SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (ECONOMY AND
ENVIRONMENT)
Minutes of an extraordinary meeting held on
23rd March, 2010.
Present: Councillor C.J. Williams
(Chairman); Councillor Mrs. M. Kelly Owen (Vice-Chairman);
Councillors J.C. Bird, R.F. Curtis, G. John, Mrs. A.J. Preston,
Mrs. S.I. Sharpe, R.P. Thomas, M.R. Wilson and Ms. M. Wright.
Also present: Councillors A.M.
Ernest, Mrs. V.M. Hartrey, N.P. Hodges, H.J.W. James and R.L.
Traherne.
1037 APOLOGY FOR ABSENCE -
This was received from Councillor Ms. M.E.
Alexander.
1038 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
-
Councillor R.F. Curtis declared an interest in
Agenda Item No. 4 in that Dr. Jonathan Hicks was his
step-brother.
1039 3RD QUARTER
PERFORMANCE MONITORING REPORTS -
(i) Strategy and Support -
The Operational Manager presented the report
to the Scrutiny Committee highlighting that there were currently no
issues of concern and all PIs were on target.
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the 3rd
Quarter Performance Monitoring Report for Strategy and Support be
noted.
Reason for recommendation
In order that effective Scrutiny was
undertaken.
(ii) Fleet Cleaning and
Security -
With regard to Performance Indicator L807Q
(the average number of working days/shifts lost per full time
equivalent Building and Vehicle Services employee due to sickness
absence) the Head of Service advised that it was anticipated that
the target would not be met. Members raised concerns
regarding the target but were advised that long term sickness was
an issue but that there were genuine absences although in some
instances advisory notices had been issued. In considering
the report it was subsequently
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the 3rd
Quarter Monitoring Report for Fleet Cleaning and Security Services
be noted.
Reason for recommendation
In order that effective Scrutiny was
undertaken.
(iii)
Planning and Transportation
-
In presenting the report the Head of Service
referred to PI PLA/004e (the percentage of all applications
subject to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) determined within
16 weeks) and advised that performance for 2008/9 was 23.1 with the
target for 2009/10 at 25. The procedure for dealing with
applications was to allow 21 days for consultation but this was
dependent on the size of applications as for larger schemes
consultation with a number of agencies may be required which would
then take considerably longer. In view of this Members raised the
issue of the rationale for the PI but were advised that the Welsh
Assembly Government had advised that they had no intention of
making any changes to the PI and as such the PI would remain fro
the foreseeable future. Members took the opportunity to
congratulate the Head of Service in relation to the sickness
figures for the service area as they were well below the target for
2009/10. It was therefore
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the Planning and
Transportation Quarterly Monitoring Report be noted.
Reason for recommendation
In order that effective Scrutiny was
undertaken.
(iv) Visible Services
-
In referring to PI WMT/001i (NS14) (the
percentage of municipal waste reused and/or recycled) although the
status for the PI was shown as red the Head of Service advised that
the figures were still above the Welsh average. As the Green
Waste service would cover the whole of the Vale by the end of
2010/11, he was confident that for PI WMT/002 (NS15) (the
percentage of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill), the
Department could improve on the figure by 10%. Members
queried the possibility of Local Authorities having to pay fines if
they did not increase the percentage of waste recycled. The Head of
Service advised that the Welsh Assembly Government had not decided
whether any individual Councils would be charged as yet. In
order to try to increase recycling figures Councils would have to
increase public participation and as such a marketing strategy
would have to be implemented aimed at encouraging
participation. Members queried the popularity of the Kitchen
Waste Recycling Service and were informed that there were more
requests for the service than letters of opposition to it.
There was concern from some Members in relation to the change to
the black bag collection times and the possible increase in fly
tipping. Members were informed that there was no noticeable
increase in black bag fly tipping, though three enforcement
officers were on hand to manage any problems as necessary. If
required the Department would employ more Enforcement Officers from
the Welsh Assembly Grant it had received to deal with the
matter. Some members commented that they had recently visited
the Cowbridge Compost Centre and stated that it was an excellent
service and they took the opportunity to encourage any member of
the public to visit to familiarise themselves with the processes
being undertaken.
In referring to Sickness Absence performance
indicators the Head of Service informed Committee that long term
sickness issues were prevalent within the service area but that at
present performance was slightly up from previous years.
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the 3rd
Quarter Performance Monitoring Report for Visible Services be
noted.
Reason for recommendation
In order that effective Scrutiny was
undertaken.
(v) Economic
Development and Leisure -
The Chairman took the opportunity to wish the
Head of Service, Mr. Christopher Fray, all the best in his
retirement and thanked him on behalf of the Scrutiny Members for
all the work and support he had given to the Council in his years
of service.
