Minutes: Leisure & Comm Safety PSC 12.03.14

THREE RIVERS DISTRICT COUNCIL

At a meeting of the Leisure and Community Safety Policy and Scrutiny Committee held in the Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House, Rickmansworth, on Wednesday, 12 March 2014 from 7.30pm to 9.23pm.

Present: Councillors Steve Drury (Chairman), Brian Norman (Vice-Chairman), Tony Barton, Paul Gordon, Chris Lloyd, Chris Lucas, Joy Mann, David Sansom, and Chris Whately-Smith (in place of Councillor Kate Turner).

Officers: Chris Hope, Head of Community Services Andy Stovold, Head of Community Partnerships Alison Page, Environmental Protection Manager Tom Darlington, Leisure Development Manager Kay Fitzgerald, Biodiversity Projects Officer Chris Fagan, Committee Manager.

In attendance: Councillors Ann Shaw OBE, Roger Seabourne and Keith Williams.

L.PP63/13 MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting of the Leisure and Community Safety Policy and Scrutiny Committee held on 15 January 2014 were confirmed as a correct record and were signed by the Chairman.

L.PP64/13 NOTICE OF OTHER BUSINESS

The Chairman ruled that the following items below which had not been available for five clear days before the meeting were of sufficient urgency to be considered by the Committee for the reasons indicated:

Additional Leisure Grant Application – Rickmansworth Town Team CIC

To ensure the Council made a decision prior to the date of the event for which the application was made.

The Chairman ruled that the application would be considered at agenda item 12a.

L.PP65/13 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillor David Sansom declared a prejudicial interest in agenda item 6 – Application for a Leisure and Community Grant for Royal British Legion, Rickmansworth and West Hyde, as a member of the Royal British Legion Branch. He left the meeting during the consideration of this item.

L.PP66/13 LEAVESDEN, ABBOTS LANGLEY, BEDMOND AND LANGLEYBURY STRATEGIC LEISURE AND RECREATION FACILITIES AUDIT

The Committee received a presentation from Robin Thomson of RPT Consulting on the findings from the strategic leisure and recreation facilities review with recommendations on the way forward for leisure provision within Abbots Langley parish. The emphasis of the audit had been on co-ordination and communication of the use and availability of facilities and working with

D:\Docs\2018-04-07\079d1478cac1b9da1eefbd2cec684158.doc - 1 - partner organisations, including the YMCA at Woodside and the Leavesden Country Park. Other important facilities which would come on stream were the Henderson Hub and the Horses’ Field open space. An action plan had been prepared which included work to enhance community access to secondary school facilities.

In discussion on the presentation and the officers’ report, Members drew attention to the lack of leisure provision for young people aged 11-15, particularly in the outlying areas of Abbots Langley parish, away from the larger facilities and currently incomplete cycle routes. They also asked about an apparent lack of success in securing greater public access to local schools’ sporting and recreational facilities.

The Head of Community Services advised that the Council was working in partnership with other local providers to increase the leisure offer to all communities in Abbots Langley. It was investing directly in upgrading play facilities, introducing a parkour facility and supporting development projects for the Henderson Hub and the YMCA. Secondary schools in the Parish were being approached regarding access to their facilities, although some schools already had block-booking agreements for their facilities in place. There were resource constraints on the Council in increasing officer input into leisure facilities, although it was recognised that this was important. For this reason the Committee was recommended to support the recruitment of a member of staff on a three-year fixed term contract funded entirely by S106 moneys, to promote and co-ordinate leisure activities in Abbots Langley Parish.

Members requested that the officers provide information on the activities currently run in schools, including those which were block-booked and who was running them. They also asked for information about filling current gaps in cycle routes. They considered that a focus on the development of facilities in central locations could lead to peripheral areas, such as Primrose Hill and Langleybury, being overlooked and possibly neglected. There was a particular shortfall in provision for young people.

The Head of Community Services agreed to provide information about leisure activities being operated in schools to a future meeting. He advised that officers would need to work jointly with the County Council as the statutory authority for cycleways. Regarding overall leisure provision, the audit had covered the whole parish area and implicit in it was that effective development of leisure provision would require input from a number of partners, including the Parish Council and local voluntary groups and effective communication between them.

In accordance with Council Procedural Rule 36(C) Mr Stewart Sapsford addressed the Committee in support of the recommendation for the proposed YMCA Woodlands development programme to be agreed.

ACTION AGREED:-

that the Committee recommends to Executive Committee that:

(1) the proposed YMCA Woodlands development programme be agreed;

(2) the initiatives summarised in the report be agreed in principle, with further reports on their detailed implementation throughout the Abbots Langley parished area; and

D:\Docs\2018-04-07\079d1478cac1b9da1eefbd2cec684158.doc - 2 - (3) a member of staff be recruited on a 3-year fixed term contract to co- ordinate and progress the above works, costs to be met from the S106 funding.

