Agenda and minutes

(Assistant to the Chief Executive)  To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

Noted that there were no substitute members for this meeting.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive). 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, Councillors D Wixley and  S Murray declared a personal but non-prejudicial interest by virtue of being their respective Town Council’s representative currently in discussions with Epping College.

            RECOMMENDATIONS:

1.      That the terms of reference for this Task and Finish Panel be agreed and Submitted to the 10^th July 2008 meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and

2.      That the Panel agree a preferred starting time for the Panel.

Attached to this Agenda, is the Final Report of the Leisure Task and Finish Panel 2007/08.  The Chairman of the Task and Finish Panel presented this report to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 10^th April 2008.

The Report was well received and the recommendations received unanimous approval.  However, two of the issues examined by the Task and Finish Panel, specifically Future Management Options for Waltham Abbey Sports Centre and the Monitoring of the Youth Initiatives Scheme would not conclude until 2008/09.  As such, the new Leisure Task and Finish Panel have been mandated to complete these two topics this municipal year.

In addition to the part-complete review items, the Panel has been asked to evaluatewith the Epping Forest College, options for the provision of sports facilities as part of the development proposals for the College.

Whilst the 3 topic areas have been identified in general terms, Members of the Panel will need to determine the final scope of the work and a set of Terms of Reference, which reflect these 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, although last year’s final report is a useful practical example of what the Panel are required to produce.

In order to assist Members, a Draft set of Terms of Reference has been prepared for the Panel’s consideration and agreement.

The Director of Environment and Street Scene, John Gilbert, introduced the draft Terms of Reference for the Panel, which follows on from last year’s Panel. The final report of the Panel was also attached for information.

The Panel received an update on the Waltham Abbey Sports Centre from the Assistant Director of Environment and Street Scene, Laura MacNeill. She reported that there is now a Portfolio Holder agreement to approach the school to get an agreement signed by both parties to continue with the current arrangements to March 2010 with a one year break clause. As the school part funds the centre it was important to know that they were still going to do so. The school is awaiting news on its new build project, given government funding. A report will be brought to the Panel about the feasibility of building on the Waltham Abbey Pool site. There is to be a meeting with planning officers to ascertain whether outline permission would be possible to obtain. If this is not feasible then they would have to go back to the alternative management resolution.

It was proposed that the next meeting of the Panel be held at either the Waltham Abbey Sports Centre or the Swimming Pool so that the Panel could see for themselves the layout of the centres. This was agreed by the Panel.

Councillor Whitehouse asked about the negotiations with SLM and the expansion of the centre, and could the Panel have a report on the sports centre arrangements and how it relates to Waltham Abbey. Mr Gilbert said that they would cover this in a future report to the Panel.

Councillor Whitehouse also asked about point 2 of the Waltham Abbey ‘aims and objectives’. He questioned the use of the phrase ‘to conclude negotiations’ with King Harold School. He thought that it would be more appropriate for Officers or the Portfolio Holder to conclude any negotiation and report on the outcome to Members. The Director for the Environment and Street Scene agreed with him and said he would alter the wording.

The Panel then considered the Youth Initiatives Scheme. They noted that a report was being produced and will go to the next Panel meeting.

Julie Chandler (Assistant Director - Community Services and Customer Relations), appraised the meeting on the latest developments. The Council was awarded funding for the play strategy in December 2007. They are currently focusing on Limes Farm. New equipment will be installed in areas around the District. The first part of the installation in Limes Farm will be installed in August 2008, when they will also improve the CCTV coverage.

The equipment was of a new kind and would be the first of its kind in the country. The second phase of the Limes Farm installation to be installed as soon as possible. Later in the year they hope to go ahead with the project in Nazeing and in the spring 2009 they hope to get started on the Lambourne project. Mr  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

No other business was raised.

To agree a date and start time for the next meeting of this Panel.

            RESOLVED:

The Panel agreed that the next meeting would be held on Tuesday 23 September 2008 starting at 7.30pm. The meeting to be held at the Waltham Abbey Sports Centre.