Date

08 January 2003

Reporting Area

Culture & Leisure

Lead Director

Peter Rowntree

Progress Made

Issues to be addressed

Who

By When

Leadership

· Best Value Review results received: 2* (good) service with uncertain prospects for improvement; Heritage Services regarded as 3* (excellent) - the Council's first 3* service.

· Entente Florale (European "in Bloom" competition)

· Costume Museum's "Jubilee!" exhibition now closed after a record 162,000 visitors

· Victoria Art Gallery numbers on target to be over 70,000 again in 2002

· Cultural group to implement the Review Action Plan

· Bath awarded Silver Medal

· Ensure the new 20s exhibition is as effective in increasing visitors and revenue

· Maintain Gallery's popular appeal

J.Howey; S.Bird; J.Fieldhouse M.Smith

M.Smith

S.Bird

S.Bird

Over 5 years

11/03

Leadership

· Bath invited to represent South West region in Britain in Bloom national competition 2003

· South West Britain in Bloom awards announced 2002

· "Cemetery of the Year" competition

· Heritage Services restructuring in the planning stages

· Externally funded report recommended relocation of Museum of Costume

· Leisure externalisation will achieve reductions in running costs, investment in the facilities and improvements to the service

· Funding issues to be addressed from within budget but value of future participation to be reviewed after 2003

· Bath won: South West Tourist Board cup for the best floral displays and Michael McGahey cup for best out of town shopping area (for Moorlands Road)

· Haycombe Cemetery achieved national runner up position - first time entry

· Achieve greater cross-service consistency; more outreach

· Future location of Museum of Costume; future use of Ass Rooms and 4 Circus

· Towards achievement of top 25% performance for the service

M.Smith

M.Smith

M.Smith

S.Bird

S.Bird

P.Rowntree / J.Howey

04/03

ongoing

People Management

· Staff and Trades Unions told councillors at Education, Youth, Culture and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Panel that they were satisfied with the level of involvement and communication concerning the Leisure Partnership Project.

· Staff had expressed concerns due to a previous adverse private sector management experience

· Responsibility for remaining Leisure Services passed to Direct Services. Interim manager appointed to manage residual facilities & functions, pending permanent appointment.

P.Rowntree

M.Smith

People Management

· Library staff vision workshops & change management workshops being run

· Library European Computer Drivers Licence (ECDL) training progressing

· Heritage Services Staff Group and Staff Bulletin launched

· Staff restructuring necessary & change difficult to achieve within tight resources

· Need to evaluate ECDL when Peoples Network goes live and arrange further training if needed.

· Improved consultation & communication

J.Fieldhouse

J.Fieldhouse

S.Bird

Policy and Strategy

· Leisure Externalisation: Executive agreed that a partnership with an external partner is best option for the future management of its leisure facilities & appointed an existing not-for-profit company as preferred bidder

· Library vision written & currently subject to staff consultation

· Cultural Strategy adopted by Council

· Heritage Services Business Plan 2002-2006 revision for 03-06 with Executive Member for decision

· Negotiations with preferred bidder now taking place to complete the contract by March 2003. Contract manager to be appointed shortly.

· Vision to be rolled out for wider consultation and then agreed as an Executive Decision. Action plan arising will be merged with Best Value action plan & detailed costings prepared.

· Cultural Officers Group to implement actions

· Plan being implemented 2003-2006

P.Rowntree / J.Howey

J.Fieldhouse

C.O.G.

S.Bird

Mar 03

Policy and Strategy

· Foursite (Library Consortium) strategic review underway

· Cemeteries memorials testing required to ensure compliance with safety requirements

· Foursite results expected late Jan 03, recommending way forward for consortium

· Plan proposed for memorial testing to ensure compliance with safety requirements. Included as 'budget pressure'

J.Fieldhouse

M.Smith

Jan 03

Resources

· Projects to improve sports facilities in schools to the value of nearly £1M have been approved in principle for lottery grants from the New Opportunities Fund. Local communities will also benefit

· People's Network: currently being installed and switched on for public in January

· Play Area items being replaced as programme (Financial Plan commitment), includes replacement of Special Needs unit at Royal Victoria Park

· Sponsorship of floral features

· Collections Management audit recommendations being implemented

· Attract Sports Lottery funding

· Long term sustainability an issue, but volunteers and trainers recruited to assist now.

· Insufficient funds to replace all equipment nearing end of life (risk issue)

· Planning issues prevent further progress at this stage, pending implementation of "rural" schemes & policy review. Income shortfall is a budget pressure and will continue until at least 2004.

· Maintain documentation progress to timetable

J.Howey (with Ed'n)

J.Fieldhouse

M.Smith

M.Smith

S.Bird

Jan 03

2006

Resources

· Bid prepared for new Government money as a Local Public Service Agreement to encourage more people to take up sport and active lifestyles

· Library stock policy being developed to ensure good asset management

· Cataloguing project starts with money from successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid

· Haycombe Crem - concerns re condition of cremators. Significant risk to Council income.

