Agenda and minutes

(Head of Research and Democratic Services) To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

None reported.

(Head of Research and Democratic Services). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee, which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

Pursuant to the Council’s Code of Member Conduct, Councillor S Murray referred to the item on the Future Management of the Roding Valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve. He declared a general personal but non-prejudicial interest in the item by virtue of being the Council’s representative on their Management Board and the nature reserve having a partnership with Roding Valley High School.

Pursuant to the Council’s Code of Member Conduct, Councillor Mrs Grigg referred to the item on the Future Management of the Roding Valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve. She declared a general personal but non-prejudicial interest in the item by virtue of being the Council’s representative on their Management Board.

Attached to this agenda is a copy of the proposals presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which led to the setting up of this Leisure Panel.  However, Members now need to determine the final scope of the study and a set of Terms of Reference, which reflect those objectives. 

In order to help the Panel, a set of ‘Notes for Guidance’ for the operating of a Task and Finish Panel is also attached.  This sets out how a Task and Finish Panel should ideally go about scoping its programme of work, gathering information and evidence.  The note also suggests how final reporting back to the main Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the larger Council is undertaken.  A draft layout for a Final Report is also attached.  Please note that these are still in draft and are yet to be fully endorsed by the July Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting.

The panel noted that the review of the future management of the Roding Valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve and the future management of the Waltham Abbey Sports Centre were time limited and would have to be tackled first.

The Essex Wildlife Trust currently manages the Roding Valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve, but this agreement runs out in March 2007, after 21 years. Because of this, it is now necessary to undertake a review of the service.

Derek Macnab indicated that John Hall, the Chief Executive of the Essex Wildlife Trust would be happy to help the Panel in their deliberations, and that the panel should also seek the views of the Grange Farm Trust, Management Committee Liaison Committee and the Pony Riding for the Disabled Charity who use the nature reserve.

Councillor Murray told the Panel that this is a very sensitive issue in the Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell and Loughton part of the district and provision should be made to take the views of the local people on board either as written evidence or orally.

The Waltham Abbey Sports Centre is shared with the King Harold Secondary School and is currently jointly managed with Essex County Council (the Education Authority) and EFDC. This dual use agreement is due to come to an end in September 2007 and a review of the future management arrangements needs to be undertaken.

The Panel will need to speak to the staff of the sports centre, speak to the school and  to the governors; efforts should be made to seek the views of the school children as they are potential users of the centre.

A visit to Waltham Abbey Sports Centre and Swimming Pool was arranged for the Panel on Tuesday 18 July 2006.

The panel then considered the two less-time sensitive items that needed reviewing, the Future Development of the Arts in Epping Forest and the District Council’s Role and Involvement in Outdoor and Community Events.

A full presentation on the development of arts in Epping Forest will be given to the Panel on 31 July 2006. The panel is asked to undertake an examination of the arts in terms of local provision and impact on the local community. To enable it to do this the panel should consult with Theatre Resource, Voluntary Services, Members of the Local Strategic Partnership, Epping Forest College, Harlow Playhouse and if possible, Residential Care Homes and Sheltered Housing officers involved in arts projects in the district. Considering the large amount of research that needed to be undertaken it was thought that the panel could split into groups (or individually) and carry out research trips, as well as visiting some places as a Panel.

The District Council has a need to address and assess it’s involvement and role in outdoor and community events. Taking into account the increasingly complex legislative framework, which is stopping people from putting on events. North Weald Airfield is host to most of the Council’s major outdoor events and has the potential to develop long  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The Proposals submitted to Overview and Scrutiny Committee form the basis and justification for the scrutiny of the four individual topics.  In order to assist Members of the Panel in determining the breadth and focus of the reviews, additional background information is detailed below.

1.                  Review of the Future Management of the Roding Valley Meadows local Nature Reserve

Located in the South of the District, within the Roding Valley, are the Roding Valley Meadows, declared a Local Nature Reserve in 1986.  The 64 ha Reserve is bisected by the River Roding.  The majority of the site is to the east of the river and occupies a north-south corridor being bordered on its eastern side by the M11 motorway.  Approximately one-quarter of the reserve lies to the west of the river and is bordered by Oakwood Hill and Chigwell Lane (See Map attached)

The Reserve primarily comprises species-rich meadows and pasture, ancient hedgerows and areas of marsh and woodland.  There are two ponds on the site plus several wet ditches.  Four of the meadows are Sites of Special Scientific Interest and, as such, receive legislative protection (administered by English nature).

