Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Board Room, Council Offices, Coalville

Contact: Democratic Services  01530 454512

Items
No. Item

1.

Appointment of Chairman for Ensuing Year

Minutes:

It was moved by Councillor N Clarke, seconded by Councillor J Geary and

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

Councillor R Johnson be elected Chairman of the Working Party for the ensuing municipal year.

 

Councillor R Johnson then took the chair.

2.

Appointment of Deputy Chairman for Ensuing Year

Minutes:

It was moved by Councillor J Legrys, seconded by Councillor R Adams and

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

Councillor J Geary be elected Deputy Chairman of the Working Party for the ensuing municipal year.

3.

Apologies For Absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillors P Clayfield, D Everitt and M B Wyatt.

4.

Declarations of Interest

Under the Code of Conduct members are reminded that in declaring disclosable interests you should make clear the nature of that interest and whether it is pecuniary or non-pecuniary.

Minutes:

Councillors J Geary, R Johnson, J Legrys and L Spence declared a disclosable non pecuniary interest in Item 6 – Capital Projects Update as regular supporters of Coalville Town FC.

 

Councillor J Legrys also declared a disclosable non pecuniary interest in Item 7 – 2014/15 Events Update due to his involvement with Hermitage FM.

5.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 152 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 15 April 2014.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 15 April 2014.

 

The Leisure Services Team Manager confirmed that the Whitwick Pit Disaster Memorial had now been successfully restored.

 

Councillor J Legrys thanked officers for their work in ensuring that the memorial was restored. He commented that it was a shame that the memorial was being used as a smoking area by some in the community.

 

Councillor N Clarke enquired whether the brass plaque had been replaced. The Leisure Services Team Manager confirmed that it had not been replaced but had been polished and cleaned.

 

Councillor J Geary expressed his disappointment that a visit to Broomleys Allotments had not been arranged, as had been agreed at the last meeting. The Leisure Services Team Manager confirmed that contact had been made with Tim Sporne from the society and a visit would be arranged in due course.

 

The Leisure Services Team Manager confirmed that Cabinet had agreed to provide free car parking in Coalville Town Centre for five weekends between 22 November and 20 December.

 

It was moved by Councillor M Specht, seconded by Councillor J Legrys and

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

the minutes of the meeting held on 15 April 2014 be approved.

6.

Capital Projects Update pdf icon PDF 142 KB

Report of the Leisure Services Team Manager

Minutes:

The Leisure Services Team Manager presented the report to Members.

 

He provided the Working Party with an update on each of the ongoing projects.

 

Coalville Park Improvements

 

Minor improvements had been made to enhance the offer to toddlers through the addition of talking flowers that allow two-way communication. These had now been ordered and it was anticipated that delivery would be taken in mid-August and installation would follow in early September.

 

It was confirmed that Cabinet had agreed with the recommendation not to change the name of Coalville Park. However, it had been requested that the suggestion to install a peace garden in the park be considered further. The Leisure Services Team Manager confirmed that a potential site within the park had been identified and that plans would now be formulated once a budget for the project had been agreed.

 

Councillor J Legrys suggested that the Working Party visit the proposed site in order to confirm its suitability for the garden. The Leisure Services Team Manager confirmed that he would arrange such a visit.

 

Councillor J Legrys enquired whether the project would be completed in time for the annual Remembrance Day commemorations in November. The Leisure Services Team Manager confirmed that this would be the aim.

 

Owen Street Recreation Ground

 

It was stated that the electricity upgrade works had been completed. However, it had been ascertained that the £60,000 quote to upgrade the fittings on the floodlight columns would not increase the lux levels to the necessary standard. Consequently, another contractor had been approached with a view to developing proposals that will raise the lux levels to a standard that would be sufficient to cope with a further two promotions. It was anticipated that the new proposals, as well as their cost, would be finalised by the end of August.

 

The proposed long term lease had now been considered by the football club and had now been returned to Legal Services to finalise. It was stated that, as a short term measure, a one year lease had been agreed and signed in order to satisfy league requirements for the upcoming season.

 

Once the long term lease had been finalised, the club would be able to apply to the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) for match funding for the new changing rooms. It was confirmed that the designs had already been approved by the FSIF, as well as by Building Control and the Asset Management Group at the District Council.

 

It was stated that the football club had commenced the procurement process for the pavilion and that specifications of work had been sent to three building contractors as had been requested by both the FSIF and the Working Party. Each contractor would quote against the existing planning drawings, including all materials and finishes. A JCT (Joints Contract Tribunal) Design and Build contract would then be issued to the successful bidder in order to ensure that the contractor completed the project within the cost they had quoted.

 

Councillor N Clarke placed on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

2014/15 Events Update pdf icon PDF 134 KB

Report of the Cultural Services Team Manager

Minutes:

The Cultural Services Team Manager presented the report to Members.

 

He provided Members with an update on each event.

