Minutes of a meeting of the Amenities & Leisure Committee held in the Council Chamber at the Council Offices, Radstock Lane, Earley, Reading on Wednesday, 28th June 2006 at 7.45 p.m.

Present

Chairman – Councillor N Jorgenson

Councillors M M Ahmed, D D Chopping (from 7.55pm), T A Holton (from 8.10pm), Mrs E Spratling and Mrs C Swindells.

Also in attendance: Councillor D Swindells.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A T Bradley (District Council meeting), T Chambers and Mrs F Rolls.
____________________________________________________________________________________

15.       MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The Minutes of the meeting held on 24th May 2006 were approved as a true and correct record and signed by the Chairman.

16.       COMMUNITY CENTRES

            Community Centre Floors

Members were reminded that, in order to ensure that the floors at the Centres were kept in good condition, it was necessary for them to be machine scrubbed and resealed on a regular basis.  With the high usage of both Centres, the regular maintenance was necessary to ensure the continuing good condition of the floors as, without it, the seal would eventually wear completely away requiring the floors to be completely sand-stripped and then re-sealed with numerous coats of sealant.  This was not only financially expensive, but would result in the Centres being closed for around 7-10 days to allow for drying and curing.

Because of the specialist nature of the work, and to ensure that the work was implemented at a time that would have the least impact on hirers, provisional bookings had been made with the Council’s contractors, Peter Dorrell & Co., for 16th, 17th and 18th August at Maiden Place and 23rd, 24th and 25th October at Radstock Lane.

A sum of £1,500 for each of the Centre’s had been allocated in the 2006/07 budget and, as the work was of a specialist nature, there were only a small number of companies offering the service required.  In the past, other Contractors had been used but the quality of service had been less satisfactory and, in one instance, the Town Council incurred considerable additional expenditure when the Radstock Centre floor had to be completely stripped and resealed. 

Peter Dorrell & Co. had provided an excellent quality service to the Town Council for the last 4 – 5 years and therefore, consideration was given to the suspension of Financial Standing Orders, relating to goods and services supplied over £1,000, to allow acceptance of the quotations received from that company in the sums of:

• £1,325.00 for Radstock Centre  (Main Hall & Parish Room)
• £1,570.00 for Maiden Place Centre (Main Hall & Function Room)

The Town Clerk further reported that, if the Committee was mindful to approve the work, because there was only £1,500 in the budget for flooring works at the Maiden Place Centre, approval for a virement of £70 from the Radstock Lane Centre would be required.
 
            RESOLVED that

1.         Financial Standing Orders be suspended

2.         the quotations of Peter Dorrell & Co. be approved

3.         a virement of £70 as outlined in the above preamble be approved.

17.       MAYS LANE CEMETERY

            Cemetery Running Costs

            Members were reminded that, at Minute 8.1 of the last meeting of this Committee, the issues of burial fees and cemetery running costs were discussed and it was agreed that further consideration be referred to the Mays Lane Cemetery Working Party.  At that time the advice concerning how to make provision for long term running costs had not been available.  Subsequently, a letter had been received from the Association of Burial Authorities which confirmed that, because Local Government Finance distinguished between capital expenditure and recurring running costs, only the former could be funded over a number of years and the building-up of resources to meet a future revenue requirement would be contrary to the basic taxation principle that the users, at the time, pay the cost of the service being provided.  A surplus or deficit in the running costs of one year was corrected by adjusting expenditure or prices in the next year. 

            RESOLVED that the full text of the letter be referred to the Mays Lane Cemetery Working Party.
           
18.       BERKSHIRE LOCAL BIO DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN

The Committee noted receipt of a copy of the Berkshire Local Bio Diversity Action Plan which referred to actions that could be taken by Town and Parish Councils as well as voluntary bodies. 

Members further noted that, in the draft Earley Town Plan, there were several references to the maintenance and promotion of green space and wild life habitat and there was also a section on Planning and Residential Development which related to objections to Planning applications in respect of certain areas to maintain them as valuable green lungs and wild life habitats.  Additionally, Members were referred to the section on the Maiden Erlegh Local Nature Reserve and, specifically, to the reference contained therein to the Earley Environmental Group to maintain a high level of conservation based projects both at the Local Nature Reserve and other important wild life areas in the Town.  It was understood that the Earley Environmental Group would, also, consider this document. 

Further references in the draft Earley Town Plan referred to enhancement of wild flower areas and naturalised bulb areas in Meadow Park and to the general section which referred to supporting the work of the Earley Environmental Group generally and, in particular, to assisting the development of the biological database for the Town.

A copy of the Berkshire Action Plan was appended to the Agenda for the information of Members.

The Senior Park Ranger confirmed that all the actions, applicable to Town councils, listed in Section 8 of the Action Plan, either had been or were in the process of being implemented by Earley Town Council.
Members noted that, because Sol Joel Park had only been acquired by the Town Council in recent years, no action had been taken on the land apart from upgrading the sports & leisure facilities. The Town Clerk reported that it was his intention to arrange an audit of this park along with all the other Town Council owned open spaces.  The results of the audit would then be considered by the Management Team following which, a report of Officer recommendations would be made to this Committee.

Concern was expressed by a Member regarding whether the Reading Borough Council Thames Valley Park Plan should have been the Wokingham District plan and, accordingly, the Town Clerk was requested to investigate this Plan further.

