Agenda item - Hollingbury Park and Waterhall Golf Courses

Report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture

RESOLVED that the committee:

1.    Noted the current management contract with Mytime Active to operate the council’s golf courses at Hollingbury Park and Waterhall expires on 31st March 2020.

2.    Recommended to Policy & Resources Committee that it agrees to lease Waterhall Golf Course to the Community Interest Company (CIC) described in the bid appended to the Part 2 report for a period of 25 years.

3.    Recommended to Policy & Resources that it delegates authority to the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture to conclude the lease arrangements for Waterhall Golf Course as per 2.2

4.    Requested a report on the progress of the rewilding and the use of the educational centre is brought to the Tourism, Equalities, Communities & Culture Committee once a year, and asks that officers engage with the tenant to request detail on the following: - use of pesticides and herbicides; - public access plans - any increase in diverse habitats and species; - engagement with local communities - any environmental audit or similar

5.    Authorised officers to continue to interrogate and clarify the bids received in relation to Hollingbury Park Golf Course and notes that officers hope to make a recommendation to Policy & Resources Committee on 23 January as to the future of the site.

6.    That if no clearly beneficial bid is identified for Hollingbury Park Golf Course, TECC recommended to Policy & Resources Committee that it orders a review which considers whether to carry out a new bidding process which encourages proposals for rewilding or a mixed golf/rewilding use and that Policy & Resources considers extending the Mytime Active contract whilst the review and bidding process is undertaken.