CULTURE, ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY SCRUTINY AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Meeting held 30th September, 2008

PRESENT: Councillors Martin Brelsford (Chair), Joan Barton, Kathleen Chadwick, Jack Clarkson, Roger Davison, Jackie Drayton, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Graham Oxley, Peter Price, Mike Pye, Joe Taylor and Alan Whitehouse

Also in attendance : Councillors Janet Bragg, Arthur Dunworth, Alan Hooper and Shaffaq Mohammed

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1. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND PARTY WHIPPING There were no declarations of interest or party whipping by Members of the Board.

2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE FROM MEMBERS OF THE BOARD An apology for absence was received from Councillor John Knight. Councillor Kathleen Chadwick attended the meeting as the duly appointed substitute.

3. PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS Two questions were asked in relation to the Eagles use of the . These were answered under item 9 – Sheffield International Venues.

4. WADSLEY AND LOXLEY COMMONS The Director of Parks and Countryside submitted a report clarifying the management of land gifted to the City Council at Wadsley and Loxley Common and addressing the concerns raised by the friends of Loxley Common. Mary Bagley, Director of Parks and Countryside, Scott Porter, Ranger Service Manager and representatives of the Wadsley and Loxley Commoners and the Friends of the Loxley Common attended the Board for this item. The Chair introduced the item and then invited representatives of both groups in attendance to present their views to the Board. Sue Laing, representing the Friends of Loxley Common, then addressed the Board. She reported that the Friends were not a co-ordinated group but contained individuals with the shared interest of maintaining the beauty of the Common and restoring lowland heath there. The Friends had been established as many local people believed that there was no other vehicle, with the exception of the Wadsley and Loxley Commoners, for people’s voices to be heard. The concerns of the Friends centred on the consultation for the management plan as they believed they had not been fully consulted on the proposals. There had been discussions with the Director of Parks and Countryside regarding involving a representative of the Meeting of the Culture, Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny and Policy Development Board 30.9.2008 Page 2

Friends in a consultation group to ensure the plan is undertaken properly. In conclusion, Sue Laing commented that, should the Board approve the plan, the Friends would welcome regular reports on the work undertaken on the Commons. Alan Bailey, representing the Wadsley and Loxley Commoners, then presented the views of the Commoners regarding the management plan to the Board. He reported that, since 1993, the Commoners had sought to protect and enhance the Commons. They had also undertaken a number of projects, talks, walks and activities to increase people’s interest in the value of the Commons. The Commoners had a written constitution and 243 members paid an annual subscription. The Commons meant a lot to local people and hundreds of people walked on it every day. He commented that the Commons were a mosaic of different habitat which added greatly to the wildlife on the Commons. Alan Bailey further commented that the Wadsley and Loxley Commoners welcomed the management plan submitted to the Board. It would create areas of open land for people to walk whilst retaining the heathland of the area. The consultation had been exemplary with local people’s views taken on board. Although there had been conflicting views, the final plan was a compromise of the views of all those involved in the consultation. Mary Bagley outlined the Council position in respect of the Commons and the management plan and how it had been devised. She reported that the Parks and Countryside Service managed 29 hectares of land at Wadsley and Loxley Common under countryside stewardship on behalf of the City Council. The management plan had to take into account the need to retain the open views of the Commons, the heather and lowland heath, the requirements of the biodiversity plan and the need for the self seeded trees to be removed. Mary Bagley further commented that the consultation had been extensive, although she recognised that the Friends of Loxley Common had not been involved. To address this, one of the recommendations of the management plan was that Sue Laing be nominated as the contact for the Council on behalf of the Friends of Loxley Common and that the Friends take an active role in the forward planning for the Commons. The Council were committed to moving things forward in respect of delivering the management plan for the Commons. On site meetings with interested parties were planned and action plans and notices would be disseminated to relevant people. In terms of moving forward, a programme for reviewing the management plan had been compiled which outlined the need for an independent Chair for the stakeholder group. The initial consultation meeting was now planned for January 2009 and not November 2008, as outlined in the report, as a result of a new Ranger being appointed who would not begin work until December 2008. Mary Bagley reported that in terms of the work done thus far, trees had been removed where required and independent nesting surveys had taken place which had confirmed no nesting activity was currently taking place on the Commons. She commented that in order to keep the public informed of developments any notices posted on site should be aligned with what work Meeting of the Culture, Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny and Policy Development Board 30.9.2008 Page 3

