Agenda and minutes

The Senior Democratic Services Officer drew attention to the emergency evacuation procedure.

Councillor Michael Evans had sent his apology to the Panel.  Councillor Anthony Clarke was a substitute for Councillor Evans.

At this point in the meeting declarations of interest are received from Members in any of the agenda items under consideration at the meeting. Members are asked to indicate:

(a) The agenda item number in which they have an interest to declare.

(b) The nature of their interest.

(c) Whether their interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an other interest,  (as defined in Part 2, A and B of the Code of Conduct and Rules for Registration of Interests)

Any Member who needs to clarify any matters relating to the declaration of interests is recommended to seek advice from the Council’s Monitoring Officer before the meeting to expedite dealing with the item during the meeting.

The Chairman informed the meeting that Nicolette Boater will address the Panel under item 13 on the agenda (River Corridor Report).

To confirm the minutes of the above meeting as a correct record.

The Panel confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting as a true record and they were duly signed by the Chairman subject to the following amendment:

• Page 5 of Minutes, second paragraph, first sentence should read: ‘The Chairman said that the Panel received confirmation that the BDUK will go ahead with the State Aid as agreed with the EU.’

The Chairman said part of the Medium Term Plans discussion at the last meeting was about the Victoria Art Gallery charges and the Panel was informed that discovery card owners will not be charged admission to the gallery.  However, that has changed now and the Chairman asked what the latest position in terms of admission charges is.

Mike Butler (Interim Divisional Director - Tourism, Leisure & Culture) said that the situation had changed slightly.  Static exhibition will be free for everyone whilst for special exhibitions all adult visitors charged (children are free) and charges will vary by exhibition. Season tickets will be available and there will be no other concessions.

The Chairman said that he appreciated discussions are fluid and things can change between two meetings but if there are changes like these in future then the Panel Members should be informed as soon as those changes take place.

Mike Butler took that comment on board.

The Panel are asked no consider the presentation from the Connecting Families Manager.

A copy of the presentation is attached to the agenda. 

Please contact Jack Latkovic (Democratic Services Officer) if you require presentation in any other format.

The Chairman invited Paula Bromley (Principal Youth Officer and Operational Lead for Connecting Families) to give the presentation.

Paula Bromley highlighted the following points in her presentation:

• Overview
• The way we will work
• Degrees of the Family Intervention Services
• Purpose of Connecting Families
• Map of households matching >=2 Criteria
• How we will work with our families
• Family Intervention
• Measures of Success

A full copy of the presentation is available on the Minute Book in Democratic Services.

The Panel made the following points:

The Panel commented that for some of the methods in the scheme will require co-operation and positive participation of all people involved and asked if there is active participation and/or resistance and how the service will deal with those issues.  The Panel asked if benefit payments will be affected with this scheme.  The Panel also said some families have been known in the system for a number of years and asked how this new scheme will make the difference.  The Panel also asked if there is intention to work together with the housing associations.

Paula Bromley reminded the Panel that the team have not started to work yet as the plan is to start with the scheme from 1st February this year.  The team is still working on methodology of the scheme.  Paula Bromley said that it is good to have sanctions for those families who do not participate in the scheme though we also have to have rewards.  This scheme is about making an approach to those families with an offer and taking that offer to them explaining that this is to help them, their future.  If they don't accept that offer then sanctions will be enforced.  There will need to be clear understanding on what the offer is and what the sanctions will be.  Skilled workers will be working alongside families and they will be their advocates and best friends.  The difference from previous schemes is that even the social services don't have very often a real feel for the whole family.  They tend to work with mum, dad, etc but not the whole family.  The proposal here is that families will have skilled worker who will spend 2,3,4 hours a day providing the support to them.  The Government feels that this scheme does work and there are lot of positive trials across the country and the evidence from those trials will be looked at. 

The Panel asked how the team will be able to demonstrate that the efficiencies had been made in order to continue the financial support from the Central Government.

Paula Bromley responded that this will be crucial for the service to prove these to the Central Government.  Staff will be looking at data mapping in order to focus on families and also to work with the housing associations and the Police in data exchange (i.e. do housing repairs go down or up, is there reduction in Anti-Social Behaviour).  All these information will then be used to calculate financial implications of the scheme.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59.

The Council require a Leisure Strategy to determine its investment and service delivery options for the next 25 years. This report is designed to clarify the realistic options available and provides recommendations to build the future Leisure platform.

