Closure possible, says secret report
Newark’s Gilstrap Centre has to be leased to the county council or it could close, according to a confidential report.
The information is contained in secret papers to the general purposes committee of Newark and Sherwood District Council, which acts as trustees to the Gilstrap Charity.
Nottinghamshire County Council wants to use the centre as a register office. The district council is proposing to lease it for seven years.
The papers show an independent valuer assessed the annual market rental value of the building, on Castlegate, to be £42,500.
The county council is willing to pay £43,000.
The report says the fact the county council is willing to pay £500 more a year constitutes a “compelling case that the proposed lease to the county council is the best that can reasonably be obtained for the charity.”
Costs in administering the charity’s accounts and meetings of the trust and in managing the lease, would leave the trust with an annual income of not less than £38,000.
If the lease is approved, vacant possession would be given to the county council on April 1, 2013.
The report says: “As the trustees will be aware there is no fallback position in the event that the lease does not proceed and the only alternative, in the event of any difficulties being encountered in obtaining a scheme, would be to mothball the premises from 1st April, 2013.”
The Charity Commission has said the building could be leased or sold only if the former library was no longer required as an educational centre and there had been a further period of public consultation.
That is now open to public scrutiny for a month, and objections may be lodged with the Charity Commission.
The council report says: “An effective means of responding to any opposition to the scheme would be to demonstrate that the trustees have identified alternative premises in which to fulfil the [Gilstrap] trust’s objectives.”
It is proposed the district council’s Castle and Conflict exhibition will be moved from the Gilstrap to the offices of the castle ranger, with the council charging the Gilstrap trust a peppercorn rent for housing the exhibition.
It is suggested rent paid by the county council for the Gilstrap Centre could be used by the trustees either to enhance the Castle and Conflict exhibits or eventually buy new ones for the Civil War Museum planned for Newark, although it is not clear how this would meet the aims of the Gilstrap charity.
The report goes before the general purposes committee on Monday with no other business on the agenda.
One of the recommendations is that it approves action already taken to advertise the draft scheme, which has been made necessary by inaccurate advice initially given to the council by the Charity Commission.
A further meeting is planned for December 17 to consider responses to the consultation.
