Issue - meetings

The Director of Tourism, Culture and Investment and the Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services will provide an overview of the Heritage, Culture, Leisure and Sport portfolio.  The Commission is recommended to note the overview and use the information to inform the Commission’s work for the coming municipal year.

The Director of Tourism, Culture and Investment, the Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services and the Head of Sports gave a presentation providing an overview of the Heritage, Culture, Leisure and Sport portfolio.  A copy of this is attached at the end of these minutes for information.

Particular attention was drawn to the following points:

·           It was hoped that the planning application for the new walk way at the Jewry Wall Museum would be submitted soon;

·           De Montfort Hall was considered to be key in plans to increase income;

·           Increasing income would be preferable to reducing costs across the portfolio;

·           The Council would work with the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership to support investment in new and existing cultural and creative organisations and businesses, (for example, the Haymarket);

·           Sports services were now part of the Public Health service area, in recognition of their importance in encouraging people to adopt active lifestyles;

·           Sport development, was very important, as currently people did not engage well with organised or built provision in the city;

·           Green Flag awards for parks showed that those parks were accessible, clean and well maintained.  The challenge for the Council was to continue its good record in this;

·           Work was being done to extend Saffron Hill Cemetery and this was something that the Commission could consider scrutinising during the coming year; and

·           Some defibrillators already had been placed in parks, in locations identified by the East Midlands Ambulance Service as being the areas of potential highest demand.  It was hoped that this scheme could be extended so that 30 defibrillators had been provided at various sites by 2020.

Members noted that they previously had been advised that Evington Leisure Centre was to be extended and asked when this was scheduled to be done.  In reply, the Head of Sports noted that opportunities for investment would be discussed under minute number 12 below, (“Sports Centres and Sports Participation Update”). 

Some concern was expressed that a significant amount of work remained to be done for the 2013 Sports Engagement Strategy.  For example, older people with dementia could benefit greatly from remaining active, which also would help those caring for them, and there were limited opportunities for older people on older outer city estates to participate in sport or other activities.

Members suggested that some of the external defibrillators that it was proposed to provide could be put at local football development sites, as these sites could be used by 2,000 players each week.  Councillor Clair, Assistant City Mayor with responsibility for Culture, Leisure and Sport, explained that an undertaking to do this could not be given at this stage, but that it would be discussed with officers.

Members stressed the need to strongly encourage young people to participate in sport.  For example, the Council’s role in football provision was limited, sometimes to just cutting pitches, so the local Football Association needed to be challenged to ensure that local provision matched local need and that the demographics of the city were represented  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11