FOI Request Grant Park Financial Information

Request 101001617875

I would like to request the financial information for Grant Park in Forres for 2016/17.
I would like:
All income broken down by source e.g. bonfire night, pipe bands, fun fairs etc
All expenditure broken down as relevant with information where applicable e.g. staff costs including maintenance/grounds keeping, administration, plants etc
The name of the 'trust' where the income goes/expenditure is originating

The Grant Park Trust Fund.
Set up 1923. The balance has not changed in several years- where is the money coming into and being paid from for the up-keep of the park?

The Grant Park Public Trust Fund.
Set up 2016-17. What are the terms of reference for this trust? How does this trust now have a disposable income of over £2000?

What is the relationship between these 2 funds and the income of the Park?

Response 20-10-2017

Grant Park, Forres

Where recorded in the Council records
Council Services Grant Park Public Trust Grant Park Trust Forres Common Good

2016/17 2016/17 2016/17 2016/17
£ £ £
Income
Fairground stances 1,726
Forres Theme day 34
Pipe Band Championship 251
Forres Highland Games 36
Grant Park Trust Investment Income 55
Grant Park Public Trust Investment Income 62
Property Rental income 2,600
2,047 2,662 55 -
Expenditure
Ground and equipment maintenance including grass cutting, tree and shrub maintenance, play equipment and benches repair and maintenance, weed killing, litter picking and pitch lining (excluding bonfire site preparation and re-instatement) 56,689
Bonfire & Firework display. Ground preparation and re-instatement. Part paid by Forres Common Good, balance paid by event organisers. 327
Grant Park Trust Administrative Costs 105
Grant Park Public Trust Administrative Costs 259
56,689 259 105 327

Grant Park Trust
This Trust was established in 1923 for the maintenance of Grant Park, Forres.
The only income generated by the Trust is from the cash balances invested in the Council's
bank account.
The Trust does not generate sufficient income to cover the maintenance costs and in the past
the costs have been absorbed by the Council.

Grant Park Public Trust
The Trust comprises the land and buildings of Grant Park, Forres.
The Trust was not set up in 2016/17, it was established in 1923. The Trust assets were previously
incorrectly classified as Common Good. This was rectified in the Council's 2014/15 Accounts
following title investigations. Further information is detailed below.

Grant Park history and relationship between the two Trusts
1920 (23 July) - The Town Council bought Forres house and grounds from Mrs Margaret Emily
Brown or Dunbar Dunbar Rivers for £5,000 from the Common Good Fund.
1923 - Sir Alexander Grant (Director of McVities) gifts £5,000 to the Town Council by way of
reimbursement to Common Good and gives a further £1,000 to convert the grounds to a park
for the people of Forres on certain conditions.
1923 (Registered 29 August) - The Town Council makes a Declaration of Trust which codifies
the certain conditions and also has the effect of creating a Public Trust. (Trust 1)
1923 (Registered 26 October) - Having effectively bought Forres House and grounds for the
people of Forres (by reimbursing the Common Good Fund), Alexander Grant sought to provide
for the upkeep of the park and accordingly granted a Deed of Trust which consisted of a Bond
for £5,000 from which 5% interest was to be paid to the Town Council for 10 years (after which
the capital sum of £5,000 could be called up by the Town Council). Thus a second trust was
formed (Trust 2)

Trust 1 is a Public Trust consisting of the land and buildings of Grant Park as described in the
Declaration of Trust registered on 29 August 1923.
This Trust is referred to as Grant Park Public Trust in the Council's financial records.
This Trust was probably Common Good from 1920 until 1923 when the Burgh made a
Declaration of Trust in return for Mr Grant's reimbursement of the purchase price.
The Common Good was reimbursed and a Public Trust was created.
As noted above, the Trust assets were previously incorrectly classified as Common Good in
the Council's financial records. This was corrected in the Council's 2014/15 Accounts following
title investigations.
The legal status of the land and buildings in Grant Park has not changed since 1923. What did
change in 2014/15 was the accounting treatment of the assets.

Trust 2 is a Trust set up for the maintenance of Grant Park. It consists of the residual funds of
the £5,000 bond.
This Trust is referred to as Grant Park Trust in the Council's financial records.
The trust is registered  with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
Historically charitable trusts were registered with the Inland Revenue and OSCR transferred
all such Trusts, including Grant Park Trust, into their systems.
Grant Park Trust has been registered as a charity for many years.