Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed Mr Hussain to his first meeting of the Committee.

The Chairman reported that County Councillor Kath Perry had been unwell and was currently recuperating at home. The Committee requested that a letter be sent to Mrs Perry to extend their best wishes for a speedy recovery.

There were no Declaration of Interets on this occasion.

Mr Greatorex informed Members that he had been requested by local residents to seek the approval of the Committee for the erection of a single pair of goal posts and a notice Board on Trust land at the Broom. The Director of Strategy, Governance and Change indicated that Charity Commission approval would not be required for the installation of the goal posts and notice board.

RESOLVED – (a) That the minutes of the meeting held on12 June 2018 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

(b) That the Committee’s approval be given to the request to allow the erection of a single pair of goal posts on Trust land at the Broom.

The Committee were informed that the Brewood C of E (C) Middle School had been directed by the Secretary of State to convert to an Academy. As a consequence, the school was due to convert to an Academy on 1 December 2018 and would join the St Chad’s Academy Trust.

The Committee were advised that the school currently occupied land owned by the Staffordshire County Council, Brewood Middle School Charity and the Brewood Educational Charity.

In view of the change to Academy status, the Sty Chad’s Academy Trust were seeking the granting of a 125-year lease over the school land; based on the current Department for Education template academy lease.

The Committee were also informed that part of the Trust land in Brewood was currently vacant and another part was being let under a grazing licence.  The Director of Strategy, Governance and Change informed the Committee that an application needed to be made to the Charity Commission for a variation of the objects of the Charity Scheme to obtain retrospective consent for the grazing and also to enable the Academy Lease of the School Land to be granted.

RESOLVED – (a) That the Committee note that the County Council is not the freeholder of the whole site of the School but is the Charity Trustee of the School Land

(b) That the Committee agrees that the Charity Trustee grant to the Academy Trust the Academy Lease of the School Land, to facilitate and complete the Academy conversion process.

(c) That the Committee agrees to the Charity Trustee, applying to the Charity Commission for the variation of the objects of the Scheme necessary to enable the Academy Lease of the School Land to be granted and to obtain retrospective consent for the Grazing License.

(d) That the Committee delegate authority to agree the terms of the Academy Lease to the Director of Strategy, Governance and Change.

(e) That consideration be given at a future meeting of the Committee to the options for the future use of the Trust land in Brewood which is currently vacant.

The Committee were presented with the 2017/18 Annual Accounts for each of the Endowment Charity Funds where Staffordshire County Council had been appointed Sole Trustee.

RESOLVED – (a) That the Committee approve the 2017/18 Annual Accounts for the 9 Charities where the Council is the Sole Trustee.

(b) That the Committee approve the Trustee’s Annual Reports for the 3 Charities which are required to submit such to the Charity Commission.

In accordance with the request made at the meeting of the Committee on 12 June, the Committee received a schedule detailing the investments and land for which the County Council was responsible as Trustees.

Mr Greatorex advised that there was currently local interest in the Tamworth Youth Centre site as there were ongoing discussions around the potential redevelopment of the area.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

The Chairman to move:-

PART TWO

(reports in this section are exempt)

RESOLVED – That the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business which involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of the Local Government Act 1972 indicated below”.

(Exemption paragraph 3)

(Exemption paragraph 3)

(Exemption paragraph 3)

(Exemption paragraph 3)

(Exemption paragraph 3)