In referring to the Monitoring report Members
were advised of the results of a Public Opinion Survey that had
been undertaken and noted that 74% of users had recorded they were
very satisfied with the service and 25% recorded as fairly
satisfied. With regard to sickness figures he advised that
there were some members of staff who were due to have planned
operations which would then have an impact on the figures.
With regard to L643Q (the percentage of employees that leave the
employment of Economic Development and Leisure during the year) the
figures were somewhat inflated due to the fact that casual
employees had to be recorded to which Members of the Scrutiny
Committee requested that the PI be amended to not include these
figures as they distorted the overall position.
With regard to visitor numbers to leisure
centres it was suggested that the authority needed to be more
aggressive in its marketing techniques, in particular to encourage
more adult classes. Members were advised that the Sports
Council Initiative that had recently been introduced provided a
Sports Officer in every comprehensive school and this had
encouraged a lot more younger people to access the gyms which had
proved to be a very good initiative. It was suggested that it
would be useful for the Committee to receive a presentation from a
Sports Development Officer and following the presentation of the
report the Committee subsequently
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A
T the Economic Development and Leisure 3rd Quarter
Monitoring Report be noted.
(2) T H A
T a presentation from a Sports Development Officer to Scrutiny
Committee Members takes place within the next financial year (i.e.
2010/11).
(3) T H A
T congratulations and best wishes of the Scrutiny Committee be
afforded to Chris Fray, Head of Service for Economic Development
and Leisure for his long service to the Council and that he have a
long and healthy retirement.
Reasons for recommendations
(1) In
order that effective full Scrutiny is undertaken.
(2) To
apprise Members.
(3) To
extend the Committee's appreciation.
1040 VALE OF GLAMORGAN
MUSEUM: OPTIONS AND COSTS (DEER) -
The purpose of the report was to investigate
the options and related costs of setting up a Vale of Glamorgan
Heritage Museum located in Barry. Councillor R.F. Curtis had
requested consideration of the above matter for the following
reasons:
· "Barry
and the wider Vale of Glamorgan had a proud and varied history and
Councillor Curtis believed that that history should be available to
visitors and residents alike.
· Barry
was the biggest town in Wales and deserved a permanent place in
which to display its history for future generations.
· The
report should also contain a reference to potential funding
partners including possible Section 106 Agreements from future
large developments."
Councillor Curtis further advised that he was
a “Barrian born and bred and was very proud of the history of the
town.” He stated that Barry had been at the forefront of the
industrial revolution and at one time had been the largest coal
exporter in the whole of the world. During the two world wars
Barry had also played a vital role in the war effort.
The request had also included the suggestion
that local history enthusiasts be invited to a Scrutiny Committee
to provide evidence in relation to the establishment of such a
facility. To this end the Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee
had agreed to representations being made to Committee and to
include a presentation by Dr. Jonathan Hicks and Mr. Adrian
Pitman.
Dr. Hicks, prior to his presentation,
circulated a copy of the Vale of Glamorgan's Heritage Centre
Coalition (March 2010) Strategy document for information, to all
present.
In making the presentation Dr. Hicks and Mr.
Adrian Pitman stated that the Vale Heritage Centre Coalition
was a coalition of historians and others who had combined together
to establish a centre for the Vale's history. The purpose of
the Coalition being to try to convince the Vale Council that as
part of the future development of Barry Waterfront, a heritage
centre funded through Section 106 and built by the Barry Waterfront
Consortium should be built to house the story of the history of the
Vale of Glamorgan. The benefits of such a facility for the
Vale would be to
· bring
visitors to the Vale
· form a
local identity
· encourage
community involvement
· to
provide a knowledge bank of information.
It would also be important to work with other
partners such as other local history societies across the Vale to
ensure an equitable representation of all parts of the Vale's
history. In relation to funding for such a provision
reference was made to Section 106 Agreements and to the £9 million
Regeneration Fund provided for Barry. In presenting the
business case for the project it was also suggested that further
funding should be considered from / by the following:
· a gift
shop
· a
cafe
· donations
· possible
membership scheme
· local
business donations
· lottery
funding
· exhibition
room rental fees.
The Coalition was fully aware of the
Waterfront Consortium and in particular to arts development
on the Waterfront which had been allocated 1% of the budget for
Waterfront public art. They requested that a feasibility
study be carried out by the Vale of Glamorgan Council to consider
the establishment of a heritage centre more fully.
