Meeting documents

     COMMUNITY AND LEISURE COMMITTEE

     Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on

     19 January 1998

     PRESENT

     Cllr J W Preston (in the Chair)

Cllr Mrs F W Alexander

Cllr R W A Barber

Cllr Mrs E M Barratt JP

Cllr I M Coleman*

Cllr A D Collingwood*

Cllr C J Elliott

Cllr Mrs J E Gabbitas

Cllr D A B Green

Cllr Mrs C E Mill

Cllr A R Mountford

Cllr A J Tanner

Cllr N P Vickery

(Apologies for absence were received from Councillors I B Campbell, Miss D A Lewis and Mrs B J Sadler).

* Standing Deputies

1.     MINUTES

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 10 November 1997 be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

2.     PANEL MINUTES

The substantive Minutes discussed at the Community and Leisure Panel held on 25 November 1998 were as follows:-

Minute No 16 - Second Five-Year Management Plan to 2001

The five-year Management Plan to 2001 was adopted.

Minute No 17 - Sports Development Action Plans for Coaching Development and People with Disabilities

Both Action Plans were endorsed taking into account comments received during the consultation process.

Minute No 18 - Review and Action Plan for the Freestyle Leisure Scheme

The Action Plan for the Freestyle Leisure Scheme was accepted and it was also agreed to issue an Information Sheet every six months on the progress of the scheme.

Minute No 19 - Application to hold Funfair at Totteridge Common

In view of the interest surrounding a booking under delegated powers between 19 and 21 September 1997, the request for a further booking in 1998 was considered by the Panel taking into account the objections received, the Council=s adopted open spaces policy and the support the fair received during its operation.  After a vote it was agreed to accept one weekend booking for Autumn 1998 and to advise local Members of all funfair bookings at this and other new Council venues.

Minute No 20 - Signage for Wycombe Swan Theatre and Town Hall

Signage on the Town Hall and Wycombe Swan buildings were approved subject to planning consent.  An application was also to be made to Buckinghamshire County Council to provide brown tourist signs for the Wycombe Swan Theatre to all gateways into the town.

Minute No 21 - Wheels 97 Initiative

It was agreed to undertake further schemes to coincide with the schools half-term holiday between 23 and 27 February and the Easter holidays between 3 and 20 April.  An Information Sheet would be prepared to advise Members on the success of this scheme, an evaluation of each scheme would be presented to a subsequent meeting of the Panel.  The residual budget of ,26,000 available to the Wheels Project at the end of the current financial year was to be carried forward to 1998/99 to fund the Easter holiday scheme.

Minute No 22 - The Priory Centre - Wycombe District Voluntary Groups - Request for grant aid

,4,700 was awarded to the Priory Centre to contribute towards the cost of producing and publishing an expanded Wycombe District Voluntary Groups directory in the Spring of 1998.

Minute No 28 - Radnage Valley Hall, Radnage

A grant to be awarded of ,5,100 or 50% of the total expenditure whichever is the less to help meet the cost of replacing the central heating system and perimeter gates.

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Community and Leisure Panel held on 25 November 1997 be received.

3.     REVENUE ESTIMATES

The 1998/99 estimates were submitted for the Committee=s consideration.

The Committee=s estimates had been prepared in line with the strategic budget as agreed by Policy and Resources Committee on 29 September 1997.  The strategic budget allowed for the maintenance of existing services and included all service improvements agreed in 1997/98.  The proposed estimates for 1998/99 were ,438,800 above the estimate for 1997/98 before the inclusion of any service improvement.

The estimates were split into their main components in order to explain the significant variances between years.  The estimates submitted described the position before the inclusion of funding for new areas of fixed term (up to a period of 3 years in duration) and ongoing strategic improvements.  Requests for funding relating to this Committee amounted to ,274,000 and ,107,500 respectively and were detailed with further information on each scheme in the appendix submitted.

Prior to the discussion on the estimates there was general agreement that the new format of the estimates together with the enhanced performance data contributed to a clearer understanding of the information presented and officers were congratulated on the work undertaken.

During discussion reference was made to the performance indicators and to the rationale underlying business unit costs and their effects on operational budgets.  It was agreed to produce an Information Sheet on this matter.

