Decision details

The Cabinet will be asked to consider proposals to lease the existing nursery site to enable the establishment of a community food growing business

The Cabinet Member for Culture and Sport presented a report on the proposal to provide a ‘starter farm’ facility from the current site of the Council’s plant nursery at Central Park, Dagenham.

The Council’s plant nursery has experienced a decline in business over recent years which mirrors a nationwide shift in the way that bedding plants and other horticultural supplies are sourced by local authorities.  As a result, the nursery is operating at a loss and a study undertaken by officers indicates that this position in unlikely to improve in either the short or long term. 

With this in mind, officers explored alternative options for the site and have worked alongside Thames Chase in developing a business plan to provide a development opportunity for a social enterprise to establish a community-led organic food growing starter farm. 

The Cabinet Member confirmed that the current nursery staff will be retained to support projects at Eastbrookend Country Park and Dagenham Washlands and the intention is for the new service to be in place from April 2011.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities “Clean”, “Healthy” and “Prosperous”, to:-

 (i)  The closure of the existing loss-making plant nursery at Central Park; and

(ii)  Authorise the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources and on the advice of Property Services and Legal Partners, to agree the terms of the lease for the nursery site to a suitably qualified organisation under a 10 year commercial lease which allows the tenant to use the site as a community-led starter farm.