Mudchute Farm promised long lease by Mayor Luftur Rahman after thousands sign petition
Mudchute Farm is seeking a 30-year lease at peppercorn rent, but says council policy only provides leases up to 15 years, and the council has asked for rent for the first time.
Mudchute Park and Farm has been promised a ‘long lease’ by Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman in response to a petition signed by thousands of people.
The Mudchute Association charity says it needs the council to extend its lease by at least 30 years so that it can raise funds and plan for the future. However, it says the council’s policy is now to grant leases of up to 15 years.
The charity also says the council has asked it to pay rent for the first time.
Sue Mortimer, chair of the charity’s board of trustees, presented a petition signed by 6,583 people to a full council meeting yesterday (Thursday 16th). She told councillors: ‘Our 250,000 annual visitors and 10,000 school children educated rely on grants – but our expired lease blocks major funding.
‘A 30-year lease at a peppercorn rent ensures Mudchute’s stability, letting us deliver education, green space and conservation while advancing your own priorities.’
Mudchute trustee Martin Young said that ‘every penny’ that the Mudchute were to pay the council in rent ‘is a penny less that we can spend on serving the community’.
He added: ‘It’s a nominal rent – the council has never demanded the rent from the Mudchute.’
Labour, Conservative and Green opposition councillors supported the petitioners.
Mufeedah Bustin, a Labour councillor for Island Gardens ward, said charging the farm rent at market rates could cost it up to £1.8million a year. She said this would be a ‘death sentence’ for the farm.
She said: ‘The Mudchute is unique – it’s in a unique situation and no generic policy is going to cover the amazing work that the Mudchute does.’
Conservative councillor Peter Golds, who also represents Island Gardens, said hosting the farm ‘costs the council practically nothing’.
He said: ‘They work for it, they raise the money, they do it – they don’t demand council officers. If something needs to be dug, there are people there who will do it, if something needs to be built, there are people there who will do it.
‘Furthermore, the residents love it, and people from outside of this borough love it.’
Mayor Rahman said he was ‘fully committed to Mudchute’ and promised ‘it’s not going to close’.
He said: ‘I fully supported Mudchute before and I support Mudchute now and to my last breath.
‘Just because you don’t get what you’re asking for, doesn’t mean it’s going to close.’
Rahman also said he was ‘committed in granting a long lease’ and would consider supporting one longer than 15 years.
However, members of Rahman’s Aspire Party voted to remove a promise of a 30-year lease from a motion proposed by Labour councillors.
The Aspire amendment also said the council supports Mudchute with a grant of £32,000 a year.
Rahman said he would ask the council’s chief executive and its corporate director for housing and regeneration to meet with Mudchute ‘as soon as possible to review and consider what length of lease more than 15 years can be granted to you, and how else we can support you.’
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