Agenda and minutes

Venue: ZOOM

Contact: Olwen Heap 01200 414408  Email: olwen.heap@ribblevalley.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1010.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence for the meeting were received from Councillor S Knox.

 

1011.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 227 KB

Copy enclosed.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 5 January 2021 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

1012.

Declarations of pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in the agenda.

Minutes:

Councillors J Schumann and S Rainford declared an interest in agenda item 5 – Recreation, Culture, Arts Development and Arts and Sports Excellence Grants.

 

Councillor L Edge declared an interest in agenda item 7 – RV3G Pitch Daytime Education Use.

 

1013.

Public participation

Minutes:

Mr W Maxwell attended the meeting to speak on agenda item 11 – Council Assets in Longridge. He requested that, should the Council choose to sell the toilet block site at King Street, Longridge that the proceeds of the sale be re-invested in Longridge.

 

(Councillors J Schumann and S Rainford declared an interest in the next item of business and were put on hold.)

 

 

 

1014.

Recreation, Culture, Arts Development and Arts & Sports Excellence Grants pdf icon PDF 141 KB

Report of Director of Community Services enclosed.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Director of Community Services submitted a report presenting the recommendations of the working group in relation to the allocation of grants under the recreation/culture/arts development scheme and the individual sports and arts excellence schemes.

 

It was noted that the number of grants awarded across all categories was lower this year due to the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic with less participation in activities, and events not yet taking place.

 

An added bonus of £100 per applicant under the excellence schemes was suggested for this year only to enable the young people ‘returning’ to their activity post Covid. A one year only grant was also proposed for coaching schemes as a ‘back to sport participation’ incentive.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

Endorse the recommendations of the working group as appended to these minutes, and approve the carrying forward of monies as outlined in the report from 2019/20 to 2020/21.

 

(Councillors Schumann and Rainford were re-admitted to the meeting)

 

1015.

Capital Programme 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 110 KB

Report of Director of Resources enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Resources submitted a report informing members of the schemes approved for inclusion in this committee’s 2021/22 capital programme, and requesting approval for one capital scheme to be brought forward from 2023/24 into the 2021/22 capital programme.

 

The capital programme for 2021/22 to 2024/25 was approved by Council on 2 March 2021. The overall capital programme for the four-year period totals £6,011,700 for all committees. For this committee it was £3,436,900 with £1,555,000 relating to the 2021/22 financial year for 5 approved schemes.

 

Members were reminded that the installation of a second parking deck on Chester Avenue scheme could only be progressed after a feasibility study had been undertaken by officers and approved by Policy & Finance committee.

 

There was a request to bring forward the capital scheme relating to the refurbishment of the Bowling Green Café in Castle Grounds currently included in the approved capital programme for 2023/24 into the capital programme for 2021/22 at a lower budget of £45,000. This was so that work could be undertaken promptly to return the café to a state where it can be let for a business to operate from and the area around the café be returned to a proper condition.

 

Councillor Berryman was given permission to speak on this item and raised the issue of the playground at Whalley woodland where the equipment had been removed for safety reasons, and asked that funding be made available for it be replaced as quickly as possible.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

Approve the proposal to bring forward the Refurbishment of Bowling Green Café in Castle Grounds capital scheme from 2023/24 to 2021/22 at a lower budget of £45,000.

 

(Councillor Edge declared an interest in the next item of business and was put on hold)

 

1016.

RV3G pitch - daytime education use pdf icon PDF 129 KB

Report of Director of Community Services enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Community Services submitted a report outlining a proposed opportunity to hire the community room at the RV3G together with some daytime pitch use for the purposes of delivering a BTEC sports course for local young people in Ribble Valley.

 

The community room had been equipped for education use and more than one provider had come forward expressing an interest in using the facility to establish a course from. The Council would need to go through a formal procurement process to select a suitable operator. This use would not impact on the normal evening and weekend use and school bookings and competitions would still be accommodated.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

1.    Note the report and agree in principle the use of the facility during term time for education use; and

 

2.    Ask the Director of Community Services to procure and agree terms with a provider for a BTEC course.

 

(Councillor Edge was re-admitted to the meeting)

 

 

1017.

Platform Gallery Artist Selection pdf icon PDF 129 KB

Report of Director of Community Services enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Community Services submitted a report outlining proposed changes to the stock levels at the gallery to improve choice for customers and help new artists show their designs.

 

Committee were reminded that some years ago following an audit report the number of artists stocked at the galley had been limited to allow for better stock control.