L.PP67/13 LEISURE, COMMUNITY AND CAPITAL GRANTS APPLICATIONS

The Committee was asked to consider three funding applications: a Capital Grant for Rickmansworth, Watford and District Sea Cadets and two Leisure and Community Grants for Chorleywood Youth Club and the Royal British Legion – Rickmansworth and West Hyde.

In addition to these, the Committee received a further application from Rickmansworth Town Team CIC for a Leisure and Community Grant for a family friendly heritage event on 19 July with a heritage focus to be held on The Bury.

The Head of Community Partnerships advised that the correct cash balance of the Rickmansworth, Watford and District Sea Cadets at 31 December 2013 was £6,996. He had not been supplied with a current cash balance for Chorleywood Youth Club. The Club reported annually on its finances. He would seek to obtain an updated balance for report to the Executive Committee.

In accordance with Council Procedural Rule 36(C) Ms Tola Dabiri addressed the Committee in support of the recommendation for a Leisure and Community Grant to be made to the Royal British Legion – Rickmansworth and West Hyde Branch (RBL).

Members noted that the RBL application was for a relatively large amount. They wished to know whether the British Legion branch had contacted other local organisations with an interest in local history during World War I, notably the Three Rivers Museum and the Rickmansworth Historical Society. They asked whether the Branch planned to work with other local British Legion Branches and whether the national Royal British Legion was supporting the project financially or in other ways.

The representative confirmed that the initiative was sponsored only by the Rickmansworth and West Hyde Branch and was intended to operate across the District. The proposed project would be accessible to other groups in the area.

Members considered the project important as an educational opportunity but that to merit the financial support requested it needed to operate across wider areas of Three Rivers District. Further work was needed to widen the scope of the project before the Council could support it and they favoured deferral to enable the organisers to reconsider their initial approach.

The Head of Community Partnerships undertook to discuss the project with the organisers. He observed however that the Council’s resources for grants work were now extremely limited as the Council’s establishment no longer included a grants worker.

ACTION AGREED:-

that the Leisure and Community Safety Policy and Scrutiny Committee recommends to the Executive Committee:

D:\Docs\2018-04-07\079d1478cac1b9da1eefbd2cec684158.doc - 3 - (1) that the following grants are approved:

Rickmansworth Watford & District Sea Cadets £513;

Rickmansworth Town Team £500, subject to the provision of information on the heritage content of the event;

(2) that the application from Chorleywood Youth Club be considered following communication to the Executive Committee of the latest available information on the Club’s cash balances;

(3) that the application from the Royal British Legion – Rickmansworth and West Hyde Branch be deferred to the next appropriate Committee to enable the applicants to explore links with other organisations in the District which have plans to commemorate World War I.

L.PP68/13 UPDATE REPORT ON INTRODUCTION OF DOG CONTROL ORDERS AT CHORLEYWOOD HOUSE ESTATE AND CHORLEYWOOD COMMON UNDER THE CLEAN NEIGHBOURHOODS AND ENVIRONMENT ACT 2005

The Committee received a report on the outcome of further public consultation on the introduction of dog control measures at Chorleywood House Estate and Chorleywood Common.

The Biodiversity Projects Officer advised that the additional consultation had not revealed the existence of a problem with dogs out of control such that would justify introducing Dog Control Orders at the present time. However, it was proposed to circulate a pro forma to enable evidence of dog-related issues to be gathered and to review regularly the evidence submitted.

Members requested a report back to committee after 12 months.

ACTION AGREED:-

that the Committee recommends the Executive Committee to agree:

(1) that at this point in time officers do not progress the drafting of Dog Control Orders at Chorleywood House Estate or Chorleywood Common; and

(2) that the pro-forma document at Appendix A (or appropriate revision) be circulated for the purpose of gathering evidence of dog related issues at both sites. If on review significant evidence comes to light to support the introduction of Dog Control Orders, then the matter will be referred back to the relevant Committee for action at that time.

(3) That a further report to the relevant Committee is made in the summer or early autumn of 2015.

L.PP69/13 PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE CLOSING TIME OF THE AQUADROME CAR PARK FROM 1 MAY – 30 SEPTEMBER BY ONE HOUR (21:30 INSTEAD OF 20:30)

The Aquadrome Forum had proposed that the current closing time of the Aquadrome car park be changed by one hour (21:30 instead of 20:30), from 1

D:\Docs\2018-04-07\079d1478cac1b9da1eefbd2cec684158.doc - 4 - May to 30 September. The proposal was suggested principally as an attempt to reduce the number of cars that were currently locked in the car park during the light summer evenings.

The Biodiversity Projects Officer reported on a survey, tabled at the meeting, undertaken to ascertain the views of local residents on the change to the closing hour. The results showed 79% responses in favour of the change with only 11% opposed. User clubs and organisations, which were currently often asked to assist cars locked in the leave the car park, were in favour of the proposal. Users would be made aware of the change of closing time by publication on a large notice near the bridge access road.

A majority of Members favoured the proposal, although one Member was of the view that the change of closing time would make little difference to the number of cars locked in.

