Issue - meetings

(Leisure and Young People Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C/006/2007-08).

(1)        That the Essex Legacy Action Plan from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games be endorsed; and

(2)        That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be requested to extend the terms of reference of the Leisure Task and Finish Panel to:

(a)            undertake a review of the opportunities presented by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and

(b)            recommend proposals as to how the Council may wish to respond, including priorities for action and any resource implications.

The Leisure and Young People Portfolio Holder presented a report concerning the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Portfolio Holder reported that an “Action Plan for a Legacy from the 2012 Games” had been developed after extensive consultation across Essex. A formal request had now been received from the Chairman of the Essex Working Group for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for the Council to formally endorse the Action Plan and indicate how the District would seek to benefit from the staging of the Games. The Cabinet felt that the Leisure Task and Finish Panel would be the most appropriate Committee to investigate the opportunities that the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games presented to the District, including priorities for action and any resource implications, and requested that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee extend the terms of reference of the Leisure Task and Finish Panel accordingly. The Portfolio Holder reassured the Cabinet that the proposed park and ride facility at North Weald Airfield would only be for the duration of the Games, and also acknowledged that the use of the Lea Valley Park presented a further opportunity to the District.

            Decisions:

(1)            That the Essex Legacy Action Plan from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games be endorsed; and

(2)            That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be requested to extend the terms of reference of the Leisure Task and Finish Panel to:

(a)            undertake a review of the opportunities presented by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and

(b)            recommend proposals as to how the Council may wish to respond, including priorities for action and any resource implications.

Reasons for Decision:

All parties were being formally asked to endorse the Plan, in order to raise and maintain the profile of the Plan. Partners were also being asked to respond with any local proposals or priorities and whether they intended to allocate additional resources. The Olympics would present a number of opportunities for the District, and a number of initiatives had been emerging, although these had yet to be formally considered by the Council.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

To not endorse the Essex Legacy Action Plan.