was taking place and be in language that all understood. Scott Porter, Head of the Ranger Service, further commented that the aim of all the work being undertaken was to restore lowland heath on the Commons. At present there remained a small area of sparse birch which required felling. The Service would compile a steering group for the management process which would involve representatives of both groups present at the meeting. He reported that the Council had just received back the results of the ecological surveys on the soil samples and hard copies of these could be made available should they be requested. A Member commented that he welcomed the Plan and the recommendations outlined in the report. Moorland was gradually disappearing across the country and there was a need to protect it wherever possible. The birch, such as on the Commons, could potentially damage the heathland and moorland on the Commons. The management plan would preserve the tradition of the Commons in the long term. In response to questions from a Member concerning whether the trees could be retained and, if this was not possible, be replanted elsewhere, Mary Bagley commented that the Council would like the trees to remain but, in order for the lowland heath to be preserved, the trees would need to be removed as they were high in nutrients and this was a danger to lowland heath which needed low nutrients. Many of the ‘character’ trees had been retained and those that were removed could be replanted elsewhere, should resources allow. Members agreed with the Commoners view that the consultation had been exemplary, but recognised that it was disappointing when people or groups believed that they had not been consulted. Councillor Arthur Dunworth, in his capacity as a local Ward Councillor, then outlined his views regarding the history of the Commons and the Council’s proposals for the way forward. He reported that around three years ago he had reported to officers the need for extensive consultation to decide the future of the site. The consultation which had been carried out was more extensive and widespread than was normal practice. Although it was not always possible to include everyone, where dissenting voices made themselves known they should be given proper consideration which was why he had requested that the Scrutiny Board examine the management plan and the consultation that had taken place in respect of this. He concluded by commenting that this was a good example of local participation and democracy working well and giving people the chance to have a say in the issues that affect them. RESOLVED: That (a) the work undertaken on the site to date be endorsed and the thanks of the Board be extended to Scott Porter, Jason Gallagher, Chris Roberts and Avril Wragg for all their hard work; (b) the consultation with local people including the Friends of Loxley Common and the Wadsley and Loxley Commoners be noted and the thanks of the Board be extended to those groups and others involved in working to preserve the beauty of the Commons; (c) the action plan for the way forward be noted; (d) the Chair and Deputy-Chair be requested to liaise with Members of the Board to identify a Chair for the Management Plan review process and this be reported to the Director of Parks and Countryside. Meeting of the Culture, Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny and Policy Development Board 30.9.2008 Page 4

5. WORK PROGRAMME 2008/09 The Scrutiny Policy Officer submitted a report outlining the Board’s Work Programme for 2008/09. A Member requested that the Board scrutinise the decision of the Council not to accept a government grant of £370,000 towards the provision of free swimming for pensioners. RESOLVED: That the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Board, in consultation with the Scrutiny Policy Officer, be requested to include an item on the agenda for the next meeting of the Board on the 4 th November, 2008 for the Board to scrutinise the decision of the Council not to accept a government grant of £370,000 towards the provision of free swimming for pensioners and the officers and Members involved be invited to attend the meeting.

6. SCRUTINY ITEMS FOR COUNCIL No items were identified.

7. CABINET’S FORWARD PLAN The Board received and noted a report of the Assistant Chief Executive, Legal and Governance, setting out the Cabinet’s Forward Plan and Key Decisions for the period September to December, 2008.