 

It was reported that the gallery found that rotating work or adding new displays translates to a boost in sales, and therefore needed more than the current cap of 30 artists. Increasing the shop offering would also better support the exhibition programme and this would be taken on a sale or return basis. This would also help new artists in their development, especially given the reputation of the gallery in the area.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

Approve raising the limit to 40 artists and delegating to the Director of Community Services the numbers stocked in any period.

 

 

1018.

Ribble Valley CCTV Options pdf icon PDF 145 KB

Report of Director of Community Services enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Community Services submitted a report presenting options on how the Council could support village or parish requests for CCTV coverage in their areas.

 

At a recent meeting of the Ribble Valley Crime and Reduction Partnership held on 25 February 2021, the topic of stand-alone CCTV systems for rural villages had been discussed and the partnership had expressed support in principle, with further work to follow and the possibility of financial  contributions.

 

Committee were reminded that adding more cameras to the Council’s existing infrastructure was neither simple nor affordable in the short term and that the more immediately deliverable way forward would be stand-alone installations in the parishes. Options for funding were highlighted and once approved the Council’s Engineering section could oversee the contract process for the installation which would then be handed over to the parish, and appropriate training given to operate the system by the installation contractor.

 

The report outlined what would be required to expand the Council’s existing infrastructure and possible future developments.

 

Members asked questions about possible funding and highlighted the very different nature of some parishes compared to others.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

1.    Reaffirm council support for funding bids made by parishes for stand-alone CCTV systems to funding partners;

 

2.    Ask the Director of Community Services to arrange officer support wherever possible to assist parishes in the preparation of bids, managing tenders and preparing protocols for overseeing systems; and

 

3.    Ask Policy & Finance committee to consider whether the Council’s concurrent functions grant scheme might be amended to include installations for stand-alone CCTV systems as being eligible for support.

 

 

1019.

New Parking Order pdf icon PDF 132 KB

Report of Director of Community Services enclosed.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director of Community Services submitted a report asking committee to approve a car parking order to restrict the use of electric vehicle parking bays to electric vehicles whilst charging.

 

It was important for the bays to remain available to those wishing to charge electric vehicles and it was therefore proposed to amend the Order to include provisions restricting the use for the parking in those bays to electric vehicles that were being charged. The requirement for parking charges would remain in these bays when being used for electric charging.

 

The procedure for making the changes to the Order was outlined for committee’s information.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

Approve the proposed amendments to the Order as set out in the report.

 

 

 

1020.

Council Assets in Longridge pdf icon PDF 131 KB

Report of Director of Community Services enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Community Services submitted a report regarding the physical assets in Longridge under the control of this committee and asking that consideration be given to the change of use of any of these assets, and in particular the toilet block on King Street (sometimes referred to as Market Place toilets).

 

The toilets had been closed in 2012 and to date no urgent use of the site had emerged. Committee were therefore asked to consider the view of the Longridge Assets working group that better use could be made of the site.

 

Members discussed the toilet block and requested that should the land be sold, that the proceeds be spent in Longridge. Reference was also made to other assets in Longridge and members were informed that the working group were considering the current legal status of these assets before any decisions could be made regarding their future.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

1.    Agree to relinquish control of King Street toilets site; and

 

2.    Recommend to Policy & Finance committee that the site be advertised for sale on the open market.

 

1021.

Revenue Monitoring 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 455 KB

Report of Director of Resources enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Resources submitted a report for committee’s information on the position for the period April 2020 to January 2021 of this year’s revenue budget as far as this committee was concerned.

 

A comparison between actual expenditure and the original estimate was shown and the main variations highlighted. There was an overspend of £75,355, £87,115 after allowing for transfers to/from earmarked reserves for the first ten months of the financial year 2020/21.

 

Committee were informed that a substantial part of the overspend was in respect of refuse collection vehicle repairs and maintenance.

 

1022.

Recycling update pdf icon PDF 127 KB

Report of Director of Community Services enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Community Services submitted a report for information with an update on recycling rates following the figures recently published in January by Lancashire County Council. These showed an increase in recycling of green waste and co-mingled collections of 32% and 43% respectively, and a small increase in residual waste going to landfill.

 

1023.

General report of Director of Community Services pdf icon PDF 119 KB

Copy enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Community Services submitted a report for information giving an update on a variety of developments in sports, arts and some elements of the Council’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, in particular the operation of the lateral flow testing site in the Council Chamber.

 

Members asked that their thanks be conveyed to those staff who had covered these roles whilst the pool had been closed during lockdown.

 

1024.

Reports from Representatives on Outside Bodies

None.

Minutes:

There were no reports from representatives on outside bodies.

 

1025.

Exclusion of Press and Public

There are no items in this section.

Minutes:

There were no items under this heading.