Glasgow City Council Item 5 Sustainability and the Environment Policy Development Committee 25th August 2010

25 August 2010

Report by Executive Director of Land and Environmental Services

Contact: Stevie Scott on extension 78292

RUCHILL PARK DEVELOPMENT : NORDOFF ROBBINS PROPOSAL

Purpose of Report:

The purpose of this report is to advise Committee members of the outcome of discussions in relation to the approach made by the Nordoff Robbins Charity, to construct a £6.5M new- build music therapy centre within the existing Ruchill Park, Bilsland Drive boundary. This will require the existing land to be declared surplus to allow this project to attract the appropriate funding.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that Committee

1) discusses the content of this report

2) is advised that the land will be declared surplus; and

3) Supports the recommendation that this item is referred to the Executive Committee for approval.

Ward No(s): Citywide: D

Local member(s) advised: Yes No consulted: Yes No

1 1 Purpose of Report

1.1 The purpose of this report is to advise Committee of the outcomes from discussions in relation to an approach made by the Nordoff Robbins Charity, to construct a £6.5 m new-build music therapy centre within the existing Ruchill Park, Bilsland Drive boundary. This will require the existing land to be declared surplus to allow this project to attract the appropriate funding.

2 Background to Nordoff Robbins

2.1 Nordoff Robbins is the largest charity in the UK specialising in the transformative and communicative power of music.

2.2 They have considered a number of Scottish wide locations to locate a new custom build Scottish base, and would now like to build this new base in Glasgow, and in particular Ruchill Park.

2.3 Nordoff Robbins practitioners are active in many countries throughout the world, including USA, Australia, Europe, South Africa and the Far East. There are Nordoff Robbins’ training programmes in New York, Germany and Sydney.

2.4 Nordoff Robbins provide and support a range of specialist services that encompass the depth and breadth of music, comprising music therapy services, music and health projects and community music projects. Nordoff Robbins’ practitioners provide services in arts, health, education and social care sectors, working with people of all ages who are in need of assistance and support.

2.5 The three interweaving core objects of the Nordoff Robbins charity are services, education, and research, which enables them to provide services of the highest quality. Nordoff Robbins’ practitioners receive comprehensive, masters-level training to meet the unique needs of every individual they work with.

3 Who benefits from their work?

3.1 There are many reasons why people seek the transforming power of music. Among the children and adults who benefit from Nordoff Robbins’ work are those who live with or have previously suffered from: x A mental and/or physical disability x Neurological damage x Down’s Syndrome and other causes of developmental delay x Autistic Spectrum Disorders x Social or emotional disturbance x Depression or mental illness x Dementia x Abuse (physical, sexual or emotional) x Prolonged anxiety or stress x Life-threatening or terminal illness x Refugee/asylum-seeking status x Sudden emotional stress (eg bereavement) x A wish to engage in a process of self-exploration and personal development

2 4 About Ruchill Park

4.1 Ruchill Park is located in the north of Glasgow, approximately two miles from the city centre. It is designated as a local park in Glasgow City Council’s hierarchy of open spaces and serves the communities of Ruchill, Westercommon, Possil and North Maryhill and has access from Bilsland Drive, Firhill Road, Murano Street and Panmure Street

4.2 The park derives its name from the old house and estate of Ruchill. The house was situated a small distance to the north of the park.

4.3 The park was purchased in 1892 for £35,000 by the city fathers of the time to give the large working class population who resided in the tenemental properties of the north/north west of Glasgow, which had no gardens, a green oasis for leisure and recreation.

5 Recent Investment

5.1 Play areas adjacent to the flagpole and at the top of the park have received £220,000 of recent investment since 2006, having received funding from Land and Environmental Services (LES), City plan RES3 policy and Glasgow Community Planning Fairer Scotland Fund.

5.2 The Council has also invested in facilities for young people by installing a multi-purpose games court, with all-weather surfacing and lighting, located near the entrance at Bilsland Drive. Adjacent to this is a basketball area, outdoor gym and adventure play area. This area has received £270,000 of recent investment, having also secured funding from LES, City Plan RES3 policy and Glasgow Community Planning Fairer Scotland Fund.

6 Events in the park

6.1 Ruchill Park is the main focal point for the hugely successful Glasgow North 5K fun run, with over 1000 runners taking part annually.

7 Future for Ruchill Park

7.1 The next few years will be a time of change for Ruchill Park with the development of a new school, currently under construction within its boundaries. The creation of a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) to process the school’s grey water and when the housing market improves, the construction of approximately four hundred new houses adjacent to the park.

7.2 These projects will create a sizable new constituency of users with the latter development likely to generate capital, through RES3 contributions, for enhancement of the park’s infrastructure.

