Agenda item

Report No: OAS/FH/18/001

The Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture has been invited to the meeting to provide an annual account on his portfolio and to answer questions from the Committee.

The Committee was reminded that on 12 January 2017, it had received a presentation from the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, setting out responsibilities covered under her portfolio.

At this meeting, the Cabinet Member had been invited back to provide his annual update, and Report No: OAS/FH/18/001 set out the focus of the update.

The Cabinet Member was also provided in advance of the meeting with some key questions identified by Scrutiny Members on areas they wished to be appraised on during the annual update, which were included in the report along with responses, specifically:

1)    Rural Communities: What proposals does the Portfolio Holder have to ensure leisure and culture is fully inclusive to all within Forest Heath, in particular rural communities?

2)    Rural Communities:  How does the Portfolio Holder propose to ensure that rural communities do not become the forgotten few?

3)    Rural Communities: Is there a specific leisure and culture programme for rural communities for 2018?

Councillor Andy Drummond opened his presentation by thanking the Committee for the invitation to update the Committee on matters concerning his Portfolio since January 2017, and welcomed the new format in providing questions in advance.  He was pleased that the Committee was interested in the subject of leisure provision in rural communities, and advised that by definition Forest Heath was categorised in DEFRA’s Rural and Urban classification system as a Rural District.  He highlighted a number of key points in response to the three specific questions highlighted above.  

The Committee asked follow-up questions on leisure and cultural provision in rural communities, to which comprehensive responses were provided.   Other areas discussed were the spending of S106 monies on leisure and culture, particularly for play areas; the Mildenhall museum which was run by volunteers; the Brecks Partnership and funding received for clearing the river and fen edge along the river Lark; and the early negotiations taking place with Suffolk County Council on the potential purchase of Brandon Country Park.

In particular discussions were held on the following:

1)   Renewal of play areas:  Discussions were had about the fact that play areas had a finite life and that there was a need to have some form of replacement programme to ensure that the facilities remained fir for purpose.  To standardise arrangements across West Suffolk it was proposed that the council should be asked to consider whether it would be prepared to support and fund a cyclical replacement programme as there was currently no defined budget earmarked for that purpose.

2)   Brandon new walk/run route: Councillor Silvester had some concerns regarding the new run/walk route and questioned the take-up as users had indicated to him, that they could not find the discs on the posts to follow the route.

In response the officer advised that the launch was well attended, and agreed to check the route and the location of the discs, which were a standard size on posts.  

3)   Parish Forums:  Discussions were held on the relationship with leisure through the Parish Forums and questioned whether the council used the Forums to disseminate information on the various wellbeing programmes.

In response the officer advised that he had attended and spoken at Parish Forums about S106 leisure spend, and agreed to taken on board the use of the Forums in future to promote other West Suffolk leisure activities, in particular the West Suffolk Promoting Physical Activity Framework which the Council had adopted.

4)   One Life Suffolk: Discussions were held on the One Life Suffolk and questioned how this was promoted.

In response the officer advised that One Life Suffolk was predominantly promoted and communicated via General Practitioner surgeries and hospital’s but they had their own promotional campaigns and certain courses could be booked directly online subject to applicants meeting certain criteria.

The Committee on behalf of Members wished thank the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture and officers for their attendance, and noted the update, subject to the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture disseminating information through the Parish Forums on the “One Life Suffolk” and the West Suffolk Promoting Physical Activities Framework document.