Decision details

The Council granted a lease for 99 years in 1994 to the trustees of Wodson Park Sports and Recreation Association to use the land, which had been bequeathed to the Council for the development of sports and recreation facilities. The lease is granted at a peppercorn and prohibits any assignments or sub-lettings.
The Tenant has requested that they be allowed to sub-let part of the premises to a commercial operator providing personal fitness training for a market rent in order to recoup some of the financial losses the sports centre sustained as a result of the restrictions imposed on opening during the Covid Pandemic. Terms have been agreed on the basis that the Council would provide consent for this letting for a limited period of 5 years because of the hardship suffered by the centre in recent years. If the letting was to continue beyond 5 years the Council would review whether a further consent to sub-let would be given and may seek to charge a rent to reflect the value of the sub-let.

The Head of Strategic Finance and Property acting under authority delegated within Section 10 paragraph 10.13.16 of the council’s Constitution 12 May 2022 relating to the letting of property has decided to approve the grant of a licence to underlet for a limited period of 5 years because of the hardship suffered by the centre in recent years. If the letting was to continue beyond 5 years the Council would review whether a further period of consent would be given and would be subject to the right to charge the Tenant a rent reflecting the value of this letting.

The council could refuse consent to sub-let but this would cause financial hardship to the sports centre and may affect its ability to continue operating.