Wellington City Council is inviting expressions of interest for the lease and purchase of the clubrooms located at Prince of Wales Park from groups who provide sporting and recreational activities.
Wellington City Council
Wellington City Council manages parks and open spaces on reserves and Wellington Town Belt land to facilitate and promote recreational opportunities for Wellingtonians. This involves collaborating with community organisations through leasing and licensing arrangements.
The clubrooms building
The building, initially constructed in 1970 with an extension added in 1978, situated at Prince of Wales Park, off Salisbury Terrace, which is part of Wellington Town Belt land. The clubrooms are owned by the Wellington Scottish Athletic Club Incorporated, who are seeking to sell the building.
Formerly a recreational facility featuring a squash court, the two-level structure comprises a ground floor spanning 300m², encompassing changing rooms with showers, storage, meeting room space, a squash court, and a garage. The first floor, covering 330m², offers an open-plan area with a wooden floor and a full kitchen.
Technical reports: Wellington Scottish Athletics commissioned technical reports last year, which included condition assessment with a 10-year maintenance plan, detailed seismic assessments, and an asbestos management survey.
The technical reports indicate that the clubrooms are in reasonable condition given their age. However, significant ongoing financial investment and robust governance will be necessary to adhere to the maintenance schedule and address potential concerns outlined in the reports. Please review the reports below to fully understand the building maintenance requirements before submitting a proposal.
Wellington Scottish Athletic Club
The club has occupied the clubrooms for many years. However, the current facility exceeds the club's requirements for programme delivery and club events. Therefore, the club is seeking to sell the clubrooms and relocate to a smaller space.
The club is proposing a purchase price of $50,000 for the clubrooms. Before proceeding with the sale, the group must fulfil the requirements outlined in the Wellington Town Belt Act 2016 and the Wellington City Council Community and Recreation Lease Policy.
Wellington Town Belt
The site is part of the Wellington Town Belt, land held by Wellington City Council. The Wellington Town Belt is made up of 521ha of open space held in Trust in accordance with special rules set out in the Wellington Town Belt Act and the Wellington Town Belt Management Plan (13MB PDF). The purpose of these rules is to preserve the Town Belt as a public recreation ground for all Wellingtonians to enjoy. This means the Wellington Town Belt land must be used for:
- Recreation, sporting activities, and the enjoyment of the public, with an emphasis on the retention of public access, open spaces, and outdoor activities; and
- The protection of the natural environment and historic heritage.
Non-recreational activities and development and commercial activity are not permitted on the Wellington Town Belt. This includes community centres, learning institutions, childcare centres and Plunket rooms.
Leases policy for community and recreation groups
The leases policy for community and recreation groups (“Leases Policy”) sets out the Council’s role in leasing land and/or buildings on reserve and Wellington Town Belt land. The Leases Policy includes assessment criteria for community groups wishing to lease land:
- The group’s purpose and activities must be consistent with the Council’s strategic direction to promote healthy lifestyles and build strong communities
- The group must be an incorporated society or trust
- The group must be sustainable in terms of membership and/or users of the service for the term of the lease
- The group must be in a financial position to fulfil their lease obligations for the term of the lease, including but not exclusive to rent, insurance and building and grounds maintenance (the fee structure for leased buildings is set out further in the Leases Policy)
- The land and/or buildings must be utilised to the fullest extent practicable
- The activity cannot have the potential to adversely affect open space values or other legitimate activities
- There must be demonstrated support and need within the community for the activity
Leaseholders are required to pay subsidized rental for the use of Council land. Rental is charged based on the size of the area and using rates set out in the Leases Policy.
The annual rent for this building will be $502 + GST. In addition to rental fees, leaseholders must maintain public liability insurance coverage of $1,000,000, as well as full replacement building insurance.
Furthermore, all outgoings will be the responsibility of the leaseholder.
Refer to our leases policy document (197KB PDF) for more information.
Visiting the site
We encourage interested parties to visit the site prior to submitting their expression of interest. Officers are available to help organise meeting with the club on site. Please email psrleasing@wcc.govt.nz to book a site visit.
Finding a successful applicant
A successful applicant’s proposal for use of the site will:
- Meet the requirements of the Wellington Town Belt Act and Management Plan, and
- Meet the assessment criteria in the Leases Policy for Community and Recreation Groups
Applications are due on Wednesday 10 July 2024. Officers will email you to confirm we have received your application.
We will assess applications between Wednesday 10 July 2024 and Friday 9 August 2024. We may get in touch with applicants to ask them to supply further information at our discretion. We will inform all applicants whether they are successful on Friday 9 August 2024.
After a successful candidate is chosen, officers will seek approval for the community group to use the land from elected members prior to the purchase of the clubrooms. If this is approved, officers will document the terms of the use of the land with the successful candidate.
Contact us
If you have any questions or concerns, get in touch with officers at psrleasing@wcc.govt.nz.