Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted from Councillors C Snowdon, R Standley and K Warnell.

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 2015

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 2015 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Chairman welcomed Mathew Nicholson, Area Manager, Chris Yearley, Hartham Leisure Centre General Manager and James Tovey, Grange Paddocks General Manager from SLM to the meeting.  The Chairman also welcomed Inspector Chris Hunt from Hertfordshire Constabulary to the meeting.

The Chairman thanked Members and Officers for their help, support and guidance throughout the civic year.

The Head of Community Safety and Health Services submitted a report on known crime trends in rural locations in East Herts, responses to rural crime and highlighted gaps in rural crime types and locations.  The Head summarised a number of relevant details from the report.

Inspector Chris Hunt from Hertfordshire Constabulary addressed the Committee in respect of new legislation regarding anti-social behaviour.  He referred in particular to Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) and the increasing utilisation of closure notices for individual dwellings where the occupants were causing anti-social behaviour.  He also referred to the annual Standon Calling music festival and the fact that there were far fewer incidents than was the case at other similar events such as Knebworth.

The Head of Environmental Services responded to a number of questions and queries from Councillor G Cutting regarding fly tipping.  Councillor Cutting detailed the types and location of recent fly tips that he was currently aware of in and around Bishop’s Stortford Central ward.

The Head of Environmental Services advised that a report would be submitted to the next meeting of Environment Scrutiny Committee which would include a section on whether there was a correlation between reduced opening hours of household waste recycling sites and the number and location of recorded fly tips.  Members were reminded that some fly tips contained material which could not have been taken to a household waste site.

The Head of Environmental Services, the Head of Community Safety and Health Services and Inspector Chris Hunt responded to a number of other questions from Members regarding diversionary activities for young people and legal highs. 

Members received the report and supported the recommendations now detailed.

RESOLVED – that Members’ concerns as now detailed, be forwarded to the Executive Member for Environment and Public Open Spaces and the Community Safety Partnership.

The Head of Environmental Services submitted a report presenting the seventh annual review of the Council’s ten-year leisure contract with Sport and Leisure Management Limited (SLM) trading as “Everyone Active”.

The Leisure Services Manager highlighted a number of key areas of success and referred Members to Essential Reference Paper ‘B’ of the report submitted for the performance review information.  He referred in particular to the upgrades undertaken since the receipt of customer satisfaction data based on customer exit surveys.

The Chairman commented on whether the SLM employee referred to in paragraph 2.37 of the report could run disability and limited mobility classes at Grange Paddocks Leisure Centre in addition to those being conducted at Hartham.  SLM managers outlined the range of work undertaken by that staff member and indicated that working from the Grange Paddocks site could be investigated.

Councillor A Alder referred to the community and charity events SLM had been involved in throughout the year.  She referred in particular to the Anthony Nolan testing days and SLM managers explained that only the two larger sites gave enough users to warrant the events being held there.  They assured Members that the events were well advertised at the smaller sites.

Members made a number of other comments and observations regarding customer satisfaction, value for money and the survey feedback detailed in the report.  Following a request from Members, SLM managers and the Head of Environmental Services undertook to present customer satisfaction data in finer detail in future reports.  Councillor Alder referred to the gender make-up of the 60+ age group customers that were using the Council’s leisure facilities.  The Committee received the report and requested that Members’ comments be forwarded to the Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing.

RESOLVED – that Members’ comments as now detailed be forwarded to the Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing.

The Executive Member for Economic Development submitted a report providing information and context on the importance of markets in contributing to town centre vibrancy.  The Head of Communications, Strategy and Policy apologised that the full audit report was not included as it had only just been completed.  He outlined the suggestions, conclusions and action plan of the audit in respect of the markets.  He undertook to circulate this with a management response at a later date.

Councillors D Hollebon, G Cutting and G Jones mentioned that they were Members of Bishop’s Stortford Town Council which was now responsible for Bishop’s Stortford market.  The Economic Development Manager responded to a query from Councillor D Oldridge by explaining the history of why the District’s markets were held on different days of the week.  The Head of Communications, Strategy and Policy explained that the legislation which governed the operation of Charter markets was complicated and archaic.

Members debated at length the issue of markets trading on specific days of the week and the implications for the viability of each individual market and the market traders.  Councillor G Cutting commented that the traders travelled round the markets and he felt that the days when they operated should be left alone.  The Chairman emphasised that it was for the Council to do what it could to ensure the viability of the District’s Markets.

Councillor M Pope commented on the success of the contract with Bishop’s Stortford Town Council and whether this model could be applied elsewhere.  The Head of Communications, Strategy and Policy advised that the contract had helped to re-energise Bishop’s Stortford market.  The Town Council had arranged a lot of events and had tried new things to raise the profile of the market and get more people into the town centre.

The Head explained that it was too early to tell if there had been a significant impact on income levels, but overall, the contract had been good for the market.

Members received the report and agreed that the Executive be advised that Community Scrutiny Committee would like Officers to explore the possibility of flexibility regarding the days when the markets operated in East Herts and explore what factors impact most on customer numbers in respect of timing, location, weather, retail offer etc.  Members agreed that a further report should be submitted to the Committee meeting on 22 November 2016.

RESOLVED – that (A) the report be received; and

(B)   the Executive be advised that Community Scrutiny Committee would like Officers to explore the possibility of flexibility regarding the days when the markets operated in East Herts.

The Director of Finance and Support Services submitted a report on the performance of key indicators for Community Scrutiny Committee for the period October 2015 to January 2016.

The Head of Communications, Strategy and Policy advised that the only indicator which was off target was EHPI 11.1 – Rental income from market traders.  Members were advised that this would be the last report in this format regarding performance indicators and the main report would now be submitted to Corporate Business Scrutiny with individual matters being reported to Community Scrutiny and Environment Scrutiny as required.  The Committee received the report.

RESOLVED – that the reported performance for the period October 2015 to January 2016 be received.

The Chairman submitted a report asking Members to evaluate the progress made in relation to scrutiny during 2015/16 and detail what actions needed to be carried forward to the 2016/17 Community Scrutiny Work Programme. 

The Scrutiny Officer referred Members to the evaluation sheet and asked them to forward her their individual comments on work achieved during the past civic year.  She drew Members’ attention to the additional requested item on the work programme for the June 2016 meeting regarding delivering “Forever Active” East Herts.  A further report on markets would be reported to the November 2016 meeting as requested by Members earlier.

The Scrutiny Officer requested that, as part of the feedback, Members should suggest matters for future scrutiny topics by the end of March 2016.  She commented that some future meetings of the Committee could, if Members wished, be dedicated to a single topic with evidence being submitted from several Officers and/or external witnesses.

Following a comment from Councillor D Oldridge, Members commented that they would like to see some information regarding youth and community engagement and East Herts Council's work with young people.  The Scrutiny Officer commented on whether Scrutiny could influence this area of Council business and make some recommendations.

The Scrutiny Officer advised that the Executive would be sent a version of the feedback sheet so that Executive Members could indicate if there were any specific topics where they needed input from Scrutiny.  The Committee received the report and supported the recommendations, as now detailed.

RESOLVED – that (A) Members’ comments be collated as part of the evaluation exercise and used to frame the draft 2015/16 Overview and Scrutiny Annual report; and

(B)   the work programme be approved.