Issue - meetings

Report of the Strategic Director of Place

Presented by the Community Services Portfolio Holder

The Community Services Portfolio Holder presented the report to Members.

He thanked members and officers for the great work that they continued to do within the Coalville Special Expense area and noted that there were a number of items that he wished to cover from the most recent meeting.

He noted the success of the events programme and particularly liked the feedback received regarding Picnic in the Park. He also highlighted the planned events for 2020/21 which not only included those regularly delivered through the Working Party, but also included potential additions such as Cinema in the Park and Inflatable Days, as well as linking in to the Coalville Project and the wider events programme

He welcomed the addition of the Community Grant applications that had been considered and how they were helping community groups and added that it was fantastic to see the enthusiasm being shown by the Friends of Coalville Park group in their endeavours to improve the area for the community.

He acknowledged that he was disappointed to see the ongoing anti-social behaviour being experienced in a number of areas and recognised the work officers were doing to mitigate it. He informed Members that such vandalism had led to the irreparable damage of Cropston Drive changing pavilion roof which needed replacing. He advised that whilst it was being pursued through an insurance claim, he asked Cabinet members to support the recommendation of the Working Party, on grounds of health and safety, to allocate up to £10,000 from asset protection budgets to cover either the insurance excess or the full cost of repairing the roof, adding that a sum of £2,000 had been secured towards the project from the Bardon Community fund.

He noted the work that was being undertaken to understand the financial implications and responsibilities the Working Party had in managing assets within the special expense area. He informed Cabinet that the Working Party had once again requested to use over £15,000 of external funding targeting improvements to parks and open spaces for improvements at The Oval play area in Bardon. He reminded them that as previously, that whilst old, the equipment should last up to another 6 years, and that there were other play areas within the Coalville Special Expense area with equipment that did not have the same lifespan. He asked Cabinet to reject the recommendation and ask that members of the Working Party look to allocate the funding to improving play equipment at play areas that were a higher priority due to the equipment being closer to the end of its life.

It was moved by Councillor A Woodman, seconded by Councillor R Ashman and

RESOLVED THAT:

The recommendations made by the Coalville Special Expenses Working Party as detailed within the minutes be noted and the recommendations as summarised at 3.0, be approved with the exception of 3.2.1 which be rejected.

Reason for decision:To consider the recommendations made by the Coalville Special Expenses Working Party.