Minutes of a Meeting of the Joint Strategic Committee of Adur District and Worthing Borough Councils Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea Thursday 5 February 2015 Councillor Neil Parkin (Chairman) Adur District Council: Worthing Borough Council: *Councillor Pat Beresford Councillor Daniel Humphreys *Councillor Keith Dollemore Councillor Mary Lermitte Councillor Angus Dunn Councillor Clive Roberts *Councillor Jim Funnell Councillor Bryan Turner Councillor David Simmons Councillor Val Turner *Absent Other Members Present ADC – Councillors Carson Albury and Liza McKinney WBC – Councillors James Doyle, Kevin Jenkins, Louise Murphy and Keith Sunderland JSC/085/14-15 Declarations of Interest Councillor Mary Lermitte declared a Personal Interest in Item 8 as a member of the Rotary Club of Worthing. Councillor Bryan declared personal interests in the following:- • as a member of West Sussex County Council • as a member of the Rotary Club of Worthing • as a member of the Governing Body of Northbrook College Councillor Clive Roberts declared a personal interest in Item 9 as a dog owner. JSC/086/14-15 Minutes Resolved, that the minutes from the Joint Strategic Committee meeting held on 2 December 2014, be approved and signed by the Chairman. JSC/087/14-15 Public Question Time A number of questions, statements and a petition were put to the Committee during the time allotted, (a copy of those received in advance of the meeting are appended to these minutes). 1 • Andy Beaken, Worthing resident, question regarding the granting of a Lease to the school regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground; • Gavin Ward, Acting Head teacher of Whytemead School, statement regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground; • Worthing resident, statement regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground; • Jane Sparkes, Worthing resident, statement regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground; • Keith Gurney, Worthing resident, statement, questions and a petition on behalf of Broadwater Manor Action Group, regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground; • Matt Griggs, statement on behalf of Worthing Utd Youth and Colts Football Clubs regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground; • Andy Lutwyche, statement on behalf of Worthing Cricket Club regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground; • Neil Strowger, CEO of Bohunt Education Trust, statement regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground; • Mr A Macauley, Worthing resident, asked a question about public consultation regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground; • Tim Nicholls, Statement on behalf of South Broadwater Residents Association regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground. In addition, the following statements were received by the Committee on the night:- • Simon Broadhurst, parent of a perspective pupil at Bohunt School and resident of Worthing, made a statement regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground; • Barbara Cook, Worthing resident, made a statement regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground; • A Worthing resident, made a statement regarding the use of Manor (Sports) Ground. The Leader of Worthing Borough Council thanked members of the public and interested parties for their questions and statements and advised that these would be responded to during consideration of Item 9 on the agenda. JSC/088/14-15 Items Raised Under Urgency Provisions There were no items raised under urgency provisions. JSC/089/14-15 Change of Order to Agenda Items The Chairman announced that agenda item 9 would be taken as the next item of business. JSC/090/14-15 Use of the Manor Sports Ground by the Bohunt School Worthing - ‘the landlord decision’ Before the Committee was a report by the Directors for Communities and the Economy, copies of which had been circulated to all Members and a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these Minutes as Item 9. 2 The report considered a request by the sponsor of the new Academy (Bohunt School) to use the Manor (Sports) Ground to deliver its sports curriculum. The report highlighted that any decision to enter into a lease with the Academy would require a separate advertisement / consultation period under Section 123 of the Local Government Act. The report considered the issues involved with any proposal to restrict public access to the site and the options available to the Council. Officers advised that the shared use of the site, with full public access, would have been acceptable to the Council, subject to agreement with the other users of the site, notably the Cricket and Hockey Club and other local schools. This arrangement, however, was not acceptable to the new Sponsor of the Academy and the report recommended that there may be some scope for exclusive use for limited periods of the school day subject to further negotiations and the required formal consultation exercise. The report also highlighted that enclosing the Manor Ground and restricting public access for educational use