8 Nordoff Robbins’ Proposal

8.1 Nordoff Robbins approached Glasgow Life and LES with a view to establishing a permanent base for their Glasgow operation. They are currently using a venue in Govan but would like to establish their own permanent site in Ruchill Park. A site at the Bilsland Road entrance of Ruchill Park has been identified as a possible location for a purpose built centre.

8.2 The group explored the possibility of co-locating with the service provided by Glasgow Life at Linn Park Adventure Playground, however, the facility is not suitable or large enough. This then led to discussions with Glasgow Life about the obvious opportunities to provide an enhanced service to children and families affected by disability.

3 8.3 Glasgow Life, in consultation with Glasgow City Council, proposes to review the play provision delivered on behalf of the Council with a view to placing services in the new building. It should be noted that Glasgow Life offers play provision to all children and would propose to continue operations in the same manner, ensuring access by the public to any new facility. A review of Glasgow Life’s operational property is currently underway which could offer the prospect of a relocation from the Linn Park facility to the new build Nordoff Robbins centre.

8.4 Both Education Services and Social Work currently place services with both Nordoff Robbins and the Glasgow Life facility located in Linn Park. It has been estimated that an increase in new referrals off between 25-35% would be achievable if the new centre were to proceed.

8.5 In addition the new primary school in Ruchill Park will have an Autistic Unit. There is, therefore, the opportunity for playworkers, music therapists and specialist education staff to share expertise and work together in close proximity.

8.6 The vision is for a 21st century purpose built music therapy and play centre. It will become a centre of excellence for supporting vulnerable adults and children through the mediums of music therapy and play. Furthermore the centre will be an important resource within the community of Ruchill and for the city of Glasgow.

8.7 The project construction cost is around £6.5m and the build programme will be around 18 months on site, subject to securing the appropriate funding. Nordoff Robins anticipate an early start date if permission was granted and would be looking for a completion date around the end of 2012.

8.8 The overall floor area including circulation is circa - 2,000sqm (21,000sqft). In the overall context of Ruchill Park, this proposal would require 4% of the existing land mass area to be given over for development.

9 Community Benefit

9.1 Whilst the centre has a specialist element there is a real opportunity for the local community to enjoy aspects of this new centre in Ruchill Park, where considerable redevelopment has and is taking place. The centre wholly complements the new primary school which includes an Autism Unit and the new Ruchill golf facility.

9.2 There are a number of clear benefits from the development of the Nordoff Robbins Centre. Public access to the café and toilets (separate from client users) will promote usage of the park itself and provide a central point to establish activities such as walking and jogging networks, orienteering, cycling courses and tuition in the future.

9.3 The specialist nature of the building and activities therein are unique and as such will bring visitors to the area from all over Scotland and will be watched by many with interest due to this being the first centre of its kind nationally. By its very nature this proposal will raise the profile of Ruchill Park and the North of Glasgow in general.

10 Partnership Value

10.1 Provision for the groups with learning difficulties, physical disability, behavioural, autism spectrum etc is fragmented and under provided for in the city. Therefore the benefits of bringing together a centre which hosts both music therapy and disabled play activities are many.

10.2 Parents, carers and users will benefit from having access to two (three including the respite/Learning Development Unit) services, with the highest documented level of benefit, all within the one setting.

4 10.3 The connections with voluntary and statutory providers of this type or similar provision are well developed and a series of formal consultations will take place as the project progresses to ensure programming and access are conducive to all concerned. Ideally a referral system for the city can be developed to ensure equity of access to potential users.

11 Elected Member Consultation

11. On 20 April 2010, at Petershill Sports Ground, all elected members from the Canal ward were invited to attend a presentation from the Nordoff Robbins Charity.

11.2 This presentation gave an overview of the project and the benefits of bringing this centre to Ruchill Park, and to Glasgow.

12 Wider Community Consultation

12.1 Nordoff Robbins held an open day at their Maryhill Office, at 35 Avenuepark Street. This open day invite, made up of over 120 organisations and individuals was well attended.

13 Next Stage

13.1 In order to progress this project to the next stage LES is required to declare the land footprint of this proposed site surplus for operational use.

13.2 Given the wider benefits this project will bring to Ruchill Park, LES is now content to allow this land to be declared surplus and pass it to this Committee for their information, and thereafter to the Executive Committee for approval. Legal advice from Corporate Services has indicated that the land transfer would be subject to Common Good and as such a Common Good petition lodged at the High Court of Edinburgh would be required. In addition, guidance from City Property LLP would be sought to ensure that all requirements set out by Legal Services are also incorporated into the lease agreement.

13.3 If approved by the Executive Committee, the Nordoff Robbins project delivery team will commence to the funding stage of the project.

SERVICE IMPLICATIONS

Financial: None

Legal: Common Good issues as detailed in 13.2 above.

Personnel: None

Service Plan: None

Environmental: This would have a positive impact on usage of the park.

ROBERT BOOTH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 18 August 2010

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