There is a way-marked Nature Trail supported by both Adult and Children’s Visitors Guides.  There is specific provision for visitors with disabilities through specially adapted footbridges and kissing gates, and a purpose built hard surface track.  The Reserve has been awarded the coveted “Green Flag” aware in recognition of its quality of access and management.

The Reserve is provided at the discretion of the Council and the Grange Farm Trust who are part landowners.  Currently the site is managed by Essex Wildlife Trust on behalf of the Council under a 21 year legal agreement which commenced in 1986 (The Grange Farm Trust is party, but not signatories to the agreement).

A fulltime Warden is employed by Essex Wildlife Trust which receives an annual grant to cover the Warden’s salary and essential conservation work. To undertake the additional, desirable conservation work requires considerable volunteer and external funding resources.  The Essex Wildlife Trust is responsible for all on-site operational works, the management of public access and the production and implementation of Management Plans.

The Roding Valley Meadows are within easy reach of the residents of Loughton, Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell and, as such, are extremely popular with local people many of whom make daily usage of the Reserve for walking and exercising dogs.  Access is free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Other regular users of the Reserve include, horse riding (the nearby Pony Riding for the Disabled Trust have a legal right of access into the Reserve, which is also used by casual riders), athletics (cross country events and general training by Loughton Athletics Club), orienteering, education (primarily visits by local schools) and a guided walks and events programme for local people, conservation and species research; and bird watching.

The work of the Nature Reserve Warden employed by Essex Wildlife Trust, is supported by the Council’s Countryside Management Service “Country  ...  view the full agenda text for item 4.

The panel agreed the terms of reference attached to these minutes.

Having agreed the Scope of the Reviews and the Terms of Reference, it is necessary to agree at Work Programme to achieve the outcomes.

Members will appreciate that the scale of the task in undertaking four reviews within a relatively short timescale is ambitious.  It is therefore recommended that the topics are not taken sequentially but rather that an amount of work is undertaken in parallel.

This is of particular relevance to the two future operational management topics in relation to Waltham Abbey Sports Centre and the Roding Valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve, which both have fixed dates for termination of the  current arrangements i.e. WASC September 2007 and RVLNR April 2007.  In addition, these two topics have perhaps the greatest potential implications for the 2007/08 Budget process, which starts in October 2006, with the Council setting its budget in February 2007.

The Panel therefore needs to consider the most effective way in which it wishes to organise in order to achieve its objectives.  This could be by frequent meetings of the full Panel or in some cases the appointment of smaller groups to carry out visits/interviews with others.

A suggested set of initial dates and visits is proposed below, in order to start the process.

Task and Finish Panel on Leisure Schedule of Meetings/Visits.

Proposed Date

Dates thereafter to receive Presentation on Community and Outdoor Events, and other meetings/consultations to be discussed.

NB:      The Panel should be aiming to put forward at least an interim report with outline recommendations, by the date of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 5^th October 2006, if it wants to make a bid to fund any recommendations in the Financial Year 2007/08

Details of a work programme to be worked out over the next few meetings. A draft work programme is attached.

In order for the panel to make any recommendations that would affect budgets for any of the items that it is to consider, a preliminary report should be completed by 5 October 2006 that would put down a marker for the next budget round.

Visits are to be arranged on a mixture of evening and daytime visits.

TIME SCALE FOR FINAL REPORT

The Panel agreed that:

• The Roding Valley Nature Reserve and the Waltham Abbey Sports centre tasks should be finished by January 2007.

• The review of arts development and the role of the District’s involvement in Outdoor and Community Events Tasks should be completed by February – March 2007.

No other Business was raised.

To be agreed as per item 6.

Noted that:

A visit to Waltham Abbey Sports Centre and Swimming Pool was to take place on 18 July 2006, starting at 7pm;

A presentation on the arts and a follow up discussion from the Waltham Abbey visits to take place on 31 July 2006, starting at 7pm; and

A visit to Roding Valley Meadow is to take place on 8 August 2006 starting at 7pm.