Archived decisions
AT A MEETING of the SIR GEORGE STAUNTON COUNTRY PARK JOINT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE held at the Sir George Staunton Country Park,
Havant on 27 November, 2007
PRESENT:
Hampshire County Council
p Councillor E F Gale, MBE (Chairman)
a Councillor A Buckley
p Councillor I F E Beagley
p Councillor Mrs A Edwards
p Councillor R C McIntosh
East Hampshire District Council
p Councillor Mrs D K Denston
p Mr S D'Este-Hoare
Havant Borough Council
p Councillor Jenny Wride
a Mr Tony Lee (Business Development Manager)
Also in attendance: Councillor Mrs E M Byrom. (Local Member)
52 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were submitted on behalf of County Councillor Ann Buckley; and from Tony Lee (Havant Borough Council).
53 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Members were mindful that, where they believed they had a personal or prejudicial interest in any matter to be considered at the meeting, they should, normally at the time of the debate, declare their interest and, having regard to the circumstances described in paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the County Council's Code of Conduct, consider whether to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with Paragraph 12 of the Code.
No such interests were declared on this occasion.
54 DEPUTATIONS
No deputations had been notified.
55 MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting of the Joint Management Committee held on 12 June, 2007 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
56 CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS
The Chairman had no communications on this occasion.
57 NOTES OF THE STAKEHOLDERS' FORUM
The Committee received the notes of the Stakeholders Forum held on 9 October, 2007 (Item 6 in the Minute Book).
58 PARK MANAGER'S REPORT
The Committee considered the report of the Park Manager (Item 7 in the Minute Book) outlining recent work which had been undertaken, and giving details of recent developments, events and initiatives at the park. Members were delighted to learn that Sir George Staunton Country Park had been voted best local visitor attraction by readers of the Portsmouth News, and they warmly congratulated the Park Manager and all his staff on this outstanding achievement.
Members raised questions on disabled access, and the Park Manager explained the current improvements being undertaken to the toilets at the Visitor Centre to improve access for those with mobility problems. He also referred to the programme of improvements to pathways within the park which would help visitors in wheelchairs or parents with prams or buggies. Members suggested that details of the attractions and events at the park could be more widely circulated to local schools, community centres and residents' associations, with suitable features to appear in their newsletters. Members regretted the failure of the lottery bid, but welcomed the way in which interest in and attendance at the park was being broadened, for instance Staunton Live; athletics and sporting events; and the play trail. The Park Manager undertook to bear the above observations in mind and it was
RESOLVED:
That the content of the Park Manager's report be noted as set out in Item 7, and that the staff at the Park be congratulated on their achievements during the year, especially the best visitor attraction award.
59 PRICING STRUCTURE 2008/09
The committee considered the report of the Park Manager (Item 8 in the Minute Book) on the proposed pricing structure for 2008/09. The main aims were to continue making progress against the 10 year development plan; to be competitive when compared against other attractions; to generate secure income streams; and to broaden the base of visitors and members.
Debate on the report centred on the apparently disparate rates of increase, with some categories substantially up, some unchanged and others reduced. Some members felt that there should be a consistent level of increase above the board, which should not exceed the rate of inflation or the general rate of wage rises. They felt that otherwise a visit to the park could be a very expensive day out for a family of 4 or 5. Most Members felt that the prices at Sir George Staunton represented good value for money when compared with other attractions, for instance Paultons or Bird World, and that admission charges had not so far represented a serious deterrent to visitors.
In response the Park Manager stressed the importance of reliable income streams to secure the Park's financial viability; he pointed out that the pricing structure was designed to encourage casual visitors to become members with annual season tickets; and the recommended charges were a maximum, which he would review once the levels of financial contributions from the various funding partners were known. He undertook to give further consideration to the specific points, namely the 13% rise in prises for children and the reduction of 10% in the price for family admission tickets, and would notify members of the outcome.
RESOLVED:
(Councillor Beagley dissenting).
That the 2008/09 maximum charges be approved as set out in Appendix A to the report (Item 8).
60 REVISED BUDGET 2007/08 AND PROPOSED FORWARD BUDGET 2008/09
The Committee considered the report of the County Treasurer (Item 9 in the Minute Book). The main financial issues were the loss of income totalling £91,000 in the current year and the resultant need for savings totalling £86,400 through holding vacancies and other management action. Plans for next year include further contributions towards reserves, and in this connection the County Treasurer urged all funding partners to meet their committed contributions in full. He explained that there would be audit costs of £2,500 incurred, which regrettably would have to be found from the Committee's budget.
RESOLVED:
(i) That the revised budget for 2007/08 as shown in Appendices A and B to the report be approved.
(ii) That the partner contributions as shown in Appendix C to the report be approved.
(iii) That the budget for 2008/09 as shown in Appendix C to the report be approved.
61 HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND BID UPDATE
The Park Manager reported with regret that the lottery bid had been unsuccessful, and outlined the main reasons quoted for the bid's rejection. The options were to try again and resubmit in the coming year, but that was felt unlikely to be a financially viable option. The preferred way forward therefore was to break the bid down into its component elements and proceed on the basis of small bids with different funding partners, more likely to be a successful approach in the current difficult financial climate. That approach was endorsed by Members, and the Park Manager undertook to keep them in touch with developments.
62 NOTES OF THE OFFICERS' GROUP
The Committee received the notes of the Officers' Group held on 6 November 2007 (Item 11 in the Minute Book).
63 DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS
Tuesday 10 June, 2008 at 10.00 am
Tuesday 18 November 2008 at 10.00 am
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