8. MINUTES The minutes of the meeting of the Board held on the 2 nd September, 2008 were approved as a correct record.

9. SHEFFIELD INTERNATIONAL VENUES The Director of Culture submitted a report outlining the activities and performance of Sheffield International Venues (SIV) for the period 1 st April, 2007 to 31 st March, 2008 David Macpherson, Head of Business Development, Development, Environment and Leisure, Sheffield City Council, Bill Paton, Development, Environment and Leisure, Sheffield City Council and Steve Brailey, Lorenzo Clark and Andrew Snelling, Sheffield International Venues attended the Board for this item. Two public questions were asked in relation to the use of the Don Valley Stadium by Sheffield Eagles Rugby Club and the view that since the arrival of Rotherham United Football Club at Don Valley they had been treated unfairly and had been restricted in their use of gym and training facilities at the stadium. In response, Steve Brailey commented that he believed SIV had treated the Eagles fairly. The matchday rent included the use of SIV staff and groundstaff, the fitness and conditioning rooms and offices. They had also supported the Eagles with their community activities and cashflow problems. Members commented that it was important for both sides to talk to try and resolve the problems and tensions that existed. There was clearly a lack of suitable facilities to play rugby in Sheffield. There could be the possibility of the use of Meadowhead School and Collegate at Abbeydale. The Eagles should liaise with SIV and Councillors to try and resolve the situation. Dave Macpherson then summarised the report for the Board. He Meeting of the Culture, Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny and Policy Development Board 30.9.2008 Page 5

reported that the level of grant support from the City Council for 2008/09 was in the order of £5.022 million – including support for . Following the recent review of funding that arrived at the figure, the City Council had given SIV and Sheffield City Trust permission to set up SIV Enterprises limited (SEL), with the remit to obtain contracts elsewhere in Britain and covenanting the profits from these contracts back to support the facilities and operations in Sheffield. Dave Macpherson further commented that the figures had shown a good performance for SIV for 2006/07. However, it was important to recognise that this was largely a result of two large pop concerts held at the venues during the year and was dependent on the market of the time. There had been a dip in numbers of visitors to the venues, but this could be explained by the redevelopment of which inevitably restricted the number of visitors there. SIV had a good reputation across the City and recorded a satisfaction level of 73% in the last survey. The challenges over the next year would be to try and reduce energy and insurance costs and for the Council to work closely with SIV to take advantage of the opportunities which had arisen from the London Olympics in 2012. Steve Brailey then outlined a number of community projects which SIV had delivered over the past year. The first of these was the ‘Teen Girls’ project delivered in partnership with the City Council and the School Sports Partnership which encouraged teenage girls to take part in physical activity. £1000 had also been received from Norwich Union to support the project. The second of the projects was the ‘MEND’ project which was a group of twenty one projects across three venues. MEND stood for ‘Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It!’ The aim of the project was to try and get families to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This was undertaken in Partnership with local G.P’s, the Universities, Activity Sheffield and the Primary Care Trust. This had been a successful project and received a Best Practice award for educational development. 40% of those who had completed the programme had signed up for full SIV membership. SIV were also working closely with local G.Ps on the G.P referral scheme. This was working in partnership with seven local surgeries and four community partnerships to prescribe exercise as a treatment. There were currently 180 people enrolled on the scheme and there was a high rate of those who continued with the exercise after completion of the scheme. As the scheme currently was centred in Concord and Hillsborough the next stage would be to standardise the programme across all sites. In terms of awards, Steve Brailey commented that the Hillsborough Leisure Centre had won the national FLAME award for an unprecedented fourth year running and this should be commended. In relation to the impact of the global downturn in the economy and the credit crunch, Steve Brailey reported that at present Fitness Unlimited continued to expand its membership base. August had seen its highest recorded month for direct debits. The Business Plan for Ponds Forge had also been surpassed. Nevertheless, it was important to remain cautious. As a relatively new phenomena, health and fitness had never really had an experience of a global recession so it had no history with which to compare. At the moment the problems had not yet impacted on the industry. Meeting of the Culture, Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny and Policy Development Board 30.9.2008 Page 6

