Agenda and minutes

No apologies of absence were received at the meeting.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Leisure and Community  Scrutiny Panel meeting held on the 05 October 2021.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Leisure and Community Scrutiny Panel meeting held on the 05 October 2021 be signed and confirmed as a correct record.

There were no announcements made by the Chairman.

To receive and declarations of interest from Members in accordance with the Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct and disclosures of advice or directions received from Group Leaders or Political Groups, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

There were no declarations of interest made at this meeting.

To receive any deputations of which notice has been lodged.

No deputations were received at this meeting.

The Panel received a report by the Director of Leisure and Community on a  Review of Community Buildings. The report was presented by the Leisure and Community Officer, Claire Benfield and provided the Panel with an opportunity to pre-scrutinise the report prior to consideration by the Executive on the 01 November 2021.

The Leisure and Community Officer advised Members that an error had been identified within the confidential appendix A of the Executive report. Two figures had been input incorrectly meaning that the total cost allocation had been changed from £455,000 to £433,000. The Executive report itself would be amended prior to publication.

In order to discuss the content of the confidential appendix A of the Executive report the Chairman suggested that the Panel move into private session.

RESOLVED that the meeting move into private session to exclude members of the public and press as defined in Paragraph 3, Part 1 of schedule A of the Local Government Act 1972 in order to discuss the exempt information contained within Appendix A of the Executive report.

Members discussed the report at length and asked several questions regarding the work that has been prioritised as urgent, raising concerns over the high costs of this work. Officers reassured Members that many of the Community Associations have good reserves and funding raising capabilities which will contribute to some of the costs.

There were also concerns raised by Members of the Panel on the accuracy of the costs summarised, as the review had been carried out in 2020 prior to the covid-19 pandemic. The building sector has seen price rises over the past 12 months that could have an impact on the costs summarised within the report. Members asked that these concerns be highlighted to the Executive at their meeting on the 01 November 2021.

RESOLVED that the Leisure and Community Scrutiny Panel: -

a)    note the contents of the Executive report at Appendix 1; and

b)    ask that their concerns regarding the accuracy of the costs summarised due to the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the increased cost of building work, be highlighted to the Executive at their meeting on the 01 November 2021.

To consider any items of business dealt with by the Executive since the last meeting of the Panel, that falls under the remit of Leisure and Community  Portfolio. This will include any decisions taken by individual Members during the same time period.

There were no items of Executive Business for the Panel to consider.

To provide an opportunity for Members to consider the Scrutiny Panel priorities for Leisure and Community.

The Chairman invited Members of the Panel to consider the Leisure and Community Scrutiny Priorities. The Director of Leisure and Community reminded Members of some of the topics that had already been identified and that they can contact Officers at any time outside of the Panel meetings if there are priorities that they wish to discuss or bring forward to a future meeting.

Members of the Panel requested that an update on the Cams Alders Vision be brought to the Panel in the near future to provide an update on the project. Officers confirmed that as soon as they have an update for Members this would be brought to a future meeting of the Panel.

Members also requested that One Community provide an overview of how they meet the Council’s requirements to help and support community groups and organisations across the Borough, in relation to: funding, volunteering and governance. It was agreed that officers, in consultation with the Chairman, would create a scoping report to invite One Community to a future meeting of the Panel.

RESOLVED that the Leisure and Community Panel: -

a)    considered the Leisure and Community Scrutiny Priorities;

b)    ask that officers prioritise an update item on the Cams Alders Vision to be brought to a future meeting of the Panel; and

c)    agreed that officers, in consultation with the Chairman create a scoping report to invite One Community to a future meeting of the Panel.