Another Member asked whether the licensed opening hours of the Café reflected the relevant condition of its planning permission. The Biodiversity Projects Officer said she believed this was the case but would check to verify it. She confirmed that the new summer closing time would be put into the Aquadrome Management Plan.

ACTION AGREED:-

that the Leisure and Community Safety Policy and Scrutiny Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that the closing time for the Aquadrome car park is extended by one hour from 1 May – 30 September 2014 (21:30 instead of 20:30) as a one year trial and, subject to review, that the revised closing time is implemented in future years.

L.PP70/13 RICKMANSWORTH SCHOOL SWIMMING POOL PROJECT UPDATE

The Committee received an updating report on the opportunity to secure public swimming at Rickmansworth School.

The Leisure Development manager advised in response to Members’ questions that:

 the discussions on the outstanding planning issues were proceeding;

 the heat and power pump the subject of Council funding was additional to the existing provision and had not formed part of the School’s funding bid to Sport England. It would use heat generated by the Sports Hall to provide a greener form of energy for the pool;

 The pool would be usable by members of the public for three-hour periods Monday to Friday during main school holidays but not at weekends;

 members of the public who wished to access the pool outside school holidays would be able to do so by joining Watford Swimming Club;

 charges for the public would be in line with charges for other local swimming facilities managed by Hertsmere Leisure;

D:\Docs\2018-04-07\079d1478cac1b9da1eefbd2cec684158.doc - 5 -  a Service Level Agreement would be entered into to govern public access time totalling a minimum of 180 hours per year and levels of service.

Members observed that the pool would not be open to the public during weekends. Moreover a number of local organisations which had used the former pool for a number of years had been denied access to the new pool. They asked that details of these organisations, together with the total number of hours during which they had used the pool, should be provided to the Executive Committee as an indicator of the loss to the community resulting from the arrangements for use of the new pool. They also wished for information to be provided to the Executive Committee on details of the outstanding planning issues.

ACTION AGREED:-

(1) that the Leisure and Community Safety Policy and Scrutiny Committee recommends to the Executive Committee that it approves the Council entering into a 10-year agreement with the School as regards use of the School pool during School holiday periods;

(2) that information on :

(a) the organisations which formerly used the School pool and their hours of access;

(b) the outstanding planning considerations which require to be resolved; and

(c) the contribution of the proposed combined heat and power heat pump to the energy efficiency of the Swimming pool

be provided to the Executive Committee when considering the above recommendation.

L.PP71/13 SCOTSBRIDGE ALL-WEATHER SPORTS PITCH UPDATE

The Committee received an updating report on the progress of the Scotsbridge all-weather sports pitch project. The Club also tabled a paper providing details of their funding activities, proposed governance arrangements and financial planning in support of the project.

Members noted that the Club’s application to Sport England for funding of £300,000 would have to pass through several stages and the final funding decision would be made in July 2014. The Club would shortly be meeting the new Head Teacher of Rickmansworth School to seek confirmation of the School’s commitment to the project and had approached another Rickmansworth secondary school to attract their interest in using the pitch. The Club believed that achieving 30% usage of the available use time would be sustainable and hoped to introduce reduced charges for certain groups identified by key stakeholders.

In accordance with Council Procedural Rule 36(C) Mr Tim Martin addressed the Committee in support of the recommendation.

Members questioned Mr Martin about the ability of the pitch to withstand flooding such as that experienced during the recent winter. He responded that

D:\Docs\2018-04-07\079d1478cac1b9da1eefbd2cec684158.doc - 6 - the conditions of the planning permission for the pitch included provision for draining.

Members asked the officers what impact the flooding had had on the nearby tennis courts and whether examples existed of the impact of flooding on similar artificial pitches. The Leisure Development Manager undertook to investigate these questions.

Members asked about the situation if by the recommended target date of 31 March the viability of the project in terms of funding had not been resolved.

The Leisure Services Manager replied that the Council had until 2021 to use the Section 106 funding, so it would be able to allocate the money to other appropriate purposes.

ACTION AGREED:-

that the Leisure and Community Safety Policy and Scrutiny Committee recommend to the Executive Committee:

(1) that the allocated £50,000 of S106 monies from the housing developments on land adjacent to Rickmansworth School and the High Street, Rickmansworth remains reserved for Rickmansworth Sports Club until 31 March 2016; and

(2) that officers provide further updates on the project when more information becomes available.

L.PP72/13 WORK PROGRAMME

The Committee was asked to agree its work programme.

ACTION AGREED:-

that the Committee agreed the items included in the work programme, with the addition of reports on dog control at the Chorleywood House Estate and Chorleywood Common, a review of the effects revised closing time for The Aquadrome and the Scotsbridge Artificial Sports Pitch.

L.PP73/13 FINAL MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE

On the occasion of the Committee’s final meeting, the Committee expressed its thanks to the Chairman for his service in the Chair.

In response, the Chairman thanked all Members and officers for their work on and service to the Committee and their support given to him personally.

CHAIRMAN

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