Membership levels were being monitored on a weekly basis. In terms of energy costs, £2.25 million was being spent per year which was around half the market rate and this would continue to be the case until October 2010. It was commented that holding major events within the City was critical and brought in hundreds of millions of pounds of revenue. One of the biggest benefits from the 2012 Olympics was that more agencies were prepared to fund major events. However, the market was becoming increasingly competitive and there needed to be a continued focus on working to bring major events into the City. A Member commented that the benefits 2012 would bring the City should be welcomed. However, much of the facilities were being built in London. He then enquired what SIV’s strategy would be after 2012. In response, Andrew Snelling commented that much of the facilities being built for the 2012 Olympics in London were temporary facilities which would be removed after the Games. London were pitching for major international events which gave many opportunities for other Cities, such as Sheffield to bid for other major events, which were not necessarily on an international scale. Members enquired further about the G.P referral scheme and asked who funded the scheme. In response Steve Brailey reported that SIV worked with seven local surgeries and highlighted the fact that the scheme was not a fund raising scheme and only broke even and did not make any profit. The scheme encouraged G.Ps to prescribe fitness for rehabilitation for a number of illnesses. Free membership for Fitness Unlimited was offered for a an initial period and, following the completion of this, members were encouraged to sign up for full membership and currently there was around a 65% take up of this offer. Members asked further questions regarding whether there were figures available which broke down the visitors into socio-economic categories and who SIV reported to. Steve Brailey reported that he did not have the figures but these could be provided. The figures were collated through the marketing department and then broken down into target groups. This enabled SIV to target particular activities based on the demographic breakdown such as chair aerobics for the over fifty and sixty year olds, female only swimming sessions and activities for juniors and disabled users. SIV reported annually to the City Council and this was reported to the Cabinet Member to respond. A Member requested details of the seven schools involved in the ‘Teen Girls’ project. Steve Brailey commented that he could circulate this information following the meeting. Members then asked about golf at Beauchief and why the target number of visitors for 2008/09 was less than the number of visitors for 2007/08. Andrew Snelling responded that the figure for 2007 was wrong and it should read 33,738 visitors rather than 38,738. In response to further questions from Members regarding the energy consumption across the venues owned by SIV, Steve Brailey reported that the energy consumption was lower in 2007/08 than it had been in 2006/07. There were different measures undertaken at each venue to reduce the energy consumption. SIV were looking to appoint a new energy officer whose remit would look at reducing energy consumption across all venues. Meeting of the Culture, Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny and Policy Development Board 30.9.2008 Page 7

A Member queried whether any agreements had been made for training camps within the City for the 2012 Olympics and whether these would provide a large income source for the City. Steve Brailey commented that the 2012 Programme Manager had been in discussions with a number of countries regarding establishing a training camp within Sheffield for the 2012 Olympics including Brazil, Canada, China and Serbia amongst others. Although the training camps were not a major funding source, it was what they brought with them in terms of a funding boost for the local economy which was important and why it was key for encourage countries to establish training camps in Sheffield. Members commented that they recognised the potential problems that the downturn in the economy might bring for SIV and asked whether any special schemes such as half price membership for Members for a year had been considered. Steve Brailey responded that SIV would shortly be undertaking a price review of all their fees. However, the annual contracts were one of the most successful sides of the business with 60% of all Members signing up for an annual contract. RESOLVED: That (a) the report, and the information now submitted, be noted and a further report on SCT/SIV performance be submitted to the Board in twelve months’ time; (b) Steve Brailey be requested to circulate details of the seven schools involved in the ‘Teen Girls’ project to Members of the Board; and (c) staff at the Hillsborough Leisure Centre be congratulated on achieving the FLAME award for the fourth consecutive year.

10. SHEFFIELD CITY HALL Prior to the commencement of this item Members were given a tour of the facilities at the City Hall. The Director of Culture submitted a report outlining the activities of Sheffield City Hall for the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. Bill Paton, Development, Environment and Leisure, Sheffield City Council, Dominic Stokes, General Manager, Sheffield City Hall and Andrew Snelling, Sheffield International Venues, attended the Board for this item. Dominic Stokes reported that 2007/08 had seen a balanced programme of activities at the City Hall with a combination of entertainment and business tourism which included conferences and banquets. The financial activities reflected the increased focus on business tourism which was a requirement of the funding granted for the redevelopment of the City Hall and which, whilst not as financially lucrative for the City Hall, had a wider economic impact for the City as a whole. The redevelopment had reflected the requirement for modern day comforts without detracting from the traditional nature of the hall. There was a need for the City Hall to remain a focal point for the local community and maintain its image as the “People’s Palace” created for the people by the people. Dominic Stokes further reported that there had been over 600 events at the hall over the past year with an increased focus on business tourism. Although there had been a decline in box office profits, this was a result of the commitment to offer only top quality entertainment for the public. The top quality service offered at the hall was reflected by the hospitality award Meeting of the Culture, Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny and Policy Development Board 30.9.2008 Page 8

