councillor David Robertson who had been involved throughout should be nominated.

RESOLVED:            subject to one-off funding support of £50,000 from West Oxfordshire District Council: to:

(a)       authorise the County Councils Assistant Head of Property to agree the grant of a lease of Cogges Manor Farm to the Trust on terms to be agreed;

(a)              authorise the County Councils Assistant Head of Property to enter into such other property arrangements in respect of the Mawles Lease and the Church Lease and on terms to be agreed as are appropriate to facilitate the new Trust in operating the Cogges Manor Farm;

(b)              authorise the Head of Legal Services to agree the creation of the Trust and its constitution; and

a.                  nominate Councillor David Robertson and one of either Simon Kearey or Martyn Brown as Trustees.