Date

22 September 2003

Reporting Area

Leisure & Culture

Lead Director

Peter Rowntree

1. Progress / Issue Reporting

Progress Made

Issues to be addressed

Who

By When

Leadership

Updates on previous report

· 10 year Leisure partnership transfers all property risk, secures investment in Bath, Keynsham and Midsomer Norton and reduces running costs. Implications of Recreation Ground has delayed start & required Executive decision to proceed without a lease for Bath Sports Centre

· Achievement of top 25% performance for the service

· Higher than budgeted costs in early years offset by savings in later yrs of contract

MS

Over the contract period

· Royal Victoria Park - application for Green Flag Award awaited

· Botanical Gardens -application submitted for Green Heritage Site status

· Decision awaited

MS

11/03

· Three Tenor concert successfully staged

Leadership

· New Trustees appointed to 4 Circus trust - convened and apprised of new developments

· To ensure trustees are kept informed of progress

SB

Ongoing

· Bid made for funding from ODPM "Liveability Fund" to support safety works in parks & open spaces.

· Decision awaited

MS

· Heritage open days (national scheme) included new locations in Saltford and Englishcombe

· Second year - to be repeated next year

SB

2004

Progress Made

Issues to be addressed

Who

By When

People

Updates on previous report

· Alison Baker appointed Leisure Manager to manage the new leisure contract and Leisure Strategy / Sports Development etc

· Performance monitoring implemented

MS

People

New items

· Library and Customer Services being merged via a staff restructure.

· To achieve a more customer focused service; better address challenges to the service.

JF

October 03

· Philip Manning appointed as Museum of Costume Development Manager

· To consider options for future options for the Museum and the Assembly Rooms Circus

SB

Ongoing

Partnership & Resources

Updates

· Haycombe Crematorium -cremator replacements - OJEU advert placed for supply of cremators

· Awarded "Best UK Cemetery" award (37 entrants)

· Need to ensure affordability and minimal disruption to service

MS

03/04

· New irrigation tank at Approach Golf Course subject to tender to comply with Wessex Water order.

· Further work needed to address underlying problems on site within what can be afforded

MS

· 4% increase in Leisure Centre visits and 10% income due to improved facilities. Over £40k per month now collected through direct debit

· Top 25% performance requires more visits - performance improvement now built into Partnership contract

MS

· Play equipment replaced as agreed in budget and new equipment installed in Radstock (Woodborough), Midsomer Norton (Saddlestones) and Writhlington (Manor Copse)

· Remaining replacements may be rolled over into 2004

MS

End 2003

Partnership & Resources

· PSA targets agreed to encourage greater usage of libraries (£50K pump priming and £51K unsupported credit approvals - UCA)

· Ensure targets met (extra 35K visits and improved customer satisfaction)

JF

2006

· PSA funding agreed for Leisure. £90K pump priming and £300K UCA

· Targets of extra 100K visits pa and extra 1500 people attending twice per week

MS

2006

· "Kiosk" libraries to be installed in new community centre at Peasedown St John and in Writhlington school. Books and other materials can be ordered and delivered on line.

· Installed over coming months

JF

End 03

· Roman Baths and Record Office partnership with British Library for literacy project funded by DCMS of £50k

· Three year literacy project

SB

March 06

· S 106 improvements agreed in Beacon Fields Peasedown St John

· New paths, youth facilities, play equipment and landscaping to be installed

MS

Mar 04

· Roman Baths a partner in £100k Campaign for Learning south-west project working local 'Foyers'

· Engage hard-to-reach audience

SB

March 06

Progress Made

Issues to be addressed

Who

By When

· New partnership with Bath Spa University College including tenancy of offices at 4 Circus

· To fulfil the Museum of Costume's obligations in respect of the partnership and develop the relationship with BSUC

SB

ongoing

· New joint website uniquebath.com set up by Roman Baths and Thermae Bath Spa

· Ensure continued joint working

SB

ongoing

· Chew Valley Sports Centre - preparations under way to tender management

· Need to ensure affordable and still able to attract Sport England funding for improvements

MS

04/04

Policy and Strategy

· Cemeteries memorials testing agreed in budget to comply with safety requirements

· Memorial testing started Sept 2003

MS

9/03

· Plan For Sport (Sports Development Strategy) consultation completed. Amendments have been made to the recommendations in the Local Plan

· Full strategy to be developed next quarter - will focus on social benefits of sports participation

MS

12/03

· Chief and Senior Leisure Officers of the 4 Unitary Authorities along with Sport England have agreed to work together to look at the potential of developing a joint sports plan to cover the 4Uas

·

MS

· Playing Pitch Assessment completed (funding support from Sport England)

· Issues arising will be considered as part of wider Parks & Green Spaces assessment

MS

2004/05

· Parks Strategy plan being revised in light of latest Planning guidance and playing pitch assessment

· No funding available within budget - staff seconded to work on project and bid made to retain proceeds of sales to fund.

MS

2004/05

Policy and Strategy

· Foursite operational review into bibliographic services complete

· Need review to continue into other aspects of consortium processes, as an ongoing quality improvement project

JF

Ongoing

Processes

· Bath & North East Somerset Resident's Discovery Cards issued now 10,000 from 8,500 at last report

·

SB

Ongoing

Processes

· Early work started on retender for consortium IT system

· Need to find system that suits future consortium aspirations

JF

Dec 05

Progress Made

Issues to be addressed

Who

By When

· Pump Room and Assembly Rooms catering contracts advertised

· Continue selection process and appoint caterers to each contract

SB

Feb 04

· Roman Baths received the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme award

·

SB

· Museum of costume / Ass Rooms submitted Charter Mark application

· Decision awaited

SB

End 03

· Parade Gardens - anti social behaviour of some visitors has been dealt with by additional security

· Reduced resource over winter months - future funding to be sought

MS

03/04

Performance Targets

No.

