Issue details

LATEST UPDATE:

19/05/2014 - Decision due date changed from 01/03/2014 to 01/01/2015. 

REASON: The decision remains at the earliest stages of investigation and options appraisal.  A further review will take place in January 2015 when a decision pathway will be identified and the proposed decision updated further.

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To seek agreement to the principle of granting a long lease to a charitable community interest company or similar vehicle, of The Eden Centre, Four Elms Road, Edenbridge.

The proposal directly links to Bold Steps for Kent, putting the citizen in control, building new partnerships and providing a new fit for purpose building to deliver Library and FSC services in conjunction with other partners such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and House (West Kent Action), to support Kent’s more vulnerable citizens.

The impact of the decision will be that KCC will have less control of the management and operation of the centre as they would become the responsibility of a third party. 

Risks identified are:

·   Reliance on the professionalism of the trustees to deliver a successful facility, agreeing with all partners a financial model for the charitable vehicle

·   Reputational damage to KCC if the charitable vehicle were to fail

·   Obtaining buy in from all community groups in occupation to form trust

·   Untried and untested model

·   Level of income generation from the centre which could go to the charitable vehicle is currently unknown as a new facility

·   Continued KCC ownership of a non-core asset

·   Officers may be unable to get agreement from stakeholders, charitable vehicle does not prove financially sustainable or the trust may break down and charitable vehicle will have to pick up void periods and associated costs (benefit to KCC).