The Strategy has two main elements Facilities: Provision of facilities and Wellbeing Programmes.

This report addresses the Facilities requirements and the approach to Wellbeing Programmes.

The Chairman invited Mike Butler to introduce the report.

The Panel made the following points:

The Panel commented that the report suggested that there were a number of capital success in getting investments but the evidence shows in order to get capital investment you have to have a proper revenue budget to get the best out of the capital investment so it doesn't deteriorate. 

The Panel also commented that there is nothing about the accessibility in the report so as many residents as possible could make use of the facilities.

 The Panel also commented if the aim is to reduce the net expenditure on various facilities to zero over the next few years then they would like to see some kind of interim business plan on that could be achieved.  The Panel noted that this might not be possible considering that the recommendation 2.4 of the report mentions the cost to BANES due to inactivity.  The Panel also noted that bullet point 3.11 of the report says continue to work closely with commissioners to enhance and develop front services to meet the challenge though part of the budget and the business planning is that there may need to be revenue investment in order to offset the expenditure on another part of the budget.  So, aiming for zero within the leisure services provision may increase expenditure on Health and Wellbeing part. 

The Panel felt that the report made more questions rather than giving answers and Members felt that they could not support the recommendations as printed in the report (bullet point 2, recommendations 2.1-2.4).

Some Members of the Panel commented that they were not aware on the consultation on this Strategy.

Mike Butler responded that the consultation process hasn't started yet.  The only thing that has been worked on is the platform for the Strategy.

The panel also commented that they would wish to see more information on whether there are plans to build something new in Keynsham or other sites in the area in order to replace the existing.

Mike Butler said that the Council is in constant communication with the partners on how best they can use the existing facilities.

The Panel expressed their concerns with the plan to stop investing in Sport and Leisure though the Council will soon, as from April 2013, take over responsibilities for Public Health. 

Mike Butler responded that 3.13 of the report is about the emphasises that the Leisure Strategy is down to put on working with other directorates to improve the health and wellbeing in the area.  Mike Butler also said that the report could be more clear on what the Council try to achieve with the Strategy. 

The Panel suggested that the future report should first outline what the Council want to achieve in providing sports facilities, than what sports facilities will be provided in order to achieve those outcomes and at the end to look at the cost of it.

The Panel requested for further report on the Leisure Strategy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

This report is as a result of a request by the Committee to report on the Bath Tourism Plus Ltd funding by the Council. 

The Panel is asked to note the contents of this Report.

The Chairman invited Mike Butler to introduce the report.

The Panel made the following points:

The Chairman reminded the Panel that at the last meeting on 22nd November 2012, under Medium Term Plans, the Panel requested the following: ' A report on the discussions with the Bath Tourism Plus in terms of the consensual agreement on transition of funding' due to Panel's concern on how would that work if the Council would reduce direct funding and replace it with the tourism levy. 

Councillor Cherry Beath (Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development) said that nothing has been set out, nothing agreed, yet in terms of tourism levy.  The idea of levy is something that it will be worked on. 

The Chairman agreed with Councillor Beath that the Panel also asked a report on how Tourism Levy will come out in practice, including models of charging versus income.  The Chairman said that the Panel did not have anything against tourism levy s long as it works in practice and as long as Bath Tourism Plus get involved in those discussions.  The Chairman informed the meeting that Bath Tourism Plus did not have any problems with the principle if the funding regime change but they needed to know details.  That is why the Panel wanted a report on the funding for the Bath Tourism Plus.

The Chairman said that he appreciated that officers could not give more details in the report and said that the Panel will be looking forward for more detailed report in near future.

It was RESOLVED to note the report and receive further update at one of the future meetings.

Bath World Heritage Site was inscribed on 6 December 1987.  25 years on, this report gives a brief overview of the impacts of the status.

The Panel are asked to note the contents of this report.

The Chairman invited Tony Crouch (World Heritage Manager) to give the presentation.

Tony Crouch highlighted the following points in his presentation:

• Definition for the ‘World Heritage Site’
• Steering Group for Bath
• Impacts: Challenges
• Impacts: Positive
• World Heritage Enhancement Fund
• Moving forward: Great Spas of Europe
• Conclusion

A full copy of the presentation is available on the Minute Book in Democratic Services.

The Panel made the following points:

The Panel commented that one of the most distinctive things about the city is the setting with the rural surrounding.  The Panel asked what would UNESCO say about developing the rural surrounding considering the housing need pressure.

