Minutes of a meeting of the Leisure & Cultural Committee held at the Chandler Day Centre, Bagshot Road, Sunninghill on Tuesday 17 July 2012
Members Present: Councillors R Ellison (Chairman), C Lester, A Nehra, M Turton.
In attendance:Elizabeth Yates, Clerk to the Council.
5029 TO NOTE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Councillors Barbara Hilton, Spike Humphrey,Luke Roberts,Allison Sharpe and Jeffrey Yong.
5030 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
The Chairman asked to receive any Declarations of Interest in accordance with the adopted Code of Conduct. None were given.
5031 MINUTES
The Minutes of the previous meeting, held on 12 June, were approved as a correct record and signed as such.
5032 GROUNDSMAN’S REPORT AND SITES UPDATE
The report was considered and the on going problems with anti-social behaviour atSouth Ascot noted and discussed further in minute 5034. The Clerk raised concerns about the up keep of the allotments at Cheapside, following the clear up undertaken last year and prior to the Allotment Shield award on 6 August. She was asked to write to the allotments holders with regard to the removal of rubbish from the site and the need to maintain the allotments in accordance with the Tenancy Agreement. The Clerk was also encouraged to be vigilant regarding allotment upkeep and to enforce the Tenancy Agreement if necessary, particularly considering the length of the waiting list.
On going grass cutting and the identification of remedial works following the RoSPA inspection were also noted. The Clerk informed the committee that two quotes had been obtained for the most significant works, the replacement of the timber edging around the playgrounds atS outh Ascot and Victory Field and the re-instatement of the retainer wall behind the slide on the bank at Victory Field. It was agreed that the contract be awarded to the contractor who had submitted ‘best value’, regarding price and delivery timescale.
The Chairman encouraged the committee to attend the Parish Soccer Shield, to be held on Sunday 26 August at Victory Field, at 10.30am.
5033 YOUR LOCAL BUDGET PROJECT FUNDING
Options for the allocation of a possible £25 000 for area based schemes within the Borough’s Local Budget were considered. It was agreed that the proposed extension to the skate area at Victory Field be prioritised within the Parish Council’s submission regarding public open space improvements and that the need for ‘pinch points’ along Sunninghill Road be prioritised as a highway improvement.
5034 SECTION 106 PROJECTS
Prioritising projects within the Parish recreation grounds, to include theSkatePark, access road, entrance and Pavilion at Victory Field and at Cheapside andSouth Ascot were considered.
The Clerk informed the committee that the Police had requested CCTV footage from the cameras at South Ascot twice within the last week. Both the camera pointing to the car park and the monitor were broken and so the footage was not retrievable. Premier Services had suggested trialling a digital camera at South Ascot, at no cost to the Parish Council. The Clerk had identified a Borough grant that would then cover the costs of a permanent installation. Although the committee were mindful that the Parish Council was not to take on responsibility for enforcement action on land that was leased and for which they had no enforcement power, the Clerk was asked to obtain quotes for improvements to the CCTV cameras and pursue the Borough grant, if the proposed trial of a digital camera was effective.
The Clerk informed the committee that the proposal for landscaping and play equipment improvements at the Blythewood Nature Reserve had been approved by the Borough. The Clerk informed the committee that two quotes had been obtained for the path extension at a similar cost. It was agreed that the contract be awarded to the contractor who could carry out the works at the earliest opportunity.
5035 COMMUNITY CLEAN UPS
The Clerk informed the Committee about the Borough’s litter pick and clean up at South Ascot and Victory Field, to be held on Monday 30 July and at the Blythewood Nature Reserve, to be held on Monday 3 September. All members were encouraged to attend.
5036 OTHER BUSINESS
Councillor Ajay Nehra asked for an update regarding the proposed improvements/ rebuild to the Pavilion at Victory Field. The Clerk informed the committee that at the last Council meeting, held on 26 June, the Chairman of the Council had proposed that a separate meeting be held to solely consider the Pavilion. A value for the land had been requested by the Land Registry and submitted, following advice from a local Estate Agent. Furthermore, the Parish Council’s accountant and lawyers had suggested that clarification be obtained regarding the role, legalities and financial processes of the Trustees of Victory Field as distinct from the Parish Council, once the title Deed had been transferred to the Parish Council. Since the last Council meeting, the Clerk had contacted the original architects who had submitted plans for the Pavilion in 2003. They had indicated that they would be happy to continue to work with the Parish Council on this project. The Committee Chairman recommended that £10,000 be allocated to the start up of the Pavilion project in the next financial year, from the Parish Council’s reserves.
Councillor Nehra also asked the Clerk to chase the Borough regarding over hanging vegetation and a burnt out street light along Silwood Road.
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 7.55pm.
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Councillor Robert Ellison, Chairman