Policy and Project Advisory Board - Thursday, 12th July, 2018 7.00 pm - Agenda and minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 5th June, 2018 (copy attached).

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 5th June, 2018 were approved and signed by the Chairman.  It was requested that a Councillor from Aldershot Park Ward be invited to join the Aldershot Regeneration Group.

To receive a presentation from the Council’s Head of Community and Environmental Services on the future of leisure provision in Rushmoor and to consider the next steps (presentation slides attached).

The Board received a presentation from the Council’s Head of Community and Environmental Services which set out the current leisure offer and potential options for the future.  The Board was advised on the sports and leisure facilities across the Borough and was provided with details on the current contracts for Farnborough Leisure Centre, Aldershot Indoor Pools and Aldershot Lido.  The outcomes required for future leisure management contracts were to reduce costs, invest in the facilities, increase participation and reduce the risk to the Council.  There were a number of areas highlighted which would need to be considered when the Council looked at future leisure provision.  The current activities provided had been reviewed and details were available on the number of visits, space occupied to provide the activity and the income and expenditure which would need to be considered to identify the feasibility of activities. Provision of activities from other providers in the Borough would also need to be considered to identify the demand from users against the current provision.

The Lido Review Working Group, Friends of Aldershot Lido and the Leisure and Youth Policy and Review Panel had carried out some work to develop a vision for the Aldershot Pools Complex and some soft market testing had been carried out in 2017.  A conditions survey had also been undertaken and the results were due at the end of July 2018.  A number of options had been discussed for the future leisure management contract for Aldershot Lido which included the addition of adventure golf, reduction in pool size and addition of a splash pad.  Options for the Aldershot Indoor Pool would be to either retain the current building with improvements or to build a new facility.

There had been some feasibility work carried out on options for the Farnborough Leisure Centre in 2017 and a conditions survey undertaken which was due to be reported on at the end of July 2018.  Options available for Farnborough Leisure Centre could include retaining the current building with improvements, refurbishment or to build a new facility.  The Leisure Centre was currently located in the Civic Quarter and, following some research, it was suggested that if a new facility was provided, it should remain within the Civic Quarter.  A preferred investment partner had been identified for the Civic Quarter and, if approved, would work with the Council to agree concepts, capacity and site specific objectives.  The Civic Quarter timetable would need to work with the leisure procurement timetable.

The Farnborough Leisure Centre and Aldershot Pools Complex contracts were due for renewal on 1 February 2019.  The Civic Quarter masterplan timetable had been revised and required an extension of the leisure management contract to 31 March 2021.  Negotiations were underway with Places for People to extend the contracts.  The Board was asked to consider how it could be involved in working on the future leisure provision and contract agreement.

The Board discussed the presentation and there were a number of questions raised on specific areas relating to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider Hampshire County Council’s T19 Consultation on street lighting, supported passenger transport services and concessionary travel and to discuss proposals 1-6 with a view to informing the Council’s response. A copy of the Consultation Information Pack is attached.

The Board received a copy of Hampshire County Council’s (HCC’s) T19 consultation on street lighting, supported passenger transport services and concessionary travel to provide feedback to input into a Council response.  HCC proposed to initially save £230,000 per annum by switching off street lights on some residential streets for a minimum of two or more hours per night from April 2019.  HCC also proposed changes to the supported passenger transport services and concessionary travel scheme to save a total of £2.1m, of which £650,000 had already been secured.  The Board considered each of the proposals individually and made comments to be incorporated into a Council response:

Proposal 1: To switch off street lights for part of the night (two or more hours) on residential streets

·      Potential issues if the lights were switched off in areas where there was a night time economy.

·      A view from the Police should be sought on the potential effect on anti-social behaviour and burglaries.

·      Potential to switch off every other light should be considered.

·      Request evidence to be provided on the street areas where the lights switch off could work.

Proposal 2: To make operational changes to the current public bus and ferry services which Hampshire County Council supports

·      As the questions related to specific bus services it was considered it was difficult for the Council to give a view, however it was acknowledged that those passengers using the buses relied on the services currently provided.

Proposal 3: To replace some supported public bus services with alternative forms of community transport, such as Taxishares and Call and Go

·      There were some pilot schemes taking place in other areas and it was suggested that the outcomes from the pilot schemes should be considered before any changes implemented.

·      Alternative services away from a scheduled service to meet local conditions should be considered.

Proposal 4: To reduce the amount of printed material and make better use of electronic information

·      Agreement with the reduction in the amount printed but as long as some printed material was still made available for those without access to online services.

Proposal 5: To reduce the amount of support available to organisations that provide, promote or support transport services

·      As there was only £30,000 saving to be made across the County it was the view that there would only be a limited affect in Rushmoor.

·      A check online was requested to see which services in Rushmoor would be affected and advise Board if necessary.

Proposal 6: To remove the use of the Older Persons’ Bus Pass on Taxishares, Dial-a-Ride and Call and Go services

·      The services should only be removed where there was currently a bus service available.

·      Consultation with the users should be carried out to identify why they needed the service.

·      A pilot impact assessment should be carried out.

The views of the Board would be compiled into a Council response to the consultation and sent to Hampshire County Council before the deadline of 5th August.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To receive the Executive Director’s Report No. ED1801 (copy attached) setting out details on the Hampshire 2050 Commission of Inquiry which will consider evidence and key issues to inform a Vision for Hampshire in 2050.  

The Board received the Executive Director’s Report No. ED1801 which set out details on the Hampshire 2050 Commission of Inquiry which would consider evidence and key issues to inform a Vision for Hampshire in 2050.  The Commission would engage with a variety of Hampshire stakeholders, consider a range of submitted evidence and develop proposals for the future shape of Hampshire across a number of strategic themes.  The themes and consultation deadlines were: demographic and societal changes - 29th June; economy - 13th July; work skills and lifestyle - 24th August; environmental and quality of place - 12th October; mobile, connectivity and energy - 23rd November; and, rural Hampshire – 21st December.  An online questionnaire was available and the survey questions for each theme were

·      What do you think might happen in the future?

·      How will that affect/impact on what we do?

·      How will the County Council and Partners need to react in light of this?

A full report on the findings of the Commission would be presented to Hampshire County Council in the Summer of 2019 and made publicly available.

The Board NOTED the Report and agreed that Hampshire 2050 should remain on the work programme and monitored.

To discuss the Policy and Project Advisory Board Work Programme (copy attached).

Cllr R.L.G. Dibbs was appointed as a Standing Deputy for the Conservative Group for the Progress Group.  The Board NOTED the Work Programme.