Agenda and minutes

The Panel to be notified of any substitute members.

The Panel were notified that Councillor Exton would be substituting for Councillor Pease until the next annual meeting of the Council.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Brailsford, Fisher, Helyar and Hurst.

Members are asked to declare interests in items for consideration at the meeting.

None declared.

The notes of the meeting held on 7^th November 2006 are attached for information.

(Enclosure)

Noted.

                                                                                                               (Enclosure)

The Cabinet’s response to recommendations made by the DSP regarding Cultural Services was circulated with the agenda and noted.

The DSP had made recommendations about investment for pool air handling units and the water filtration system at the Deepings Leisure Centre. This had been supported by the Budget Working Group on 15^th December, who recommended that it should be funded through the capital assets maintenance budget. The Healthy Environment Portfolio Holder stated that the re-tiling or re-cladding of the floors and walls in the men and women’s wet change areas was a priority.

Following a recommendation made on Tuesday 7^th November 2006, the Scrutiny Officer had asked the County Council for costing information on repair work to potholes on Gorse Lane, Grantham. Minor potholes and small off-programme works were dealt with by a routine pothole patrol. There were no individual orders for the Gorse Lane area, however an order would be needed for drainage works at the bend at the west end of the houses. This would be to construct a large soakaway to help remove standing water at the bend.

The Lincolnshire Lab carried out the traffic count on Gorse Lane during the week commencing 22^nd November 2006. High winds during the week led to anomalous results. Units were reinstalled at the beginning of January and information on the results would be forwarded to the Healthy Environment DSP by the County Council.

The DSP will consider the provision of acute services in Lincolnshire. Dr. Martin McShane from the Lincolnshire NHS Primary Care Trust will attend the meeting.

Dr. Martin McShane from the Lincolnshire NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT) attended the meeting of the Panel. Dr. McShane gave a brief presentation on the way the population had changed and how the health service needed to respond. He summarised the aims of the PCT and the values against which services would be measured. The consultation process was explained and timescales.

Discussion ensued and Panel members were given the opportunity to ask questions of Dr. McShane, the following points were considered:

• The similar role of the PCT and local authorities in Lincolnshire. Both were responsible for the delivery of services to a wide range of people in a large, sparsely populated area.
• The suspension of operating lists.
• The commissioning of services and completion of quotas.
• Consultation methods and their appropriateness.
• Historic cynicism towards the PCT in Lincolnshire.
• Transport and access to services.
• Community Ventures.
• Insufficient medical resources in Grantham.
• Unwillingess of people to accept change.
• Cleanliness, efficiency and waste.
• Co-payment in hospitals for hotel services.
• Streamlining of the ambulance service and the introduction of an additional air ambulance.
• Missed appointments.
• The ability to book appointments with GPs more than a week in advance.
• The impact of the closure of maternity units in Grantham and Stamford.
• Provision of Services at as local a level as possible.
• Purchase of drugs
• The payment of GPs.

The Chairman thanked Dr. McShane for attending the meeting and for the presentation he had given.

Mandy Renton from the Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will attend the meeting to provide an update report.

This item was deferred until the next meeting of the DSP on Tuesday 13^th March 2007.

The Manager of the Meres Leisure Centre will attend the meeting to update the Panel on the operation of the leisure centre.

Mr. Haley, the Meres Leisure Centre Manager gave a brief summary of his first twelve weeks in post. Around 40,000 people used leisure centre facilities. Personnel were being trained. Work on the building fabric was needed and would demonstrate Leisure Connection’s commitment to SKDC.

It was suggested that to prevent the unauthorised use of sports facilities at the stadium, local people could be given the opportunity to use them free of charge for one night a week. It was also suggested that somebody should be on site for all events.

The District Council’s Service Manager, Cultural Services will discuss developments with the Panel.

The Service Manager, Cultural Services gave a presentation on developments and new initiatives within the field. Areas of development included:

·        Lincolnshire Arts Forum funding for Lincolnshire One

·        Funding for the Youth Arts Network which would pay for a part-time co-ordinator based in South Kesteven for 18 months.

·        A Big Lottery Fund application to support the rural cinema network.

·        The commissioning of a feasibility study: Grantham to Skegness Community Rail Partnership and the Arts.

Arts Training Central offering training support for artists (including local authority arts officers and cultural organisations) within Lincolnshire.

The creative industries sector had grown by 10% over the past five years and is responsible for at least 2.5% of the country’s Gross Value Added, a higher percentage than car manufacturing. Active research would be undertaken for the creative industries to become a higher priority within economic development and regeneration policies.

The Arts Council for England were seeking to embed the arts at the strategic centre of local authorities. Roll-out in the East Midlands would be from February 2007 and South Kesteven were one of five pilot authorities.

Priorities within Cultural Services at SKDC were developing the service, producing performance indicators and working with other services to promote the cross-cutting themes of the Council, which would require support from management and politicians.

Members of the Panel discussed the presentation. Members recommended that a presentation similar to the one they had received should be made at a full meeting of the Council after the new Council had been elected.

CONCLUSION:

That the Service Manager, Cultural Services, should be invited to a full Council meeting to give a presentation on the role and importance of Cultural Services following the election of the new Council in May 2007.

A meeting of the Climate Change Working Group had been held on Thursday 11^th January 2007. The Vice-Chairman of the Panel reported that a second working group had been set up by the Chief Executive, which ran parallel to the Member working group. Members of staff present at the meeting were receiving conflicting messages from elected members and the Chief Executive.

Members of the DSP agreed that the Chief Executive should be asked to provide an explanation for creating the second working group after he had requested that a working group be appointed by the DSP. Panel members emphasised that the working group should be Member-led but stated that the Chief Executive would be welcome to attend to present any recommendations.

CONCLUSION:

That the Chief Executive should be asked for an explanation for the creation of the second working group and why it was asking officers for information.

                                                                                                            (Enclosure)

Noted.

                                                                                                            (Enclosure)

The Forward Plan was published on 16^th January 2007. Some amendments had been made. The date for the delivery of leisure services had been put back from January to May. Members of the DSP requested that this included on the agenda for their meeting on 10^th April 2007. The adoption of designated areas for the restriction the consumption of alcohol in public places had been deferred until April 2007. The Council’s Strategy for Street Scene had been added. This was scheduled to be considered at the meeting of the Cabinet on 5^th February 2007.

CONCLUSION:

That the delivery of Leisure Services should be considered at the meeting of the Panel to be held on 10^th April 2007.

Noted.

The meeting was closed at 17:00.