Archived decisions
AT A MEETING of the RECREATION & HERITAGE POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE held at The Castle, Winchester on Thursday 21 March 2002.
PRESENT:
Councillors J V Bryant (Chairman); Mrs S E Allbright; Mrs E M Byrom; K G Chapman; P J Chegwyn; J E Coles; R J Ellis; E F Gale; B T Gurden; Mrs K Heron; Mrs P G E Holden-Brown; Jo Kelly; Mrs C A Leversha; P K Mason; P A Pierce; R H Price; A W Rice TD; K P J Searle; Mrs M D Snaith.
Councillor Waddington was also in attendance.
19 MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2002 were confirmed by the Committee and signed by the Chairman.
20 CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Chairman thanked members of staff for arranging the opening of Lymington Library on 20th March and introduced Yinnon Ezra, the recently appointed Director of Recreation and Heritage, to the Committee.
21 DRAFT ARTS STRATEGY 2002/03 - 2006/07
The Committee considered the report of and received a presentation by the Director of Recreation and Heritage (Item 2 in the Minute Book) on the draft Arts Strategy for 2002/03 to 2006/07. Particular attention was drawn to national figures which indicate that 80% of the public attend arts events and that for every £1 invested by the County Council in the arts £8.41 in turnover is generated. The strategy would link in with the County Council Corporate Strategy and the Arts, Countryside and Community Departmental plan which entails the encouragement of lifelong learning, improving the quality of life and preserving the County's environment and landscape. Work undertaken by the arts section includes the management of four local arts centres, offering advice and support to arts organisations and developing the arts in the County. Partnerships with District Councils and other arts organisations are of particular importance. The strategy would form the basis of the annual service plan and would also inform detailed business planning within the arts service and act as a set of guiding principles for the many external partners in the arts.
Members of the Committee expressed their thanks to and appreciation of the arts section staff and the Chairman and the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage agreed to convey these thanks in writing to the staff.
RESOLVED:
That the draft Arts Strategy 2002/03 to 2006/07 be endorsed and recommended to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage for adoption as the County Council's strategy for the arts.
22 ESTABLISHING A LOCAL ACCESS FORUM FOR HAMPSHIRE
The Committee considered the report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage (Item 3 in the Minute Book) on the establishment of a Local Access Forum for Hampshire which is required by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 with the aim of advising on and promoting improvements in access to the countryside. The report covered a selection process for membership of the forum which would be fair and transparent and would need to achieve a suitable balance between different interests, principally those of landowners/managers and those of recreational users of the land. A sizeable working group had been established to consider how the requirement to set up the forum might be most effectively implemented for Hampshire. Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils are also required to set up such forums and it was being suggested that a joint forum be established involving the two cities and the County Council in the light of the large amount of use made of footpaths in the County by City residents and so that funding covering the three authorities can be obtained.
RESOLVED:
That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage:-
(a) That the selection process for appointments to the Hampshire Local Access Forum as outlined in the report be approved.
(b) That preparatory work on the process now commences.
(c) That the Director of Recreation and Heritage be permitted to make revisions to the selection process necessary as a result of the publication of the final regulations by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs without further reference to the Policy Review Committee or the formal involvement of the Executive Member.
23 FINANCIAL COSTS OF FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE - MANAGEMENT ACTION
The Committee considered the report of the County Treasurer and the Director of Recreation and Heritage (Item 4 in the Minute Book) on the management action taken to offset the losses that had accrued in the first half of 2001/02 due to the foot and mouth outbreak. It was noted that the forecast overspend in September 2001 had been £376,000 but through prudent management action in the countryside and sport and community services section this figure had been reduced to £271,000 which was to be written off at the end of the financial year.
RESOLVED
That the action taken to minimise losses incurred through the foot and mouth outbreak whilst continuing to deliver frontline services to the public be endorsed.
24 FUTURE FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR HAMPSHIRE STUDENTS VISITING THE SOUTHAMPTON CITY OUTDOOR CENTRES
The Committee considered the report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage (Item 5 in the Minute Book) on the need to consider altering the policy regarding the future funding of visits by Hampshire school children to the Southampton City Outdoor Centres. The policy had been approved by the Sport and Community Panel of the Recreation and Heritage Committee in 1999 but for the past year discussions had been ongoing with City Council representatives with the aim of arriving at a more formal arrangement which would allow access to the centres to be managed more openly and flexibly. The report set out elements which it was proposed should be included in a new agreement.
It was reported that representations had been made on behalf of a special school in the south of the county which uses one of the centres outside school hours but for school curriculum activities. During discussion on the item, concerns were expressed about the inequity of pupils visiting Southampton centres having to pay as compared with those visiting Hampshire facilities. It was felt that a report should be made to a future meeting of the Committee on the charging policy for Hampshire pupils visiting Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton outdoor centres.
RESOLVED:
That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage that the Heads of Agreement with Southampton City Council listed in their report be implemented from 1 April 2002 subject to the following amendments:-
(a) (iii) to be amended to read "County Council support will be capped at £62,000 at April 2002 and used as a fund to directly support Hampshire County Council administered schools using the Southampton centres....."
(b) (iv) to be amended to read "Hampshire County Council access a maximum of 7,250 sessions from the Southampton centres at the agreed session rate, minus a fee to be levied on schools of £2.70 per student per session. Consequently, each session will cost the County Council £9.05....."
(c) (v) to be amended to read "the support will only apply to groups visiting the centres with clear curricular aims and purpose and will not be used for sport development training or similar activities..."
4aM860302