Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) has a peppercorn lease arrangement with the Town Council since 2009 (and eight years remaining) during which time the Town Council and the Stag Community Arts Centre charity have run it as a not-for-profit for the benefit of the town. This is a local Asset of Community Value, and a good deal of its success is from the involvement of the community both financial and in volunteering.

There is no income to SDC (or future successive authority) from the arrangement, and no security benefit to the Theatre. As an arts centre delivering for communities across the district and beyond, we have exciting plans to expand and improve over the coming years. We are ambitious about being the cultural hub for a growing town and beyond, and to be able to do it and raise the funds we need the Freehold.

Last year, Sevenoaks District Council press-released a proposal for a 100-year lease without any details of the terms, and we believe it would inhibit investment and provide opportunity for uncontrollable rent increases. It was also concerning that it removed the current ‘loading bay’ access which is vital to enable theatre shows. Subsequently, SDC’s own Finance Committee unanimously recommended transferring the freehold with an overage clause. But based on community asset transfers from SDC to other town and parish councils recently at a charge, SDC may attempt to charge STC for the freehold at ‘existing use value’, a cost which would have to be passed onto town residents just to maintain the status quo.

We are calling on Sevenoaks District to release the freehold of the Stag to the Town Council and continue access to the loading bay at no cost using an overage clause to secure its long-term interest and ownership of the local community.

Nigel Wightman, Chair of Stag Community Arts Centre

For more information and to consider signing the petition please visit: www.change.org/stagfreehold