Agenda and minutes

Apologies for the meeting were received from Councillors M Peplow and J Atherton

It was noted that there should be an amendment to the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2023.  Councillor S Atkinson left the meeting at agenda item 7 – Grants Report.  He took no part in the vote for this item.

Subject to the above, the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2023 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

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

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary, other registrable and non-registrable interests.

There was no public participation.

Verbal Presentation

The Head of Cultural and Leisure Services and the Head of Engineering Services both gave a resume of the service areas covered under their remit.  The Head of Engineering Services also outlined some of the areas which are not covered under the Community Services remit but fall under Lancashire County Council.

Report of the Chief Executive enclosed.

The Chief Executive submitted a report asking Committee to consider the reappointment of the working groups under the remit of the Community Services Committee and their membership.  The two active working groups under the remit of this Committee were highlighted.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

Approve the continuance of the grants and car parking working groups for the 2023/24 municipal year, each being made up of five members consisting of two Conservatives, one Liberal Democrat, one Labour and one Independent Group Councillor.

·        Grants – Councillors R Newmark, J Alcock, S Fletcher, K Barnsley and L Street

·        Car Parking – Councillors R Newmark, S Atkinson, S O’Rourke, L Jameson and J Atherton

PLEASE NOTE: Following the meeting, the Liberal Democrat Group representative for the Grants Working Group was changed from Councillor Stewart Fletcher to Councillor Mary Robinson

Report of the Director of Resources enclosed

The Director of Resources submitted a report reviewing the final outturn of the 2022/23 capital programme for this Committee and seeking member approval for the slippage of some capital scheme budgets from the 2022/23 financial year to the 2023/24 financial year.

Members were reminded that the total approved budget for this Committee’s capital programme of 19 schemes was £2,433,740.  Later in the year the capital programme budget was revised to £844,060 in respect of 18 schemes.  This followed a review of progress on all schemes in the capital programme and included moving budget of £479,440 on 5 schemes into the 2023/24 financial year and the deletion of 1 scheme.

Members were informed that the actual expenditure on this Committee’s capital programme was £677,184, which is 80.2% of the revised estimate budget.

Of the 18 schemes in the revised capital programme 9 were completed in year. The remaining 9 schemes were not completed in-year, with 8 of these resulting in slippage from the 2022/23 financial year in to the 2023/24 financial year totalling £165,500.

It was noted that a further spend of £5,710 is needed on the Ribblesdale Pool Filter and Tile Work scheme (FLPIP) in 2023/24 in order to bring this scheme to satisfactory full completion.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

Approve the slippage of £165,500 as set out at paragraph 3.4 of the report.

Report of the Head of Engineering Services enclosed

The Head of Cultural and Leisure Services submitted a report providing Committee with an update on the Engineering Capital programme 2023-2024 (excluding vehicle/plant replacements).

It was noted that the following works are included in the capital programme 2023-2024:

·        Castle Keep Restoration and Lime Pointing Works, value £307,600

·        Mardale Changing Rooms Extension and Renovation Works, value £126,070

·        Sabden Refurbishment of Public Toilets, value £35,600

·        Ambulance Shed, Longridge, value £47,500

·        Berry Street, Longridge Refurbishment of the Public Toilets, value £46,000

·        Roof Renewal and upgrade to the Parks Store Building in the Castle Grounds, value £46,000

·        Changing Places Welfare Units, Edisford, Ribchester and Castle Park, value £200,000

·        Brookfoot Footbridge, Ribchester, value £110,000 (Policy and Finance Committee)

·        Mardale Installation of Playing Pitch Drainage, value £80,440

·        Castle Street Renovation Works, value £600,000 - These works are not listed in the Capital Programme 2023-2024. Ribble Valley Borough Council has secured £300,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund that Lancashire County Council (LCC) Highways have agreed to match

·        Salthill Depot Replacement Concrete Bays, value £32,400

Report of the Head of Cultural and Leisure Services enclosed

The Head of Cultural and Leisure Services submitted an information report on the Together an Active Future (TaAF) Local Delivery Pilot project.

It was noted that the TaAF project is viewed by Sport England as an important element of their new Ten-Year Strategy, which is focused on Place Based working. This places an emphasis on involving the people in the communities of an area to determine what works for them in terms of sport and physical activity.

This approach will help to determine future investment from Sport England, including facility development and the emphasis on insight is viewed as way to achieve the best value for the funding that comes from the lottery and the public purse.

Sport England regard the work of the Pennine Lancashire pilot as innovative and exactly why the investment was made available for the pilots in the first place. It was noted that as the pilot moves into the Accelerator phase, the challenge will be to maintain the excellent work to date and build upon the successes achieved.

Report of the Head of Cultural and Leisure Services enclosed

The Head of Cultural and Leisure Services submitted an information report updating Committee on a variety of developments in sports, arts, community development and performance of the Platform Gallery.

The report specifically covered:

·         Play area update

·         EV charging points

·         RV3G

·         Sports development

·         Ribblesdale pool

·         Arts development events

·         Platform Gallery exhibitions

·         Biofuel trial

·         Solar panels for the Council offices

Report of the Head of Engineering Services enclosed

The Head of Engineering Services submitted an information report providing an update on the collection and disposal of a new waste stream known as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS).

It was noted that Ribble Valley Borough Council and Lancashire Renewables will introduce the POPS waste stream collection as soon as possible to comply with the Environment Agency directive.

There were no minutes from working groups

There were no reports from representatives on outside bodies.

RESOLVED: That by virtue of the next item of business being exempt information under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be now excluded from the meeting.

Report of Head of Cultural and Leisure Services enclosed

The Head of Cultural and Leisure Services submitted a report outlining the situation regarding a recent tender for proposed drainage work at Mardale playing pitches, Longridge.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE

1.    Refer to Policy and Finance Committee a request that it include the additional s106 sum of £34,711 in the capital budget for use at Mardale.

2.    Refer to Policy and Finance Committee a request to increase the budget for the Mardale drainage scheme by a further £18,133.59.

3.    Agree that the project at Mardale proceeds immediately at the cost of £133,744.59 ex vat on the understanding that if Policy and Finance Committee do not approve the requested increase in budget, the shortfall will be made up from an existing capital scheme

Report of Head of Cultural and Leisure Services enclosed

The Head of Cultural and Leisure Services submitted a report providing Committee with an update on negotiations between the Council and Ribble Valley Tennis Centre Ltd, who are the operators of the Edisford Tennis Centre.

The operators had approached Ribble Valley Borough Council to extend their current lease beyond 2027, to enable them to finance some work at the centre.  The new lease would be for a further 15 years from 2023, which means the current lease would be terminated and a new one established with the operator. 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE

Approve the new lease for the Edisford Tennis centre on the terms set out in the report.