Archived decisions
AT A MEETING of the RECREATION & HERITAGE POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE held at The Castle, Winchester on Thursday 27 June 2002.
PRESENT:
Councillors: M.S. Geddes (Chairman); Mrs S E Allbright; R.J. Baulk; Mrs E.M. Byrom; K.G. Chapman; P.J. Chegwyn; J.E. Coles; C.R.H. Davidovitz; E.F. Gale; B.T. Gurden; Jo Kelly; Mrs C.A. Leversha; P.K. Mason; R.H. Price; A.W. Rice, TD; Mrs M.D. Snaith.
Councillors J. Waddington and Mrs P.G. Peskett were also in attendance.
34 MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting held on 23 May 2002 were confirmed by the Committee and signed by the Chairman subject to the amendment of Minute 32 to read "Councillor Coles declared a non-pecuniary interest ......".
Matters arising
(i) Activities Centres
Further to Minute 26 it was reported that a successful tour had been undertaken by a number of Members of the Committee to the Hampshire Mountain Centre in South Wales. Members who had participated praised the Centre and requested that the courses on offer be given a higher profile. A seminar concerning the Centre was to be arranged for all Members of the Council and Members of the Committee were to visit the Tile Barn and Beaulieu facilities.
(ii) Recreation and Heritage Department - Objectives and Management
Further to Minute 27 the Director of Recreation and Heritage reported that the following appointments had been made:-
The Head of Libraries and Information Services - Richard Ward;
The Head of Business Development - Stuart Dorward;
The Head of Countryside - John Tickle
35 ANNUAL LIBRARY PLAN UPDATE
The Committee considered the report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage (Item 3 in the Minute Book) which outlined the significant number of improvements and developments which had been made to the Library Service since approval of the Annual Library Plan for 2001 and which would be included in the Annual Library Plan for 2002. Particular attention was drawn to the new library at Lymington, the relocation of West End library and the proposed opening in the Summer 2003 of a new library in Alton. The latter library and others were being considered for Discovery Centres. Opening hours had been significantly improved in a number of libraries and a pilot scheme entailing Sunday opening was being investigated. Additional video, DVD and CD-Rom services were being introduced in many libraries as had colour photocopiers and a self reservation/self renewing system was being trialled at Winchester library. A new partnership between Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight was being set up which would provide a computer catalogue link to all four authorities and offer the chance to build inter-library loan partnerships. An all party group of library spokespersons from the Committee was to be established to guide the plan.
In the light of a concern raised about the recently introduced 50 pence charge for the hire of talking books, there was agreement that this issue should be reported to Committee after a full year of operation.
RESOLVED:
That the improvements and developments in the plan be welcomed and submitted to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage for consideration for inclusion in the Annual Library Plan 2002.
36 MUSEUMS STRATEGY
The Committee considered the report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage (Item 4 in the Minute Book) on the Museums Strategy which showed how support for museums is related to wider County Council corporate policies, clarified from which budgets support has been provided, outlined the main categories of museums supported by the County Council and suggested how the policy should be developed. In particular it stressed that museum development would be achieved through seizing opportunities, partnerships and maximizing external funding and that the preservation, care and provision of access to valuable heritage assets will remain a high priority for the County Council. Particular attention was drawn to the aim of widening and deepening access through lifelong learning and personal development, access by the rural population, community identity, services to younger people and the role of new technology. In addition to museums operated by the County Council there are also defence heritage museums and non-military special interest museums (such as Gilbert White's House and Jane Austen's House).
Attention was drawn to the nomination of the County Museums Service as the lead body for the Regional Museum hub for the South East Region.
Councillor Coles declared a non-pecuniary interest on account of his membership of the New Forest Museum Trust as did Councillor Rice being a member of the Aldershot Military Museum and Rushmoor Local History Gallery Joint Management Committee, the Eastleigh Joint Management Committee, the Red House Museum, Christchurch Joint Management Committee and the Milestones Joint Management Committee.
RESOLVED:
That the policy aims stated in the report be supported as the basis for developing museum policy within the overall cultural strategy of the County Council and submitted to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage for his consideration.
37 RECREATIONAL CYCLING STRATEGY 2002-2006
The Committee considered the report of the Head of Arts, Sport and Community (Item 5 in the Minute Book) which outlined the current position regarding the Council's recreational cycling strategy and put forward a draft strategy for the period 2002-2006. It was pointed out that recreational cycling can act as a springboard into utility cycling and this in turn would help to address a number of issues currently facing the County including health, the environment, transport issues, social inclusion and sustainable tourism. The draft strategy was proposing several key objectives which would be in line with the County Council's key corporate aim of developing the quality of life in Hampshire such as more cycling, the management and development of a network of recreational cycling infrastructure and maximising the awareness of recreational cycling amongst the population. Members felt that the railway operating companies should be encouraged to provide more capacity for the conveyance of bicycles.
RESOLVED:
That, subject to an additional policy advocating increased capacity for bicycles on trains, the draft Recreational Cycling Strategy 2002-2006 be supported and submitted to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage for his consideration.
38 ENJOYING THE COUNTRYSIDE - DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THE DELIVERY AND PROMOTION OF WIDER ACCESS TO THE HAMPSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE
The Committee considered the report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage and the County Planning Officer (Item 6 in the Minute Book) on a national access pilot project, the Integrated Access Demonstration Programme, which is developing innovative approaches for encouraging access to the countryside and on opportunities emerging from the Countryside and Rights Of Way (CROW) Act for the countryside service to expand its contribution to meeting the aims of the County Council's corporate strategy. The pilot would in particular concentrate on the links between urban communities and the countryside in South East Hampshire and included such matters as a project which aimed to encourage young people from socially deprived areas to visit the countryside, a sustainable integrated transport project involving new leisure bus services and a project to provide local horse-riders and other users with safe routes in the countryside away from busy roads and dangerous road crossings. Amongst the new responsibilities emerging from the CROW Act was the requirement for the County Council, as local highway authority, to establish a local access forum which would advise the County Council on improvements to public access for the purposes of open air recreation and the enjoyment of the area in question.
RESOLVED:
That the work of the Integrated Access Demonstration Programme be endorsed and the countryside service be supported in the development of access opportunities.
39 PROPOSED POLICY FOR DIVERSIONS OF RIGHTS OF WAY UNDER SECTION 119 OF THE HIGHWAYS ACT 1980
The Committee considered the report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage (Item 7 in the Minute Book) on the power of the County Council to make an order to divert a right of way if it is in the interests of the landowner or the public. Whereas in the past the practice has been to consider all applications for diversions that were received, it was now proposed to consider such applications only where they were clearly in the interests of the public. This was to enable the resources of the Rights of Way Section to be concentrated on fulfilling the Council's duty to maintain the Definitive Map.
RESOLVED:
That the proposed policy for diversions of rights of way be welcomed and submitted to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage for his consideration.
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