Tony Crouch responded that UNESCO would be interested in that as one of the reasons Bath is described as the World Heritage Site (WHS) is the way that the built heritage merges into landscape setting.  Planning Services recently brought forward Setting Study supplementary planning document which is already been used in possible location of extension sites.  There will be inevitably be some degree of harm in any development that happens in the WHS but that needs to be compared with the benefits for the city.

The Panel commented that despite some of the negative headlines in the media about recent developments, Bath still retained the WHS status.  The Panel asked if there is special policy that new developments have to use special colour, stone, etc.

Tony Crouch commented that there is a policy document called Vienna Memorandum which states that we should look to replicate past styles.  Some inspectors were not in favour of Southgate development yet they were complimentary for Holburne Museum and Bath Spa.  It is all about pushing forward and build with the quality.  Negative headlines happen all the time.  We were never in danger to lose WHS though it only took one headline like 'Bath to lose the WHS?' from famous newspaper and then you are on the back foot.

It was RESOLVED to note the presentation.

The Panel are asked to note and comment on the report that will be presented to the Cabinet/Cabinet Member for approval.

The Chairman invited Mike Butler to introduce the report.

The Panel unanimously supported the report and supported that the preferred option number 2 be implemented as of April 2013.

It was RESOLVED that the Panel supported the preferred option number 2 which be implemented as of April 2013.

The Economic and Community Policy Development & Scrutiny Panel is asked to review and discuss the final River Corridor Group report and recommendations and provide any additional outcomes of discussion as final feedback to Cabinet.

The Chairman invited Nicolette Boater to read her statement.

Nicolette Boater thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Panel.  Nicolette Boater congratulated a number of people who had their input in the report.  The work described in this report has been undertaken over a period of unprecedented financial challenge, uncertainty and structural change for the Council, but also one full of opportunity for those who want things to be done differently or better than before. Nicolette Boater said she was pleased how the vision and change agendas of many diverse organisations can combine and develop momentum in this way. However, as the report also recognises, a strong and widely owned vision is not enough alone. Therefore, Nicolette Boater hoped the Panel will urge the Cabinet to grab the opportunity inherent in our River Corridor by wholeheartedly supporting the two main recommendations suggested in this report, and be forthcoming with suggestions as to how the report might be made even more complete, persuasive, and authoritative.

A full copy of the statement is available on the Minute Book in Democratic Services.  The Chairman thanked Nicolette Boater for her statement.

The Chairman introduced the report and thanked everyone who took part in the report.

The Panel made the following points:

Councillor Brett said that she couldn't attend the Scrutiny Inquiry Day (SID) and asked if the Trust could influence planning decisions, would the Trust have resources, would the Trust work with Councils and Ward Councillors so the vision becomes reality.

The Chairman said that the simple answer to all these questions would be yes.  The Chairman also said that quite a range of people and organisations were involved in this review.  To come up with very specific proposals that would have unanimous agreement from all involved would not be possible.  But, if we are looking to make developments in the future it has to be on basis involving all those with interest and expertise, which is why the independent Trust model is one of the suggestions in the report.  The Chairman said he would hope that BANES representative (officer and/or Councillor) sits on the Trust as the Council is the main landowner along the river but not the only one.  If we have an independent Trust then it makes it better and easier to influence planning decisions as there will be minimum of conflict in the interest.  The Trust should also work with local Councillors.

Councillor Brett welcomed the comment from the Chairman and added that she would like to see the Vision of what the entire river corridor could potentially look in the future as a driver for the future.  Councillor Brett also said that the Trust could become only talking block unless they have the Vision.

The Chairman responded that it is up to the Trust to define the vision.

Councillor Clarke said that he was not keen on the Trust.  Councillor Clarke was very much in favour for river to be developed but this would not be done  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.

This report presents the latest workplan for the Panel.

It was RESOLVED to note the workplan with the following additions:

• Further report on the Leisure Strategy – March 2013
• Youth Offending Service – March 2013
• An update on the draft Anti-Social Behaviour draft Bill – March 2013 tbc
• Connecting Families update - date to be confirmed
• Bath Tourism Plus funding - further update (date tbc)

The Panel also asked the Senior Democratic Services Officer to investigate when the ‘Post-Midnight Economy and its contribution to overall economy’ item will appear before the Panel.