Agenda item

Agenda item

Capital Projects Update

Report of the Leisure Services Team Manager

Minutes:

Jason Knight, Leisure Services Team Manager, presented the report which updated Members with regards to capital projects within the Coalville Special Expense Area.

 

It was suggested that the Working Party consider recommending to Cabinet an additional allocation of £4500 to Scotlands Recreation Ground Bowls Pavilion as part of the Asset Management Plan. This would then be used for funding the installation of CCTV and improvement of intruder alarms, in order to help with the prevention of anti-social behaviour in the area. Over the course of the meeting Members spoke in support of this proposal.

 

The ongoing work at Scotlands Recreation Ground was welcomed as a way to deliver health benefits for residents, who would benefit from additional from additional running and walking routes. The additional funding from Bardon Community Fund and the local Sports Alliance were also welcomed.

 

The Chairman outlined to Members a proposal for the Working Party to consider investment in equipment to improve the monitoring of air quality at several locations within the Coalville Special Expenses Area. This was based on work recently undertaken by the Air Quality Task and Finish Group, which had subsequently been considered by Community Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet. It was suggested that officers be asked  to bring detailed proposals to a future meeting of the Working Party in order to then make recommendations to Cabinet. It was outlined that the Bardon Community Fund may be willing to match-fund any agreed proposals.

 

Councillor Andrew Woodman, Community Services Portfolio Holder, was then welcomed to the meeting and provided further detail on the specific proposals that had been made by Scrutiny and agreed by Cabinet. It was explained that there was a distinction between statutory monitoring already undertaken by the Council, and non-statutory monitoring such as of Particulate Matter, and the Working Party could consider funding for additional non-statutory monitoring equipment of Particulate Matter to work alongside the approach planned in the Air Quality Delivery Plan recently agreed by Cabinet. 

 

Members spoke in favour of additional monitoring equipment as important in ensuring the health of residents across the Special Expenses Area, subject to specific and costed proposals being provided at a future meeting of the Working Party. It was also suggested that the opportunities for the public to contribute to additional monitoring be explored, such as through suggesting  sites for equipment, or being supported by the Council in providing their own equipment and data.

 

Concerns were raised regarding cleanliness, community safety and on the planned improvement works at Coalville Park and London Road Cemetery, where it was suggested a site visit by the Working Party might be beneficial to help identify the solutions. The Leisure Service Team Manager clarified the current situation at these sites and agreed to look into the areas of concern raised.

 

Regarding London Road Cemetery, it was also explained that there did not currently appear to be sufficient demand for cremation at the site to justify use of funds to implement such a service. However, a Burials review currently underway would look to identify future opportunities for income generation, which would then be reported to a future meeting of the Working Party.

 

A request was made to allocate £2,000 of funding to the planting of trees on grass verges in the Coalville area and specifically at Bardon Road, subject to additional funding being secured from the Bardon Community Fund and agreement of Leicestershire County Council as landowners. The Leisure Services Team Manager advised there was a budget that could be utilised for this purpose.

 

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

 

RESOLVED THAT

 

1)    The Working Party note the progress update on the 2020/21 capital projects.

 

2)    Officers be asked to undertake a scoping exercise and report back on the feasibility of providing additional air quality monitoring equipment within the Coalville Special Expenses Area. In order for the Working Party to then make recommendations to Cabinet.

 

RECCOMENDED TO CABINET THAT

 

3)    £4500 be allocated to Scotlands Recreation Ground Bowls Pavilion as part of the Asset Management Plan, in order to assist in the prevention of anti-social behaviour.

 

 

 

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