Agenda and minutes

There was a Member request that an amendment be made to agenda item four of the minutes from 20 May 2013. It was requested that Member comments regarding changes in global media and the decline of the printed media, made during the discussion of The Reporter, should be included in the minutes. It was agreed that these comments be added.

The Leader of the Council provided an update regarding actions from the previous meeting. There had been no full meeting of the Budget Review Group and as a result there was no update to provide. However, he was happy to provide future updates.

With regard to the decline in the performance on litter and detritus that had been noted by Members at the previous meeting, the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Recycling had commissioned a report to ascertain the reason for the most recent increase in litter and detritus levels, which would include an action plan. This report and action plan would be circulated to all Members and would be discussed by the relevant scrutiny committee when appropriate.

RESOLVED:              That the minutes of the meeting held on 20 May 2013 be agreed as a correct record with the addition of the comments detailed above regarding global media and the decline of the printed media.

To consider a report detailing the proposals for the budget consultation for 2013/14.

The Head of Communications introduced a briefing note detailing the proposals for the budget consultation for 2013/2014. The proposals sought to capture the lessons learned from the 2012/2013 consultation and it was hoped that greater resident involvement would be encouraged.

Evening meetings were not well attended during the 2012/13 consultation, and as a result the 2013/14 consultation would focus on where conversations were already happening, rather than to set meetings. It was important that residents were aware of meetings that were taking place, and Members wished to see detailed information regarding the consultation in The Reporter’s August edition. The deadline for the August edition was effectively one month before publication, and the location of public meetings may not be known in time. The August edition would inform residents that the budget consultation would run again and to afterwards there would be promotion of the finer details through local media, the Council’s website and social media.

Members had been pleased with the efficiency savings offered by Officers in previous years and felt it would be beneficial if there was an indication in September 2013 of what efficiency savings were to be proposed and other savings that were still required. Members considered it important that the options being considered were clear to residents and that the public were given an idea of the scope for savings in September. The Leader responded that nine areas had been identified through the responses received during the last consultation; three areas were very important to residents, three areas were of interest but not as important and three areas did not interest residents. The Head of Communications had been asked to drill down into the data to establish the areas where there were strong feelings of interest or disinterest. The previous year’s budget had laid the foundation for this year, and the intention was to attach the budget figures to the areas that had been identified as of interest or not to residents.

Members questioned what other local authorities did and whether there was anything the Council could do to improve its consultation. Officers had looked at other Councils and would use online initiatives to engage residents. There was an online tool that used a sliding scale to allow residents to see the effect of putting more funds into an area, and the impact of this on other services, but this was not something the Council planned to implement due to it being very sophisticated and a £5,000 cost. The Leader noted that where the sliding scale had been used by other authorities, it had shown residents to be more interested in spending rather than saving money.

Members felt it was important to ask residents what was not important, as well as what was important. They suggested a box be included in the consultation document which should detail the services offered by the Borough Council and services offered by the County Council. This would help to make the consultation more effective as residents would focus their comments  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

This report will be sent as a supplementary item on Friday 19 July 2013.

The Executive Director Resources and Support Services introduced a report outlining the financial position at Keele Golf Course. At the Committee’s meeting on 20 May 2013 there had been a Member suggestion that the junior rate for players should be applicable to under 18s rather than to under 16s. This had been approved by Cabinet in May and was now in place at the course.

There had been a net cost to the Council of just over £13,000 to keep the course open, with some one off costs incurred. The figures had suffered from the uncertainty at the course over the previous twelve to eighteen months, and income was slightly down. However, the country was experiencing a spell of good weather and it was hoped the July figures would show an improvement. Nearly £13,000 had been taken in the first two weeks of July and good figures for the month were expected.

The need for an annual golf course report was questioned by Members. This was a full report from the Sports Turf Research Institute which the Council had used for many years. It was a nationally recognised report which made recommendations based on a very close inspection of the golf course. The results of the report gave confidence that the course was being maintained properly.

A Member expressed concern that the Council was losing money each month from subsidising the course and questioned the Leader as to when the Council’s support for the course would cease. The Leader responded that at its May meeting Cabinet had approved that officers be instructed to proceed with a formal, competitive, two-stage marketing process with the aim of securing a tenant. There had been three expressions of interest which were being considered now the period for submitting expressions of interest had closed, and the aim was to have a tenant by the winter. The benefit of the golf course report was that it informed the expressions of interest of the areas that required attention.

Members questioned the degree of variable cost associated with grounds maintenance and operational costs. The Executive Director, Operational Services advised that the quality of the course would be affected by a decrease in income for grounds maintenance and that the costs for this were predominantly fixed, although there may be a small increase in expenditure if there was significant use of the course. With regard to operational costs, the cost of staffing the golf shop and running the marketing of the course was again predominantly fixed. Greater demand and increased use of the course should reduce the Council’s subsidy. There would be no costs incurred by the Council when a when a tenant was secured and the interim provider no longer needed. Glendale Managed Services had priced for a fixed term to manage the course and were fully aware that it was an interim arrangement.

There were positive effects of the Council intervening in the running of the course, most significantly a 400% increase in the sale of season  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To resolve that the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following report regarding The Square, High Street, Newcastle, because it is likely that there will be disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

To consider an update regarding The Square, High Street, Newcastle.

The Council’s Property Manager introduced a report to the Committee regarding The Square, High Street, Newcastle.

RESOLVED:              (a) That the information be received.

(b) That the Property Manager investigate the queries raised by Members.