received by the Conference and Banqueting team for the team of the year. It was emphasised that there were now a number of different venues across Sheffield which offered live entertainment such as the Carling Academy, the Plug and the Leadmill. The City Hall was, however, still the premier venue for seated entertainment. The climate was changing, particularly in the way that bands were now touring with many acts now being owned by a small group of promoters and it was important to maintain a good relationship with them. The future of the Manor Operatics Pantomine was highlighted. This had recently seen a sharp decline in attendances in recent times. The City Hall were committed to maintaining the pantomime at the hall and were working closely with the Manor Operatics society in respect of this. An allocation of tickets was now sold at the City Hall box office in an attempt to increase attendances. Dominic Stokes also raised concerns about the decline in attendances of the Sheffield International Concert Series over the past year. It was felt that this was reflecting national trends and was not a problem unique to Sheffield. It was suggested that the programme last year may have been too diverse and there was a need to go back to basics this year. There had been a radical pricing policy introduced in an attempt to increase attendances and create an atmosphere and subsequent buzz across the city regarding the concert season. Early indications showed that this may be working as 1456 people attended the first concert of the season which was a big increase from the 608 who had attended the first concert of the previous year but this would be monitored throughout the year. Andrew Snelling reported that the business plan for the year had set very challenging targets which would require significant commitment and effort to meet. In 2003 Sheffield City Trust had allocated £1 million from trust reserves towards the cost of running the building. However, the City Hall had done better than the business plan set the previous year. A Member commented that overall the City Hall was performing well. He believed that the International Concert Series last year had offered too many concerts at too expensive a price. However, this had been addressed this year and the prices of the concerts had been offered at a more reasonable rate. He further enquired how the management of the City Hall believed they could increase the amount of annual subscriptions for the International Concert Series from people under sixty years of age. In response, Dominic Stokes commented that a number of educational activities had been undertaken to try and increase interest from those people under sixty years of age. For the next concert, 300 tickets had been offered to local schools. However, in the light of current pressures and the performance of the concert season for 07/08, it was important to create interest across all ages. In response to a question from a Member regarding whether the City Hall could offer special packages such as bring your teenage child free, Dominic Stokes reported that they had an offer where if you paid for a child’s subscription the adult could come free. Members commented that they felt this was a good initiative and encouraged other such ideas to attract interest to the concert season. A Member enquired why some postcode areas had recorded a 0% Meeting of the Culture, Economy and Sustainability Scrutiny and Policy Development Board 30.9.2008 Page 9

attendance at the City Hall. Dominic Stokes commented that this may be a result of visitors not wanting to give their details once they attended an event at the hall, as there was no requirement to. A Member then asked a number of questions. These centred on attendances at the ballet shows held at the hall, attendances at the pre-show dining events and the Manor Operatics Pantomine, in respect of the share of profits and who would cover the loss. Dominic Stokes commented that management had persuaded the ballet companies which previously had two performances to have one performance in an attempt to sell out the venue as attendances last year had reflected the wide offering of ballet throughout the city. It was felt that the pre-show dining events had been well received and would continue this year. In terms of the Manor Operatics Pantomine the Operatics society hired the room at the hall at a very competitive rate. Although the company itself would absorb any losses that were incurred, management at the hall were doing all they could to assist such as the cheap rate of the hire of the venue. Dominic Stokes reported that in an attempt to attract more young people to the hall, a number of competitive dance events were offered which had resulted in a number of teenagers visiting the hall for the first time. In respect of the pricing policy for events held at the hall, Dominic Stokes commented that, although management could advise promoters about a realistic price for an event, it was still the promoters decision about how much they charged. RESOLVED: That: (a) the Board recognise that the management of the City Hall has achieved effective financial performance during a difficult trading period and the thanks of the Board be extended to Dominic Stokes and all the staff of the City Hall for all their hard work over the past year; (b) it be noted that the changing nature of the activity in the City Hall, while meeting the output measures required, is making it difficult to sustain the same overall audience numbers; and (c) officers of the City Council be requested to work with the City Hall management to monitor and review the performance of the International Concert Series through 2008/09 to assess the effectiveness of new pricing and programming arrangements.