may also require planning permission if a material, change of use occurred. Councillor Kevin Jenkins, Gaisford Ward, addressed the Committee making the following points:- • that no deals had been done with West Sussex County Council or Bohunt Education Trust; • there needed to be a wider choice of secondary schools in the area and he welcomed the Bohunt School in Worthing; • the Manor (Sports) Ground was predominantly for sport and currently under used during the week; • that Bohunt Education Trust had made no case for exclusive use of the Manor (Sports) Ground; • that Worthing Borough Council must not forget local residents and their usage of the Manor (Sports) Ground; • a preference for zoned areas within the ground alongside a booking management system which gave priority to local schools; • that the recommendations in the report be rejected. A Member asked whether the exclusion of dogs from the Manor Ground would require an amended, or, new byelaw. If so, how long would it take? Officers advised that consultation would be required prior to the amendment of an existing byelaw or the creation of a new one. During discussion Members made the following comments:- • welcomed Bohunt to Worthing; • acknowledged that the Manor Ground was under used from Monday to Friday; • that the case for exclusive use, 5 days per week, had not been made; • that the Council should look to create zoned areas within the ground incorporating some form of segregation, possibly using fencing; • look to provide preferential usage for a large part of the ground to Bohunt Education Trust; • that Worthing Borough Council should keep overall control of the Manor Ground using a booking management system to facilitate shared usage; • that the community needed to work together on this issue. 3 A replacement recommendation was proposed by Councillor Bryan Turner which was seconded by Councillor Clive Roberts. Decision: That the Joint Strategic Committee:- i) affirmed its support for the principle of school sports use on the Manor (Sports) Ground; ii) affirmed its desire to be a reliable partner to the Education Sector in the Borough of Worthing; iii) was sympathetic to the concerns of Bohunt School and requested that Officers consider the scope for zoning part of the Manor Ground for dog walkers away from the formal sports areas, review existing byelaws and consider further enforcement to ensure dogs were kept on a lead; iv) agreed that Worthing Borough Council (WBC) shall enter into a new Licence agreement to enable the Bohunt Academy to use the Manor Ground together with the existing users (including the Worthing Cricket and Hockey Clubs) with the precise terms to be agreed by the Director for the Economy in consultation with the Leader and Executive Member for the Environment of Worthing Borough Council; v) agreed that Worthing Borough Council shall enter into a lease with Worthing Cricket and Hockey Clubs for the use of the Pavilion building, the precise terms to be agreed by the Director for the Economy in consultation with the Leader of Worthing Borough Council. Call In: The call in deadline for this decision will be 5.00pm on 17 th February 2015. * The meeting was adjourned by the Chairman at 7.51pm and reconvened at 8.00pm. JSC/091/14-15 Outline 5-Year Forecast and Savings Proposals Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Digital & Resources, copies of which had been circulated to all Members and a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these Minutes as Item 5. The report represented the culmination of the annual budget exercise and asked members to consider the final revenue estimates for 2015/16 and an updated outline 5-year forecast. The budgets reflected decisions taken by Members in relation to agreed savings proposals and the decisions made at both Councils, together with some minor changes which were outlined in the report. 4 The Committee were advised that the non-committed growth items, detailed in Appendix 2 of the report, had been agreed by the Executives of both Councils on the 2 nd and 3 rd February 2015. Decision The Joint Strategic Committee: i. noted the non-committed growth items outlined in Appendix 2, which had already been considered at the individual Executive meetings; ii. agreed the budgets for 2015/16, as set out in Appendix 3, which would be adjusted by any non-committed growth items approved by the individual Executives. Call In: The call in deadline for this decision will be 5.00pm on 17 th February 2015. JSC/092/14-15 Joint Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy 2015/16 to 2017/18 for Adur District Council and Worthing Borough Council Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Digital & Resources, copies of which had been circulated to all Members and a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these Minutes as Item 6. The report fulfilled the requirements under the Treasury Management Code to present the Treasury Management Strategy Statement (TMSS) and Annual Investment Strategy (AIS) before the start of the new financial year, including the Prudential Indicators, for the next three years 2015/16-2017/18.