            RESOLVED that

1.         the Town Clerk’s proposal regarding an audit of Town Council open spaces be approved

2.         further investigation be made into the Reading Borough Council Thames Valley Park Plan, as indicated above.

19.       SOL JOEL PARK

19.1.     Skate Park Surface 

            Members were reminded that, at Minute 4.1.3 of the Youth & Community Sub-Committee meeting held on the 25th April 2006, which was adopted at Minute 5.2.1 of the Policy & Resources Committee meeting held on 7th June 2006, it was agreed that consideration of possible replacement of the asphalt base at the Skate Park be referred to this Committee. 

            The issue had arisen from the report of the Police Community Support Officer who had been talking with young people in the Park.  It appeared to be a fairly universal need because the surface was not smooth enough to enable riding or skating and there was possible danger of injury.  This had been reinforced by a ROSPA inspection of the facilities, held on 26th May 2006, which determined that the general condition of the surface was fair to poor in local areas.  The risk scoring placed the surface overall just inside the poor risk score band but this had contributed to an overall risk score for the site in excess of the maximum target by four points.  Members were advised that the score had deteriorated by one point since the previous inspection in April.
 
            The Town Clerk had taken advice from the Skate Park installers who suggested that, although work was required on the surface, this work be delayed until all of the equipment, both phase 1 and 2, had been installed and then an assessment of what remedial work needed to be done to the exposed surfaces could be carried out and the appropriate work undertaken. 

            Members were also advised that some minor remedial work still needed to be done to the items installed under phase 1 and, as soon as these were resolved, progress could be made to install the second phase equipment.

            The Town Clerk further advised that it would be difficult to obtain a quotation, at this stage, for resurfacing because the extent of the work would not be known until all installations at the site had been completed which would take approximately four to six weeks.  Members were, therefore, requested to consider a recommendation to the Policy & Resources Committee for the earmarking of a sum from the Capital Replacement Reserve.

            A Member was of the opinion that it might be possible to repair the existing surface by patching and, accordingly, requested that a site meeting with a representative of the Installation Company be arranged.

RECOMMENDED that the Policy & Resources Committee be requested to consider earmarking a sum from Reserves to provide funds for resurfacing the skate park, the amount to be determined.

            RESOLVED that a site meeting be arranged between the Town Mayor, the Chairman of Committee, the Town Clerk and a representative of the Installation Company.

20.       EARLEY FUN DAY

            The Committee noted that preparations regarding the involvement of the Town Council in the Fun Day on Saturday 8th July had been progressing.  The gates would open at 12.30pm and the Town Mayor had been invited to officially open the event at 1.00pm and to draw the first prize in the Raffle at 4.00pm.

            Some Members expressed disappointment at the lack of information displayed on the Town Council Stall last year and requested that there be more promotional material available on the 2006 stand.  The Town Clerk informed Members that, in view of the time schedule, it would only be possible to provide a limited amount of material and, also, he would be unable to staff the event.  However, as a long-term project, more material would be available for future years.

            RESOLVED that the Town Clerk arrange for the provision of promotional material for the Town Council stand for 2006 and further arrange the long-term preparation of material to be used in future years.

21.       GREEN FAIR

            The Committee noted that the Annual Green Fair was due to be held on Saturday, 5th August, from 10.00am to 3.00pm and that the Town Mayor would be in attendance at the event.

22.WOKINGHAM DISTRICT COUNCIL, LOCAL AREA AGREEMENT

Members were referred to Minute 5 of the meeting of the Youth & Community Sub Committee held on 25th April 2006 which was adopted at Minute 5.2.1 of the Policy & Resources Committee held on 7th June 2006.  The Minute stated that the following items be considered by this Committee:

• Neighbourhood delivery of services for children and young people which might also involve issues for the Youth & Community Sub Committee and the Policy & Resources Committee

• Improve the environmental and social liveability of the District which would, also, be  considered by the Youth & Community Sub Committee.

The Town Clerk informed Members that it was his intention to arrange for reports to be prepared on each area for Members to consider the best way to move forward on key issues of which the Town Council had control.  The Committee was, therefore, requested to consider a schedule for dealing with the topics and, in deciding priorities, to bear in mind relevant references in the draft Earley Town Plan.

RESOLVED that the Town Clerk prepare a report on both items for consideration by this Committee and that the report on the second item be put on the next Agenda of this Committee.

23.       FINANCIAL REVIEW

            The Town Clerk informed Members that the next service area due to be reviewed in the cycle would have been the Playclub provision but no report had been prepared because the main provision would be in the summer holidays and it was, therefore, considered more appropriate that this item be tabled for the next meeting of this Committee to be held on the 6th September.

            In response to a question from a Member, the Town Clerk agreed to inform the Chairman of this Committee of the current position regarding Playclub bookings by 7th July.

RESOLVED that

• deferment of this item until the next meeting of this Committee be approved

2.         the Town Clerk inform the Chairman of this Committee of the current Playclub booking status by 7th July.

24.       PUBLICATIONS

The Committee noted that the following publication had been received and was available for viewing at the Council Offices:

25.       ONGOING MATTERS

26.       PRESS RELEASES

            RESOLVED that

1.         the items relating to the Earley Environmental Group and the Green Fair should receive emphasis

2.         there be two press releases for the Green Fair; one immediately to advertise for stallholders and the second one, to advertise the event, at the appropriate time.

27.       TERMINATION OF MEETING

            The meeting was declared closed by the Chairman at 8.50pm.