As Council offers 30 year lease to reduce maintenance costs

At the end of last month the council discussed the proposal to lease the playing fields on Doverhouse Road to TFC Leisure Ltd (who run Rocks Lane Multi Sport Centre in Barnes (Bishops' Park and Chiswick).

In a recent report by the Evening Standard it was claimed that the council was planning "sell off nearly 12 acres of public playing fields" - however the terms are for a lease of 30 years, whereby TFC maintain and upgrade the facility including the building of a new pavilion.

The council claims the "management and maintenance of the Playing fields will have economic benefits to the Council by saving the current cost of grounds maintenance on the site of £50,000 per annum and generating an income stream for the Council’s General Fund Revenue Budget over the next 30 years".

image @ Stuart King 2010

This is not the first time the council has leased out the fields, in 2010 it was announced that the maintenance and improvement of the Dover House Playing Fields was to be taken on by Roehampton University under a 99 year lease. Not only would they be building a new pavilion they would take on the costs of maintaining the ground - a saving for residents through the council of £70,000 pa. In 2010 Cllr McDermott said:
"And to cap it all council tax payers will be saved £70,000 a year in running and maintenance costs so the general public are getting excellent value for money."

The principal terms of the letting to include:
 A lease for 30 years;
 Protection of existing customers’ use of the facility for the lease term; and
 Hire fees (for existing facilities only) to be aligned with the Councils charges at similar playing fields for the term.

Local teams will be concerned that they maintain their existing usage. Back in 2010 the local football team the Dover House Lions reported that they were under threat of eviction by the University, from their regular slot to allow Putney High School to rent the fields for lacrosse.

A spokesperson for the council told PutneySW15: "The deal with Roehampton University did not proceed, because we could not secure a satisfactory agreement with them to protect the rights of all the existing users ie the Dover House Lions".

We have invited TFC Leisure Ltd to comment.


October 5, 2017