· Helping to build a healthier community

· Need to ensure policy fits with Vision for Libraries

· Cataloguer recruited

· Review options to continue or replace within existing resources

J.Howey

J.Fieldhouse

J.Fieldhouse

M.Smith

Process

· Use of Leisure Active Cards increasing

· Victoria Art Gallery awarded CharterMark

· B&NES Resident's Discovery Cards issued now 7,500 from 4,500 at last report

· All 4 HS web sites now live and linked to B&NES, "VisitBath" & other key web sites

· Over 5,500 Active Cards currently in use including 1,800 annual memberships & 1,200 advance booking.

· Maintain public services

· Maintain promotion throughout the district

· Maintain and update to ensure maximum effectiveness

J.Howey

S.Bird

S.Bird

S.Bird

ongoing

ongoing

ongoing

Process

· Foursite operational review underway

· Digitisation pilot being examined to find way to make best use of stock

· Free entry to Parade Gardens for B&NES residents implemented making all parks free to residents

· Operational review within the consortium looking at processes involved in materials buying & processing, plus use of computer system

· Sign digitisation agreement to pilot use of material

· Permanent arrangements to be decided for period from April 2003. Service target - improve access & quality.

J.Fieldhouse

J.Fieldhouse

M.Smith

Performance Targets

No.

%

RED

1

4%

AMBER

7

27%

GREEN

18

69%

NOT KNOWN

TOTAL

26

100%

Ref.

Indicator

Top 25%

2000/

01

Actual

2001/

02

2002/3 Target

2002/

03

Estd Out-turn

Status

Comment

Culture - General

114

Does the L.A. have a local cultural strategy?

N/A

N/A

No

Yes

Yes

Green

Strategy approved

116

£ Spend per head of population on cultural and recreational facilities

£28 excl Asset charges

£14 (£50.33 incl asset charges)

£50.14 incl. Asset charges

£14 (£51.65 incl. Asset charges)

N/A

Amber

Annual measure; basis altered to include asset charges, substantially increasing costs - will also affect average (Unsure of effect of changes to cost allocations, hence Amber)

119 & 119 (I) - (v)

% Satisfaction with Culture & Leisure

60

N/A

55%

Best 25%

Best 25%

Amber and Green

Museums, Parks, Leisure all top 25% but Libraries, Theatres and Total (for all services) not top 25%

Heritage

113

Museum school group visits

Best in England

130,580

102,019

120,900

95,000

Red

Coach borne parties in decline (adult and child). Large proportion of child visits by language school students, some of which are now charged at adult rates (from Jan 02). FMD and 9/11 severely affected bookings by European language school students, with ongoing effects

169a

Museums operated

4

4

4

4

Green

169b

Museums operated under Resource (formerly MGC) registration scheme

4

4

4

4

Green

170 a

Museum visits per 1,000 population

1,351

8,013

8,066

7,430

7,900

Green

Visits / usages now include all Heritage buildings - best in England

170 b

Museum visits per 1,000 population in person

1,006

6,909

6,793

6,335

6,500

Green

Visits / usages now include all Heritage buildings

Local 47

Net Museum income per Council Tax payer

Best in England

£37

£36

£40

£40

Green

On target to achieve current year profit target of £2.8 Million

Libraries

117

Library visits per 1,000 population

6.4

5.29

4.86

6.20

Visitor ests N/A

Amber

Below target. Expected to rise when Peoples Network opened to the public. Counting suspect and new mechanisms being tried. (Unsure of effect of changes to counting mechanisms, hence Amber)

115

Cost per visit to Libraries: £

£3.26 avg.

£2.09

£3.45

£2.16

Visitor ests N/A

Amber

Expected to drop when People's Network implemented due to increased visitor numbers (Unsure of effect of changes to counting mechanisms, hence Amber)

P29

Implement People's Network in libraries with increased facilities to access the internet and word processing facilities. Libraries will become learning centres with assistance being provided by trainers.

Do it

Green

Currently being installed and will open to public early in the New Year.

Ref.

Indicator

Top 25%

2000/

01

Actual

2001/

02

2002/3 Target

2002/

03

Estd Out-turn

Status

Comment

Leisure

Local 41

Number of sports pitches available to the public

47

47

47

47

Green

No change

Local 42

Number of visits to Sports Centres per 1,000 population

7.255

6.077

6.181

6.375

6.375

Green

Small increase on previous year

Local 43

Average spend per visit

£1.82

£1.89

£2.00

£2.00

Green

On target

Local 44

Number of visits to Council golf courses (thousands)

64

70

70

60

Amber

Visits below target but income up. Poor weather May, June and part July

Local 45

Net income per visit £

£3.07

£3.14

£3.20

£3.50

Green

Over target but at the cost of usage

Local 46

Percentage of grounds meeting specification on first inspection

88%

90%

91%

Green

Parks & Gardens

Local 39

Percentage of play areas conforming to national standards for local unequipped areas

0.03

0.26

0.26

0.26

0.26

Green

Local 40

Percentage of play areas that conform to national standards for local equipped areas

0.54

0.73

0.78

0.78

0.78

Green

Other

P26

Increase promotion of B&NES to markets offering most potential, following FMD and 9/11 in 2001

Do it

Green