Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations.

No apologies for absence had been received.

No reports had been submitted.

RESOLVED –

That the items on Housing Accommodation and Support Budget, and Older Peoples Services (Derbyshire County Council Budget Consultation) be deferred to the December meeting of the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee.

The Sports and Facilities Manager and the Leisure and Amenities Manager presented the draft “Chesterfield Borough Council Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy 2015 – 2031” to the Committee.

The Sports and Facilities Manager advised that the production of the draft strategy had been delayed due to Sport England changing the methodology to develop the strategy. The strategy considered all green space in the borough whether it was in public or private ownership.

In preparing the strategy a wide consultation with stakeholders had been carried out including sports governing bodies and sports clubs. Responses to the consultation had been exceptionally high with some sports providing a 100% response rate.

The overarching aim of the strategy was to provide the best facilities possible for outdoor sports in the borough. The strategy aimed to provide greater efficiency in the provision of playing pitches by rationalising the number, and improving the accessibility and affordability of the pitches. By improving efficiency the quality of the pitches provided would be improved.

The strategy consultation, research and evidence undertaken concluded that the Queen’s Park Annexe was no longer needed as a playing pitch so that the new sports centre could be built on the site. The Sports and Facilities Manager advised that for Chesterfield Borough Council to be compliant with the terms of Sport England’s funding towards the new Queen’s Park Sports Centre, the Playing Pitches and Outdoor Sports Strategy must be approved and adopted by January 2015.

Members asked if there were sufficient football pitches in the borough to meet demand. The Leisure and Amenities Manager advised that there were enough pitches but access to these could be problematic. The Sports and Facilities Manager advised that the focus on pitch availability was for junior and training facilities including development of hub venues so that participation in football could be better developed to senior levels through more coordinated facilities and pathways.

Members were pleased to note that the strategy focussed on involving the whole of the community.

Members congratulated the Officers on the quality of the report and asked how such a good response had been received from the consultation. The Sports and Facilities Manager advised that Neil Allen Associates who conducted the consultation with stakeholders had been persistent in chasing up responses to ensure high levels of returns.

Members also asked about the future provision of changing facilities in the borough. The Sports and Facilities Manager advised that this need would be addressed, but is a longer term objective and how this need would be addressed may be different to how it has been dealt with in the past. He also advised that the more pressing need was for toilet, rather than changing facilities.

The Committee thanked the Sports and Facilities Manager and the Leisure and Amenities Manager for presenting the strategy and answering the Committee’s questions.

The Committee considered the Forward Plan for the period 1 October, 2014 to 31 January, 2015.

Regarding Key Decision No 296, Careline Consortium – The Policy and Scrutiny Officer advised that she had had a request from the report author for this item to be deferred until the December meeting of the Enterprise and Wellbeing Committee.

Regarding Key Decision No 321, Review of Allocations Policy – Welfare Reform. No update was available. Members requested that a written update be circulated to Committee members.

Regarding Key Decision No 436, Derbyshire County Council’s Consultation on Proposed Budget Cuts – Potential Impact on Housing Service. No update was available. Members requested that a written update be circulated to Committee members.

Committee members expressed concern that some of these items were scheduled for Cabinet before the next meeting of the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee and that members would not have had the chance to scrutinise the reports.

RESOLVED -

1.    That the forward plan be noted.

2.    That the update on the Careline Consortium item be presented to the Committee when it is available and before it goes to Cabinet, and pending availability a written update is circulated to committee members.

3.    That the Policy and Scrutiny Officer request that a written update on the Review of Allocations Policy – Welfare Reform item is circulated to Committee members.

4.    That the Policy and Scrutiny Officer request that a written update on the Derbyshire County Council’s Consultation on Proposed Budget Cuts item is circulated to Committee members.

5.    That if needed the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee holds an extra meeting to consider the reports on the Careline Consortium and Derbyshire County Council’s Consultation on Proposed Budget Cuts items so that these reports can be scrutinised before they go to Cabinet.

The Leisure and Amenities Manager presented the draft “Chesterfield Parks and Open Spaces Strategy 2014 – 2024” to the Committee.

The Leisure and Amenities Manager advised that in the preparation of the strategy there had been wide consultation with stakeholders including Members, Officers and Community Assemblies as well as utilisation of the Council’s website to consult with the community.

The strategy sets out the strategic approach rather than looking at specific sites in the borough and aims to set guiding principles so that actions can be focussed on individual communities and their priorities for their Parks and Open Spaces.

Five main objectives underpin the strategy which are to:

·        Improve the quality of existing open spaces

·        Rationalise the quantity and accessibility of open space

·        Promote our spaces and engage our communities to maximise use and benefits

·        Improve biodiversity and sustainable landscapes

·        Maximise the efficient use of resources to achieve our priorities

The Leisure and Amenities Manager advised that while focussing on all these objectives the overarching principle of the strategy was a focus on the quality of Parks and Open Spaces in the borough.

