Archived decisions

REPORT OF THE

RECREATION AND HERITAGE


POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE

1. The Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee has adopted a pro-active approach in respect of its three main areas of work namely policy development, scrutiny and best value.

2. The Committee has advised the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage on a number of key policy development areas as follows:

    (i) The County Council's European Cultural Strategy

    The Strategy involves a process of definition and development in order to build up a critical mass of cultural experience and knowledge of European environments within the Recreation and Heritage department and its independent client organisations.

    (ii) The Hampshire Countryside Access Forum

    The Forum will advise on and promote improvements in access to the countryside and has been established in accordance with the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. One of the main tasks of the Forum will be to advise on "Countryside Access Plans" as an approach to the Rights of Way Improvement Plans which the County Council has a new duty to produce under the same Act.

    (iii) Consultation on the World Trade Organisation General Agreement on Trade in Services negotiations

    The aspect of the negotiations dealt with by the Committee was the requests for liberalisation of services in European Community countries coming under the heading of recreation, sporting and cultural services, in particular libraries, archives, museums and sporting services.

    (iv) Charging for Recreation and Heritage Services

    The opportunity was taken to review charging policy in the light of the creation of the Recreation and Heritage department and the agreement of members to a new set of objectives. The Committee also considered the principles underlying the charging structure for fees within the Hampshire Outdoor Centres.

    (v) Sport Strategy

    The previous strategy had been agreed some four years ago and in the light of achievement of targets set and the rapid changes in the world of sport it was felt that a revised strategy should be formulated.

    (vi) The Implications for Live Entertainment of the Licensing Bill

    The proposals included the transfer of the responsibility for the licensing of alcohol sales from Magistrates' Courts to local authorities and this was welcomed; concerns were, however, expressed at some revised licensing proposals which would place a bureaucratic burden on many secretaries of local community facilities.

3. Matters which will be considered by the Committee over the next few months will include the report of the Archives Task Force, a tourism strategy, a policy on partnership funding and the use of volunteers and support trusts in the Recreation and Heritage services.

4. Part of the workload of the Committee has been in the area of best value and it received a report on the re-inspection of the library and information service undertaken by the Audit Commission in January this year; the report described it as "a good 2-star service that has promising prospects for improvement". The recommendations contained in the report have been implemented and incorporated into the reorganisation of the service which has been completed. The formal progress report on the review concluded that the library and information service best value improvement plan had been fully implemented and was effectively complete.

5. The Committee will continue to exercise its responsibilities actively and positively with the aim of providing a wide range of facilities and activities which will improve the quality of life of the people of Hampshire.

MICHAEL S. GEDDES
Chairman

4IR720803