Verbal update.
Minutes:
The Panel undertook a verbal question and answer session with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Equalities and Leisure. The following arose from discussion of this item:
a. The Panel sought assurances around the proposed charges for use of tennis courts and questioned the disproportionate impact that this would have on low-income families. In response, the Cabinet Member advised that she had paused the introduction of charges, pending a review of the policy and the pricing levels. It was noted that this applied to the remaining tennis courts that did not already have charges in place.
b. The Panel also sought clarification around the extent to which parks funding would be protected going forwards. In response, the Cabinet Member set out that the Council had a significant budget deficit due to the coronavirus epidemic and that she was not in a position to guarantee that there would be no budget savings made in parks. However, the Cabinet Member advised the Panel that she would be looking to protect frontline services in parks. Officers clarified that proposals in the MTFS on parks were primarily focused on income generation. The three savings proposals put forward for parks were around; increasing property income, income from sports court charging and staffing reductions in the events team (non-front line roles).
c. The Chair enquired about the four oak trees in Queens Wood and sought assurances around what conversations had taken place with the Cabinet Member and both officers and demonstrators on this. The Cabinet Member advised that she had met with the campaigners, who had also met with the homeowners. The current position was that a second report had been commissioned by Axa and the Council was awaiting the findings of this report. The Cabinet Member advised that she had asked officers to find alternatives to felling the trees, which would not cost the Council £300k. The Cabinet Member advised that she had been very clear on this issue and that she did not want to see those trees felled.
d. In response to a follow-up question on whether the Council would pay for under-pinning the tress, the Cabinet Member commented that she would like to see Axa pay for the underpinning given their corporate stance on climate change and desire to be seen as a green/sustainable company.
e. The Panel sought assurances around the impact of the new lockdown restrictions on parks and what contingencies were in place. In response, the Panel were advised that it was not anticipated that there would be the same impact as in the summer, because of the weather and parks being less busy during the winter months. However, it was acknowledged that there would likely be some increase in parks usage due to the imposition of a new lockdown.
f. In regards to the impact of the new restrictions, it was noted that sports facilities would be closed, along with outdoor gyms. Whilst, playgrounds would remain open, along with benches and picnic tables. Cafes would have to operate on a takeaway-only basis. Public toilets would also remain open.
g. In response to a follow-up question, officers advised that there were some exemptions in terms of support groups and volunteering being able to continue under the restrictions. This would include the continuation of school PE lessons.
h. The Panel suggested that the Council had been slow in reopening sports facilities and tennis courts in the wake of the first lockdown and sought clarification as to whether there was a plan in place this time to address it. In response, the Panel was advised that delayed reopening was done deliberately on the advice of public health colleagues, due to an increased risk of young people gathering and transmitting the virus. The high risk facilities were reopened in a supervised way in the run up to the summer holidays. It was felt that there were some equalities considerations from reopening tennis courts before other facilities were opened and a conscious decision was taken to delay this, in line with other sporting facilities.
i. In response, it was suggested that private tennis courts were opened in the west of the borough and that there was an argument that not reopening Council managed courts had the opposite effect intended in terms of equalities. The Cabinet Member commented that the tennis courts at Bruce Castle in the east of the borough were available.
j. Officers advised the Panel that reopening facilities should be done a lot quicker this time, as they did not have miles of temporary fencing to take down.
RESOLVED
Noted.