Reference was also made to the assistance to voluntary bodies and it was considered helpful for an Information Sheet to be prepared describing the relationship between Shaw Start and Shaw Trust.  A Member referred to the `profits= held by Shaw Start and it was agreed to ascertain some details on this matter for the Community and Leisure Panel meeting to be held on 3 February 1998, although it was thought likely that the money held would be in the nature of reserves as Shaw Start was a registered charity.

Some discussion ensued on the comparative costs associated with Wycombe Sports Centre, Court Garden Leisure Complex and Risborough Springs Swim and Fitness Centre, but it was stated that a realistic comparison was difficult to make in view of the modern design and build facilities provided by Risborough Springs in comparison with the much longer standing Wycombe Sports Centre and Court Garden Leisure Complex.  It was agreed, however, to provide the Member concerned with a written description of the difference in contracts between the facilities.

During a concluding discussion some Members expressed the view that it would have been more appropriate to place the service improvements in priority order before submitting them to Policy and Resources Committee for further consideration.  However, it was generally felt that the Community and Leisure Committee viewpoint would be ably stated by those Members represented on Policy and Resources Committee from this Committee.

RESOLVED: That it be recommended to Policy and Resources Committee that the following be accepted:-

(a) the estimate for 1998/99 of ,5,017,800

(b) fixed term strategic service improvement of ,274,500; and

(c) ongoing strategic service improvement for 1998/99 of ,107,500

4.     LEISURE 21 - A PLAN FOR LEISURE

The final draft of Leisure 21 - A Plan for Leisure was submitted and took into account the results of the public consultation on the proposed actions.  It was noted that Leisure 21 was the detailed action plan to deliver the aims and objectives of the Council=s strategic plan.  Leisure 21 would also help to shape the land use issues relating to leisure during the review of the Council=s Local Plan.  It was noted that there were approximately 100 proposed actions included in Leisure 21.  Where these proposed actions involved additional financial expenditure, further detailed reports would be submitted to Committee to consider each project or action on its own merits and in the context of the Council=s priorities and available resources.  Furthermore, the actions that related directly to the responsibilities of other committees such as tourism (Housing and Economic Development Committee) and environmental issues (Planning, Environment and Transportation Committee) would be presented to the appropriate Committee.

Subject to Members adopting Leisure 21 it was proposed to publish an executive summary document detailing the main issues and actions which would then be sent to appropriate groups, individuals and organisations and to those requesting a copy.

RESOLVED: (a)  That Leisure 21 - A Plan for Leisure be formally adopted; and

(b) That further detailed reports regarding individual projects and initiatives are presented as necessary to future meetings of this Committee.

5.     STRATEGIC PLAN - CORPORATE ACTION PLANS 1998/99

The Committee received details of action plans relating to its lead responsibilities in the areas of community development, community safety and leisure.  The corporate action plans included:-

All of the action plans were designed to be monitored and it was agreed that this would be undertaken by Panels with twice-yearly monitoring reports being submitted.  The Policy and Resources Committee would be asked to agree the monitoring arrangements.

The Committee welcomed the production of the corporate action plans and it was:

RESOLVED: That the 1998/99 Corporate Action Plans for the Community Development, Community Safety and Leisure Strategic Aims be approved as submitted and referred to the Community and Leisure Panel for monitoring purposes.

6.     FILE ON ACTION TAKEN UNDER DELEGATED POWERS

The file on action taken under delegated powers since the last meeting was submitted for the Committee=s attention (File Sheet Nos. 17-19 inclusive).

7.     INFORMATION SHEETS

Information Sheet No 1/98 was submitted for the Panel=s information.

(The Meeting commenced at 7.00pm and concluded at 9.10pm)

     _____________

     CHAIRMAN

The following Officers were in attendance at the meeting:

Neil Roberts          -     Director of Leisure, Health and Community

Paul Marston-Weston     -     Head of Leisure Services

David Picken          -     Head of Community Services

John Piddington          -     Head of Financial Services

Brenda Watson          -     Senior Accountant

David Ruddock          -     Assistant District Solicitor

Mike Conroy          -     Principal Administrator - Committee Services