Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Craig, Crews, Job and Oxley

To receive declarations of interest.

There were none.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 2022.

RESOLVED               That the Minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 2022 are approved as a correct record.

The Chair of the Committee will answer questions from members of the public submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures.

There were none.

To receive a verbal update on the progress with Stratford Park Lido.

The Chair, Councillor Brine, provided Committee with an update on the work of the two Task and Finish (T&F) groups (Lido and Local Authority Trading Company (LATC)). The Lido T&F group were focusing on 3 main areas: improving physical and mental access, heating the pool, and developing the changing rooms. The group were exploring longer access hours, recruiting additional lifeguards and working with the Barnwood Trust on disabled access. Funding was successfully secured form the Community Infrastructure Levy funding for exploring options to heat the pool.

The Chair, Councillor Brine thanked the LATC T&F group and advised that Max Associates Limited had been commissioned to produce the business plan within the next 6 months.

Councillor Aldam suggested Committee visit the Lido to see the changes. The Chair, Councillor Brine confirmed.

Councillor John Jones asked how the pool would be heated. The Chair, Councillor Brine and Head of Community Services advised the existing equipment was being modernised to generate heat using surplus combined heat and power from the Leisure Centre.

To present the 2021/22 forecast outturn position against the revenue budgets and Capital Programme that the Committee is responsible for, in order to give an expectation of possible variances against budget.

The Accountant presented the report and explained the projected net revenue overspend of £340K and provided additional narrative on the overspend variations on the Pulse, Customer Services and Revenue and Benefits.   

Proposed by Councillor Robinson and seconded by Councillor Prenter.

On being put to the vote, the motion was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED               to note the outturn forecast for the General Fund

Revenue budget and the Capital Programme for this Committee.

Committee to consider the following:

1.  The recommendation in Statutory Standards that local authorities should consult on whether CCTV would have a proportionate positive impact on public safety in their district.

2.  Stroud District Council’s driver medical policy to address difficulties in drivers getting medicals through their GPs.

3.   Setting up a task and finish group to develop a draft vehicle emission policy in accordance with the target in the Council Plan.

The Licensing Manager provided an overview of the report and background on the three main aspects of the report County Consultation on CCTV in taxi and private hire vehicles, the proposed change to driver medicals and to set up a T&F group to review the vehicle age policy and consider an emission-based policy in line with the Council Plan.

The Licensing Manager advised she had spoken with the Chair prior to Committee to include an additional item to consider as part of the decision which was to consider the request for a fare increase for taxi vehicles under the remit of the T&F group.

The Licensing Manager responded to Members questions with the following answers:

·         The County consultation would be separated by District in terms of responses and making a Stroud specific policy.

·         Medical cost through a GP was over £100 and a GP summary should be free. A medical through a private specialist company was around £60.

·         If Stroud chose to add CCTV as a requirement it would be mandatory for all and Stroud would become data controllers of the video data.

·         Currently there’s no County policy or guidance on age/emissions therefore an emissions policy would be Stroud specific if changed from vehicle age.

·         Potential and scope for County grant incentives for electric vehicles.

·         T&F group remit would include hybrid vehicles consideration as part of the consultation for a vehicle emissions policy

·         The Licensing Officer would compare the fare increase proposals from taxi traders with other districts to aid the T&F group for their considerations.

·         Currently a handful of electric cars and a slow increase of hybrid vehicles licensed as taxi traders.

The Chair, Councillor Brine asked Committee if they would be happy to accept a friendly amendment to amend point ‘c’ of the decision to include the consideration for a request for a fare increase for the taxi vehicles under the T&F group remit.

The friendly amendment and motion was proposed by Councillor Prenter and seconded by Councillor John Jones.

On being put to the vote, the Motion was carried unanimously.

Councillor John Jones, Prenter and Robinson were nominated for the T&F group.

RESOLVED:             a. To approve undertaking a public consultation on CCTV in taxi and

private hire vehicles as detailed in Appendix A, and;

b. To approve an amendment to the Council’s policy on driver medicals as laid out in paragraph 3.8 of this report, and;

c. To approve setting up a task and finish group to consider a draft vehicle emissions and consider a request for a fare increase for taxi vehicles.

To seek authority from Committee to conduct a review, consult and develop SDC owned play areas across the district.