%

RED

1

3

AMBER

3

10

GREEN

26

87

NOT KNOWN

TOTAL

30

100

Ref No

Indicator

Best 25% of all English Councils

01/02

01/02 actual

02/03 actual

03/04 target

03/04 estimated outturn

Status

Comment

General Cultural

114 (new)

% score against checklist for compliance with guidance on local cultural strategy ?

N/a

N/a

83

100

100

Green

119

% of residents satisfied with the Council's cultural and recreational activities - overall

60

Not Measured

Not Measured

60

60

Green

New ODPM survey will be issued to residents in Nov 03

119(i)

% residents satisfied with - sports/leisure facilities

59

Not Measured

Not Measured

55

59

Green

New ODPM survey will be issued to residents in Nov 03

119(ii)

% residents satisfied with - libraries

75

Not Measured

Not Measured

80

80

Green

New ODPM survey will be issued to residents in Nov 03

119(iii)

% residents satisfied with - museums/galleries

56

Not Measured

Not Measured

60

60

Green

New ODPM survey will be issued to residents in Nov 03

119(iv)

% residents satisfied with - theatres/concert halls

60

Not Measured

Not Measured

60

60

Green

New ODPM survey will be issued to residents in Nov 03

119(v)

% residents satisfied with - parks/open spaces

69

Not Measured

Not Measured

75

75

Green

New ODPM survey will be issued to residents in Nov 03

Leisure

Local 31

% of play areas that conform to national standards for local unequipped areas

N/a

26

26

26

26

Green

Local 32

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

N/a

73

73

73

73

Green

Local 33

Number of sports pitches available to the public

N/a

47

47

45

47

Amber

Attempting to resolve problem with sitting tenant before transferring 2 pitches to Town Council

Local 34

Number of visits to sports centres per 1,000 population

N/a

6,077

6,423

6,500

6,500

Green

Local 35

Average spend per visit to sports centres

N/a

1.89

2.05

2.15

2.15

Green

Local 36

Number of visits to Council golf courses '000

N/a

70

60

70

70

Green

Local 37

Net income per visit to Council golf courses

N/a

3.14

3.75

3.3

3.3

Green

Local 38

% of grounds meeting specification on first inspection

N/a

90

93

90

90

Green

HS5

Work with the leisure management partner to implement development proposals to improve presentation and increase activities at sports and leisure centres

Do It

Do It

Green

First quarterly Partnership Board meeting takes place in October 03

LL5

Introduce a partnership arrangement in Leisure Services to implement development proposals, improve presentation of and increase activities at sports and leisure centres and reduce the running costs

Do It

Do It

Green

Implemented July 03

Libraries

117

Number of visits per head of population to public libraries per 1,000 population

6,150

4,866

4,705

4,845

Green

An interim count taken in April 2003 indicates that the library service is on target

118a

% of library users who found a book to borrow

67

Not measured

Not measured

65

Green

The PLUS (Public Library Users Group) survey, which will be used to ascertain these figures takes place in all libraries during November 2003

118b

% of library users who found the information they were looking for

N/a

Not measured

Not measured

75

Green

The PLUS (Public Library Users Group) survey, which will be used to ascertain these figures takes place in all libraries during November 2003

118c

% of library users who were satisfied with the library overall

79

Not measured

Not measured

80

Green

The PLUS (Public Library Users Group) survey, which will be used to ascertain these figures takes place in all libraries during November 2003

LL6

Increase IT training sessions in libraries by 10%

Do It

Green

Sessions in libraries have increased from 1 session to 3 sessions per week with Learndirect and even more run by ACES More than 10% increase.

De3

Enable our libraries to become part of wider community facilities, equipped to offer one stop shop services where appropriate

Do It

Green

Currently recruiting a Training Officer who will organise and implement training for all staff to equip them to deliver basic OSS services. Bus Dev Mngr exploring funds to set up co-location pilots. Early talks held with Bath City College re sharing new premises. Starting work on "menu of services" i.e. assess where services should be located in B&NES and delivering what depth of service.

Heritage

170a

Number of visits to/usages of museums per 1,000 population

729

8,066

9,348

9,322

8,925

Amber

Effect of Sars / Iraqi war has reduced overseas visitors

170b

Number of those visits that were in person per 1,000 population

509

6,793

7,874

7,912

7,515

Amber

Effect of Sars / Iraqi war has reduced overseas visitors

170c

Number of pupils visiting museums and galleries in organised school groups

N/a

102,019

89,640

91,000

90,000

Green

Fall in numbers caused by decline in coach parties and adult pricing change

Local 39

Net museum income per Council Tax payer

N/a

36

43

45

41

Red

Effect of Sars / Iraqi war; measures to mitigate include deferral of investment

169a

Number of museums

N/a

4

4

3

3

Green

Fashion research centre combined with Museum of Costume

169b

% of museums registered

100

100

100

100

100

Green

LL4

Re-design Roman Baths reception hall to promote the quality and value of the visit and make service delivery more effective

Do It

Done it

Green

New designs well received