Agenda, decisions and minutes

At this point in the meeting, the Executive Member is asked to declare if he has any personal or prejudicial interest in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda. None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on
12 January 2010 and 12 October 2010.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the Decision Session – Executive Member for Leisure, Culture and Social Inclusion meeting held on 12 January 2010 and 12 October 2010 be  signed and approved as a correct record.

It had been reported that there had been four registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Cllr Crisp spoke on item 4 Playbuilder Project – Next Steps and expressed her concerns relating to option A as this did not include the Garnet Terrace scheme. She informed the Executive Member that local residents in the Leeman Road area were concerned to hear that if option A was chosen Garnet Terrace would be excluded.  The residents and Ward Councillors felt this was unacceptable and she urged the Executive Member to consider option B and include Garnet Terrace.

Representations were received from a local resident regarding item 4. He expressed his concerns with option A as it excluded the Holgate Ward area.  He had spoken to some local residents in the Leeman Road area who were appalled to hear that Garnet Terrace maybe excluded and they had started a petition to support the development. He informed the Executive Member that Back Park does not meet the full need for play provision in the area and requested that the Executive Member consider option B.

Representations were received from a local resident of the Westfield Ward regarding item 4. He commented on the Grange Lane site and expressed his concerns with option A.  He asked the Executive Member to consider option B as this would allow more areas to be developed.

Cllr Looker spoke on item 4 and expressed her concerns with option A as this would exclude the Holgate Ward. She was concerned that the Guildhall Ward would be overlooked and she reminded officers that the City Centre area had no play provision.  She understood that officers had difficulty in locating a suitable site within the City Centre and hoped they would continue to research the area so that when funds did become available officers could get a scheme in place quickly.  She felt this area was desperate for a play provision to allow children that live in the City Centre and children that visit the area somewhere to play.

This report relates to the Government’s Playbuilder Initiative which allocates money for the development of  play areas across the city. It is being brought before the Executive Member as a condition of the revised allocation is that it has to be used by 31 March 2011. A decision is therefore required in order to deliver the chosen projects or uses within this time frame.

RESOLVED:  That the Executive Member agreed:

(i)           That Copmanthorpe Parish Council and Haxby Town Council be allocated £47k each to pay for a Playbuilder scheme within their area.

(ii)         That the Playbuilder project officer post be funded from the capital reallocation.

(iii)       That option B from Paragraphs 15 and 16 be the proposed approach to deliver the remainder of the Playbuilder Initiative

(iv)       That if for any reason any of the approved schemes were not able to proceed by March 31^st 2011, the funding for that scheme be reallocated to the remaining schemes or to other suitable play area improvements as determined by the Assistant Director for Communities and Culture in consultation with the Executive Member for Leisure Culture and Social Inclusion.

(v)         That work be undertaken to highlight possible schemes in the Guildhall Ward for when funding becomes available.

Reason: To improve children’s and young people’s play opportunities.

The Executive Leader considered a report that informed him of the Government’s Playbuilder Initiative which allocates money for the development of play areas across the city.

It had been brought as an urgent item because a condition of the revised allocation was that it had to be used by 31 March 2011. A decision was therefore required in order to deliver the chosen projects or uses within this time frame.

Officers gave an update and commented on the 4 options available. Officers noted the representations and confirmed that they would continue to investigate a suitable play area within the City Centre.¹ The Executive Member added this as an additional recommendation.

The Executive Member thanked officers for their work in quickly compiling this report in order to make sure a decision could be reached at this meeting in order to progress the schemes necessary to ensure completion by March 2011.

The Executive Member considered all options available and stated that:

·        Option A would deliver schemes closer to the original allocation per scheme that was proposed for 2010/11 but he felt this option does not represent the most prudent allocation of resources to address identified need across the City.

·        Option C would not be the best use of available resources.

·        Option D would not help to address the identified need for improved facilities for young people across the city

The Executive Member considered the representations made and thanked Cllr Waller and Mr Rodgers for their written representations and confirmed that option B was the recommended option as that would see resources committed to 6 schemes across the City. He agreed to include the Garnet Terrace site rather than a Guildhall site.

He commented on the tight timescale officers had to work to and expressed his concerns that unforeseen circumstance could overtake events and there was the possibility that certain schemes may not be delivered within this timescale. He did not want funds to be lost as a result of such circumstance and he added an additional recommendation.

RESOLVED:  That the Executive Member agreed:

(i)           That Copmanthorpe Parish Council and Haxby Town Council be allocated £47k each to pay for a Playbuilder scheme within their area.

(ii)         That the Playbuilder project officer post be funded from the capital reallocation.

(iii)       That option B from Paragraphs 15 and 16 be the proposed approach to deliver the remainder of the Playbuilder Initiative

(iv)       That if for any reason any of the approved schemes were not able to proceed by March 31^st 2011, the funding for that scheme be reallocated to the remaining schemes or to other suitable play area improvements as determined by the Assistant Director for Communities and Culture in consultation with the Executive Member for Leisure Culture and Social Inclusion.

(v)         That work be undertaken to highlight possible schemes in the Guildhall Ward for when funding becomes available.

Reason: To improve children’s and young people’s play opportunities.

The Chair has agreed to consider under urgent business a report on “Poppleton Junior Football Club: Approval of Loan”.  This report is brought as a matter of urgency to consider a very late and unexpected increase in the cost of materials for the project and to seek to put arrangements in place to enable the project to go ahead within the agreed time schedule.  Because of the timescales involved, this item cannot wait until the Executive Member Decision Session scheduled for December 2010.

RESOLVED: That the loan of £10K to Poppleton Tigers Junior Football Club  over 5 years be approved.

Reason: So that the project can go ahead and that all other external funding is not lost

The Executive Member considered a report that sought his approval to make a loan to Poppleton Junior Football Club which the club will use to finance the development of a new changing room, club room and associated car parking at the Millfield Lane site, Poppleton.

The Officer gave an update and stated the urgency for this report was due to a very late and unexpected increase in the cost of materials for the project.  This had created a significant funding shortfall of £10,000, which jeopardised the whole project just as it was about to start on site.  Approval was needed now and could not wait until the December Executive Member meeting.  The officer confirmed he was confident that the club would be able to repay the loan over a 5 year period.

The Executive Member stated he fully supported the project being undertaken by Poppleton Tigers. The council had been able to offer support through Section 106 funding and the Executive Member was keen to ensure that the Football Foundation’s investment of £370k was not placed in jeopardy.

RESOLVED: That the loan of £10K to Poppleton Tigers Junior Football Club over 5 years be approved.

Reason: So that the project can go ahead and that all other external funding is not lost