The Health and Wellbeing Officer provided an overview of the report and advised Committee that Stroud District Council (SDC) managed 21 play areas, 2 multi-use game areas including 10 play areas in the General Fund. Stratford Park Leisure Centre was not included as part of the Play Area Review Action Plan but would be included in the feasibility study as part of the Leisure Review. The aim of the review was to encourage play and community cohesion by being well designed, located near other community facilities/pedestrian and cycling networks and to be well regarded to allow communities to have value and ownership of the play areas. Page 16 of the action plan (appendix E) outlined the four stages being undertaken during the review.

The Health and Wellbeing Officer responded to Members questions with the following answers:

·         The initial bid for funding was for SDC owned play areas and therefore all investment would be going to SDC areas only.

·         To add ‘sustainable’ into the vision was possible as the report was a draft.

·         As part of stage 2, SDC Youth Council and youth forums in addition to youth clubs and groups would be included in the consultation to encourage youth participation.

·         Parish and Town Councils and community and voluntary groups would be signposted to local funding opportunities for play areas they own that will not be included as part of this SDC play area review.

·         The Health and Wellbeing Officer would advise Councillor Edmunds where the 2 multi-use game areas were located outside of Committee.

Proposed by Councillor Aldam and seconded by Councillor Prenter.

On being put to the vote, the Motion was passed unanimously.

RESOLVED:             1.To approve the Play Area Consultation and

Development Action Plan.

2. Delegate authority to the Strategic Director of
Communities in consultation with the Chair of Community Services and Licensing to explore the play options and make recommendations back to this committee on investment and future management options.

There was no report for Committee and therefore no questions.

The Member report had been circulated prior to Committee. There were no further questions.

The Member report had been circulated prior to Committee. There were no further questions.

Councillor Tucker commented that under the ‘other main topics’, the second sentence that referenced ‘the 12 Police’ was not complete and appeared to be missing.

The Member report had been circulated prior to Committee. There were no further questions.

The Member report had been circulated prior to Committee. There were no further questions.

The Chair, Councillor Brine, asked members if they understood the new format. Councillor Aldam confirmed she was interested in supporting Councillor Job and Prenter in Performance Monitoring if the timings of meetings had scope to facilitate her attendance.

Councillor Robinson advised Committee that the Trustee’s at Woodchester Park Mansion would welcome a visit from as many Councillors interested in attending and to host a future Community Services and Licensing Committee.

Councillor Aldam advised Committee that the charity was set up to promote and support all different types of artistic activities throughout the Stroud District since 1946. To celebrate the charities 75th anniversary, the charity held a world-class series concert in 2021-22 in addition to the arts exhibition across the Stroud Subscription Rooms, Lansdown Hall and St Lawrence Church in which 1,300 attended.

The aims and objectives of the charity were to encourage and promote participation through live events and workshops, inspire and encourage home grown talent through grants and sponsorships and introduce children and young people to the arts through free entry to under 18s.

In October 2022 a 5-day festival was being held which would include an Opera from Hewletts Opera, a classical music concert, visual artistic exhibition, theatre performance, silent film screening, concert for young children with live music and illustrations, sponsoring a large scale local education project on a theme of connections about the sounds of machinery mills/trains/canals and a potential Special Education Needs event.

The Member report had been circulated prior to Committee. There were no further questions.

The Member report had been circulated prior to Committee. There were no further questions.

The Member report had been circulated prior to Committee. There were no further questions.

The Member report had been circulated prior to Committee. There were no further questions.

The Member report had been circulated prior to Committee. There were no further questions.

Councillor John Jones enquired what the LATC abbreviation was. The Chair, Councillor Brine advised it stood for Local Authority Trading Company.

The Chair, Councillor Brine informed Committee that he would bring Community Grant information sheet ahead of the other Member Reports.  

Councillor Hoskin advised she was pleased to see Cashes Green Community Centre in the successful column and thanked the Community Health and Wellbeing Manager for the approach taken with the Community Grants.

The Chair, Councillor Brine advised Committee that those organisations who were unsuccessful were being provided support in being able to locate other funding and supporting them in applying for future bids.

The Member report had been circulated prior to Committee. There were no further questions.

See Agenda Item 4 for deadlines for submission.

There were none.