Agenda item

That the service plan activity for 2015/16, as now submitted, be agreed, subject to the addition of an action in the Environmental Services Action Plan relating to the development of a strategy for the Council’s Leisure Services.

The Leader of the Council submitted a report setting out planned service activity for 2015/16.  He referred to the comments submitted by the joint meeting of Scrutiny Committees held on 10 February 2015, which were supportive of the planned activity.  The joint meeting had also requested that the Executive approve an additional service plan action in respect of developing a business case for leisure development in East Herts.

The Executive Member for Health, Housing and Community Support referred to the ongoing work being undertaken across East Herts.  She believed there were two overall strands to this.  Firstly, sports facilities across the whole District including private provision.  She referred to previous strategies and assessments that had been carried out and reiterated her previous statement that some schools could do more to open up their facilities to the wider community.  Also, the Planning Policy team were carrying out an audit of open spaces in East Herts as part of their work on the emerging District Plan.  She reminded Members that the funding obtained in respect of the Bishop’s Stortford North development would be overseen by a working party.

Secondly, there was the Council’s direct provision of services and she accepted the suggestion of the joint meeting of scrutiny committees that an additional action be included in the service plans.  She proposed an addition to the Environmental Services Action Plan “to develop a strategy for the Council’s Leisure Services” with a target that a “strategy developed which recognises future trends, changing demands for Council leisure services and continuing financial pressures”.  The proposed outcome would be that a “draft strategy produced which aims to improve provision and financial sustainability of the Council’s leisure services; supports health and wellbeing objectives and informs the design of the next leisure contract from 2018”.

The Executive approved the recommendations as now detailed.

RESOLVED - that the service plan activity for 2015/16, as now submitted, be agreed, subject to the addition of an action in the Environmental Services Action Plan relating to the development of a strategy for the Council’s Leisure Services, as now detailed.