The Covenant  25 March 1903;

A restrictive covenant was attached to the site when it was transferred to Southgate Urban District Council in 1903.  It states…….

And the Purchasers for themselves their successors and assigns hereby covenant with the Vendor which expression where hereinafter used includes where the context admits his successors in title and his other heirs and assigns the owner or owners for the time being of the residue of the Vendor’s estate known as the Broomfield Estate in manner following that is to say:

(1) The Purchasers which expression where hereinafter used includes where the context admits their successors and assigns will forever hereafter maintain the hereditaments and premises hereby conveyed as a Public Recreation Ground provided only that the Purchasers shall be at liberty to use the existing buildings or to erect on any part of the said hereditaments and premises not exceeding in the whole five acres any one or more buildings to be used as a Town Hall Library or other Municipal buildings but such buildings shall not be used for the purpose of any trade or business or for any purpose which may be or grow to be an annoyance or injury to the said Broomfield Estate and if the Purchasers shall at any time hereafter wish to erect the same the plans and elevations for the erection of any building which the Purchasers may propose to erect within a distance of 400 feet of Powys Lane or Broomfield Lane shall be subject to the reasonable approval in writing of the Vendor being previously obtained.

The Covenant restricts the activities that can happen in the buildings, which has had an impact on successive attempts to find a viable solution to the restoration.  A proposal to amend the covenant in 2004 was resisted by some in the community and was abandoned.

The 2008 Planning Act empowers local authorities to appropriate land to meet a planning purpose.  This is being investigated by the Council as a possible way forward that could satisfy local concerns.