Members asked several questions relating to the strategy, its aims and objectives.

Members felt concern that facilities were being developed and money was being spent in areas of the borough which were not the most deprived and that this spending was not helping to reduce health inequalities in the most deprived areas of the borough.

The Leisure and Amenities Manager advised that since 2003 more than £8.25 million had been invested in Parks and Open Spaces but as 75% of this came from external sources the Council was unable to specify where much of this money could be spent. For example the restoration of Eastwood Park received significant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Members also asked when specific areas of the borough would be identified for extra investment in and development of their parks and open spaces. The Leisure and Amenities Manager advised that there were areas with clear gaps in provision and that these need to be a focus. However it was also important not to have a definitive list of areas of focus as opportunities for windfalls of funding could be missed, such as the Heritage Lottery funding received which enabled the restoration of Eastwood Park.

The Committee thanked the Leisure and Amenities Manager for presenting the report to the Committee and answering their questions.

RESOLVED –

That the draft Parks and Open Spaces Strategy be noted.

- New Leisure Facilities - Proposed Scope on Leisure, Sport and Cultural Activities

- Dog Fouling – Proposed Scope

- Taxi Licence Subsidy

The Committee considered progress with its Scrutiny Project Groups.

Dog Fouling

The Scrutiny Project Group on Dog Fouling, chaired by Councillor Innes has had its first meeting and the Project Group Scope was considered for approval by the Committee.

Taxi License Subsidy

CouncillorHawksworth advised that she is still interested in leading this project group. The Policy and Scrutiny Officer will email the updated procedures and documents for starting a project group to Councillor Hawksworth.

Leisure Facilities

The lead member for the group, Councillor Flood gave an update on the group’s progress. The initial focus of the group was to look at the new sport and leisure facilities project at Queen’s Park but as the work progressed the group wanted to start looking at the broader strategies affecting leisure and leisure facilities. To enable this the group decided that broadening the remit of the main project group and having two sub groups which would feedback to the main project group would be the most effective way of progressing.

The Scrutiny Project Group scope for the main group, Leisure, Sport and Culture Activities had been re-drafted and was presented to the Committee for approval. This project group would have a focus on Playing Pitches, Facilities and the new Queen’s Park Sports Centre.

The sub-groups proposed were, Parks and Open Spaces and Community Sport and Physical Activity. It was agreed that the Scrutiny Project Group scope documents for these would be presented at the next meeting of the Committee.

The Policy and Scrutiny Officer advised that as the Playing Pitch Strategy was scheduled to be considered by Cabinet on 4 November, 2014 there would need to be an extra meeting of the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee before then if the group had any new recommendations it would like to make.

Councillor Flood also gave an update on the building work so far of the new Queen’s Park Sports Centre after carrying out a site visit and reported that work was progressing well and that the organisation on site was very impressive.

RESOLVED –

1.    That the Scrutiny Project Group’s scope on Dog Fouling be approved.

2.    That the Policy and Scrutiny Officer provides the updated procedures and documents for starting a project group to Councillor Hawksworth.

3.    That the revised Scrutiny Project Group scope on Leisure, Sport and Culture Activities be approved.

4.    That the appointment of Scrutiny Project Sub Groups for Parks and Open Spaces and Community Sport and Physical Activity, be approved subject to the scopes being presented at the next meeting of the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee with set and agreed timescales.

5.    That if needed the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee holds an extra meeting before 4 November, 2014 to consider any recommendations from the project group looking at the Playing Pitch Strategy to enable any recommendations to be presented to Cabinet.

The Committee considered an update on the implementation of approved Scrutiny recommendations.

RESOLVED –

1.    That the update be noted.

2.    That a written update on the Parking Policy item is requested to be circulated to the Committee members.

The Policy and Scrutiny Officer advised that any requests for Learning and Development sessions be submitted to the Policy and Scrutiny Officer through the Chair.

RESOLVED –

That the update be noted.

The Committee considered a list of items raised to date for its Work Programme.

RESOLVED –

1.    To reconfirm that items on the Work Programme be approved subject to agreed changes

2.    To reconfirm that a written update on the Derbyshire County Council Consultation on Proposed Budget Cuts [Housing Accommodation and Support Budget and Older Peoples’ Services] item is requested pending availability of the full report before it goes to Cabinet.

3.    That a written update on the Careline Consortium item is requested pending availability of the full report before it goes to Cabinet.

4.    That updates on the Street Scene Improvement Plan are requested annually rather than every 6 months.

5.    That the Parkside Sheltered Housing Project item is removed from the Work Programme.

6.    That the Housing Self Financing [Decent Homes Standards and Rents] item is removed from the Work Programme.

The Minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on 31 July and 10 September, 2014 were presented.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.