 

St George’s Day Flags

 

It was confirmed that the usual number of St George’s Day flags were not erected this year. However, flags were displayed at each side of the Clock Tower, at Market Hall and at the Council Offices.

 

Picnic in the Park

 

It was estimated that more than 5,000 people attended this year’s event. The event enjoyed an exciting mix of live music, family activities, fairground rides, street entertainers and stalls. The event saw an appearance from European BMX champion Keelan Phillips, as part of the County Council’s Big Bike Ride scheme.

 

The event had received very positive feedback from various stakeholders including the Rotary Club of Coalville, the Friends of Thringstone and the Sir John Moore Foundation. The main theme of the feedback was community engagement and having fun.

 

The Cultural Services Team Manager paid tribute to the hard work of both Angela Bexton and Julia Harley in ensuring that the event was organised successfully.

 

Councillor L Spence thanked the Cultural Services Team for their hard work in organising the event. He stated that he feared the event would become undeliverable if its budget was cut any further in future years. He stressed that this year’s budget should be seen as the minimum going forward.

 

Councillor J Legrys echoed the comments regarding the hard work of officers in arranging the event. He stated that it was important to explore external sponsorship opportunities for next year’s event as this would ensure that the baseline budget was maintained in the future. He stressed that it was important to ensure that the event moves forward next year and does not become stale. He stated that he was unsure whether it would be wise to schedule the event on the same weekend as the Motorfest next year. He cited the fact that Hermitage FM had been involved in both events and had struggled with the logistics of doing so.

 

Councillor N Clarke agreed that the event had been a success. He stated that officers had been visible at the event and that he thought this would help with the Council’s perception in the community.

 

Councillor R Johnson stated that the amount of litter at the event had dropped significantly from last year. He went on to say that it was good to see the public being more responsible in this respect.

 

Coalville by the Sea

 

Following its success last year, a similar event would be organised for families this year. The event would include games, arts and crafts, puppet shows, music and sandpits and would take place on 8 August in Needhams Walk.

 

Christmas Events

 

It had been agreed to combine the Council’s Christmas event with the Coalville Town Team’s Food and Drink Festival. Both events would be held on 22 November. It was reiterated that Cabinet had agreed that free car parking would be available on each Saturday between 22  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Final Outturn Figures 13/14 and 14/15 Finance Update pdf icon PDF 123 KB

Report of the Head of Community Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leisure Services Team Manager presented the report to Members.

 

It was stated that the outturn figures showed an underspend with a contribution to balances of around £29,000. This was predominantly due to an increase in burial and monument income, a reduction in staffing costs at parks and recreation grounds and reduced service recharges.

 

It was explained that there was a balance of £81,000 and that it was prudent to retain 5-10% of balances as a reserve. Consequently, it was confirmed that there was around £40,000 to allocate to projects if Members desired.

 

It was stated that Cabinet had put forward two proposals at its meeting on 24 June. It had been suggested that an allocation of approximately £10,000 be taken from balances to continue with Coalville’s Christmas lights improvement programme. Specifically, the money would fund an exterior Christmas lighting scheme which would become a key part of the annual lights switch on event at the Market Hall. Around £1,000 of the money would also be used to repair and refurbish existing lighting where needed.

 

Similarly, Cabinet had agreed with the proposal to construct a peace garden, in conjunction with Armed Forces Veterans, within Coalville Park. A potential location had been identified and a budget of between £5,000 and £10,000 had been suggested.

 

Councillor J Geary asked what the maintenance costs for the peace garden would be. The Leisure Services Team Manager stated that this would be dependent on the plans.

 

Councillor J Legrys stated that he had serious doubts regarding the proposal to spend the reserves on Christmas lighting. He stated that he would prefer the money to be allocated to projects that would be used throughout the year. He suggested that investing in modern signage for the Market Hall would be more beneficial to the Town Centre.

 

Councillor J Geary stated that the emphasis over the last few years had been on cuts. Consequently, the £10,000 would be better spent on increasing footfall in the town throughout the year. He argued that the current signage did not give a good impression and suggested that modern, neon style signage should be installed. He stated this would be a far more prudent investment and would provide best value for money in tough fiscal times.

 

Councillor L Spence stated that the Working Party had invested in Christmas lighting in previous years. He stated that he was strongly of the opinion that reserves should be spent on improving footfall within the Town Centre. He stated that the Working Party should be doing all it can to drive economic regeneration throughout the year.

 

The Leisure Services Team Manager stated that approximately £1,000 of the money had been earmarked to refurbish existing lighting. The consensus of Members was to agree to fund this aspect of the programme.

 

The Leisure Services Team Manager explained that Parish Councils were being approached to see if they would favour taking over some of the grounds maintenance functions from the County Council. As such, the District Council had been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Dates of Future Meetings

Tuesday, 14 October 2014

 

Tuesday, 16 December 2014

 

Tuesday, 21 April 2015

Minutes:

Members noted the dates of the future meetings.

 

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 14 October 2014 6.30pm in the Board Room.