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 declared a general personal but non-prejudicial interest by virtue of being the Council’s representative on the Roding valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve 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 declared a general personal but non-prejudicial interest by virtue of being the Council’s representative on the Roding valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve Management Board.

To note and agree the attached minutes of the meeting held on 13 July 2006.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 July was agreed as a correct record, subject to the addition of Councillor Mrs J Lea’s apologies for absence.

(Chairman/Lead Officer) To note the attached updated Terms of Reference and associated Work Programme. The Panel are asked at each meeting to review both documents.

The Panel noted the Terms of Reference and Work Programme. The Head of Leisure Services, in answer to a question, confirmed that the agreed timetable was still viable.

VISIT TO RODING VALLEY MEADOWS LOCAL NATURE RESERVE

TUESDAY 8^th AUGUST – 7P.M.

This visit, which will be conducted by Essex Wildlife Trust, will enable Members of the Panel to view the Reserve and discuss the numerous practical issues in terms of Conservation and management.  Members are asked to rendezvous at the Reserve’s Car Park, adjacent to the David Lloyd Centre, off Roding Lane, Chigwell, at 7p.m.  Appropriate walking shoes should be worn.  It is anticipated that the visit will take approximately 1½ hours.

VISIT TO DONNY SOUTH EVENT, NORTH WEALD AIRFIELD

SUNDAY 13^th AUGUST – 1.45P.M.

This visit is designed to give Members an insight into the key considerations in hosting Major Outdoor Events at North Weald Airfield.  The Donny South Event, is a “Custom Car” Event aimed principally at a young male audience.  Aspects of the Event itself are of an adult nature and therefore unsuitable for young children.  Tickets are pre-sold up to a year in advance, but the Event also attracts visitors, who pay on the day, from across the region.

Members are invited to report to the Airfield Gatehouse, in Merlin Way at 1.45p.m. where parking will be provided.  Gerry Kehoe, the Council’s Marketing and Events Manager, and Laura MacNeill, Assistant Head of Leisure Services, will welcome Members and provide an initial Briefing, prior to visiting the main Show Area. 

Members will be given an escorted Tour of the Event where issues in relation to hosting events at the Airfield with its diversity of uses, often with conflicting demands can be explored.  An opportunity will also be provided to meet Representatives of the Event Organisers towards the end of the visit, to hear from a Hirer’s perspective.  It is anticipated that the visit will conclude by 3.30p.m.

A full Briefing Pack and Itinerary will be despatched to Members in the week before the Event.  Please could you confirm attendance with Gerry Kehoe on Tel:  01992  534231 

VISIT TO COPPED HALL CHARITY FUN RUN

SUNDAY 17^th SEPTEMBER - TIME TO BE CONFIRMED

Building on the success of their initial Event last year, the Rotary Club of Epping are organising another Charity Fun Run on the 17^th September 2006.  Leisure Services have a history of co-operative working with the Rotary Club through support in the past to the Epping Carnival and Fireworks.

Leisure Services involvement this year is to provide technical advice, to lend some limited site equipment to enhance the Event, and some staff resource to help with the practical management.  It was felt that this Community Event would provide Members with an opportunity to view some of the equipment Leisure Services previously has used to assist Community Events.  In addition it will also give an opportunity to hear from the Organisers of such Events as to the type of support and role they would possibly like, from the Council in the future.  A full Briefing Pack and Itinerary will be forwarded to Members in advance of the day.  Again, confirmation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

To receive a presentation on the development of the Arts in Epping Forest.

The Epping Forest Arts gave a presentation on the current state of the arts and art development in EFDC to the Panel. Debra Coates-Reynolds the Acting Arts Officer, Joanne Thompson the Dance Development Artist, and two Community Artists, Sofie Layton and Sonja Zelic, presented the audio, visual presentation. A copy of the presentation is attached to these minutes. At the end of the presentation the Panel was supplied with a pack of facts and figures. Also in attendance were three visitors who are intimately involved with the arts in the district. They were: Linda Tona, Arts/Activities Co-Ordinator at Sherrell House; Chris Burns, Head of Ongar Music School and composer/musician; and Katherine Jackson, manager of IC Youth Dance Group at Ivy Chimneys School. They were available to talk privately to the members of the panel during the interval of the presentation.

Following the presentation the panel asked the following questions:

Councillor Murray asked how the Epping Forest Arts specifically engaged with the “culturally impoverished” children of the district. He was told that they worked with pupils from the Pupils Referral Unit and Youth Services and not just work with  ‘A’ level students. However it was accepted that there is a need to readdress the work that the Arts Team do with young people. Next year Epping Arts will be starting a new project called ‘Homeline’, which they hope will involve a lot of young people and their parents.

Councillor Mrs Smith asked if the West Essex Dance Partnership was a new thing. She was told that it has been established for some time and works in conjunction with Epping Forest Arts, The Playhouse Theatre and Essexdance.

Councillor Haigh asked about the demographic changes occurring and now that more and more elderly people live on their own – how do Epping Forest Arts plan to reach them. The section was looking to develop this area of work, they had identified that a big issue was transport and were looking to work with Community Transport to progress this area of work.

Councillor Jon Whitehouse asked about the costs involved and how were they prioritised. He was told that their aims and objectives in the BVPP set priorities. Some of the funding was match funded at Government and County level. The Gross Expenditure was just over £320,000 with a net expenditure of between £270,000 and £275,000.

The Arts team wanted to point out that they were not running with a full team currently and arts projects were labour intensive; whenever they start one project there is always another one on the go, and so it snowballs. Their projects, by necessity, have an intensive staff to client ratio.

Councillor Harding thanked the group for their interesting and informative presentation.

None.

To note that a visit is planned to the Roding Valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve on 8^th August 2006, starting at 7pm.

To agree any other dates thought necessary to progress the panel’s research.

The panel noted that they were next scheduled to:

• Visit the Roding Valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve on Tuesday 8 August 2006 at 7pm;
• Visit the Donny South Event at North Weald Airfield on Sunday 13 August at 1.45 pm.
• Have a meeting at the Civic Offices on 12 September 2006 about the Roding Valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve and to talk to relevant concerned parties;
• Visit the Copped Hall Charity Fun run on Sunday 17 September 2006; and
• Hold a meeting at the Civic Officer on 28 September 2006 with the Head teacher of King Harold School about the future management of the Waltham Abbey Sports Centre.