The Head of Service advised that for any
significant projects a feasibility study was an important
consideration which would form an essential basis for the business
plan. However, he pointed out that there was little sense in
spending community energy time and funds on a project that may be
doomed to fail from the outset by lack of demand, lack of funds and
lack of ability to deliver the necessary elements. Any
feasibility study that would be undertaken would be to assess one
or more of the following aspects of a proposal
· commercial
viability
· the
level of annual subsidy required
· economic/community
impact
· technical
feasibility
· compare
different options
· to
assess whether there was a viable use for a community asset.
The report also highlighted that the Council
already made a substantial contribution to local heritage and arts
by virtue of its support for Dyffryn Gardens, Cosmeston Medieval
Village and Arts Central as well as grant aid to community
facilities such as the Washington Gallery and Cowbridge
Museum. He further advised that a museum would be an
expensive operation to establish both in capital and revenue terms
at any time but would be a particular drain on the Council's
funding at a time of public sector funding pressures and it would
be important that any group who was interested in establishing a
museum investigates the funding options available. The report
informed Committee that the Council at present did not have any
Section 106 contributions for heritage and it was too early to
assess the likely contributions from any further development of the
Waterfront, Barry. It was also noted that a regimental museum
had been proposed as part of the Defence Technical College at St.
Athan.
Other local historians present at the meeting
were afforded the opportunity to speak and made representations as
detailed below:
· Cowbridge
and District Local History Society
Mr. D. Buswell stated that the Cowbridge and
District Local History Society could see a heritage centre as an
opportunity to unite all the areas within the Vale of Glamorgan
through history which would provide a sense of identity and
belonging for all. He particularly referred to assisting with
leisure time and providing opportunities for all members of the
public to visit such a unique facility which would serve
all.
· Dinas
Powys
Mr. J Wilmott advised that the Dinas Powys
Society had been founded over 36 years ago and that a number of
exhibits available in for Dinas Powys required housing in order for
them to be displayed. There were also a considerable number
of historians in Dinas Powys who would no doubt offer their support
and contribute to such a development and he urged the Council to
consider the issue fully.
· Llantwit
Major Local History Society
Mr. N Williams referred to the local history
of Llantwit Major and the current facility that had been
established within the town and advised that a heritage centre
would further encapsulate the project and present the heritage of
the Vale to visitors alike. It was an opportunity to ensure
that the Vale's heritage was looked after and exhibits arranged in
order for the public to have an opportunity to visit. The
Llantwit Major History Society was fully in support of a Vale wide
Centre.
· Penarth
Local History Society
Mr. B Fisher reiterated that Penarth was also
committed to a centre for the Vale. He referred to the Pier
as a national heritage which needed to be fully maintained as part
of history and stated that the Vale needed a centre that would
represent all communities.
The representative from Pride in Barry, Mr. P.
Haley, also informed the Scrutiny Committee that the group, Pride
in Barry, were fully in support of the principle of a
heritage centre and that there was substantial information /
documentation of Barry's history that needed to be
remembered.
Members of the Committee expressed their
appreciation to the local history enthusiasts who were endeavouring
to ensure that the history of the Vale was maintained and that a
centre could be a way to attract visitors to the area and be a
strong focal point. They also referred made to the
establishment of a heritage centre that included links with other
satellite collections throughout the Vale.
The Cabinet Member for Planning and
Transportation congratulated all present on taking part in the
debate and he suggested that in his opinion a feasibility study
should be undertaken by the charitable organisation, aided and
advised by the Council. He would also welcome a further
meeting with the Coalition and the Leader of the Council to discuss
the issues.
Councillor Curtis, in responding thanked the
Chairman and the Scrutiny Committee for agreeing to debate the
issue and urged the Committee to support a Vale of Glamorgan Centre
for all. He stated that in his opinion the Council should
play a key part in any feasibility study in view of all the
professional information and experience that the Council could call
upon in undertaking such a study.
The Cabinet Member for Economic Development
and Regeneration, Councillor R.L. Traherne, stated that he too was
fully supportive of the project but advised that with regard to the
Barry Regeneration Fund money it was unclear at present how the
money would be used.
Members were pleased to note that a number of
members of the public were present to listen to the debate and
thanked all for attending. The consensus of opinion was that
a feasibility study should be undertaken and having fully
considered the report and all representations made, the Scrutiny
Committee subsequently;
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A
T Cabinet be requested to look into the funding of a feasibility
study to investigate the options and related costs of setting up a
Vale of Glamorgan Heritage Museum and to include support for
satellite collections in other towns and villages within the Vale
of Glamorgan.
(2) T H A
T the public be thanked for their attendance and the speakers
congratulated on their comprehensive representations and for their
contributions to the discussions.
Reasons for recommendations
(1) To
consider the matter further.
(2) To
acknowledge attendance and representations made.