Agenda item

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 through those playing.

In reply to a question, the Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services advised that the skate park at Victoria Park could be refurbished as part of the improvements being made to facilities at the park.  At present, there was no planned investment in other city skate park facilities.

Concern also was raised that the potential of Abbey Park as a venue or place of historical importance had not been fully realised, with the history of the site being promoted and recorded in ways that made it more tangible.  This was particularly important given its proximity to the King Richard III Visitor Centre.

In response to queries by Members, officers advised the Commission that:

o    The collection of trades union banners held by the Museums service would be located and consideration given to how these could be displayed;

o    That a programme of care for the city’s 20,000 highway trees was in place, providing an effective maintenance programme for them;

o    The Council would be making capital investment to bring the Haymarket back in to use, but the lease of the building would be taken on by a consortium, which would operate the facility as a commercial enterprise.  The Council currently was working with the consortium to develop its business plan; and

o    In response to a request that the site of the former Open Air School in Western Park be used for parks and recreational opportunities, Councillor Clair advised that he currently did not have information on the prosed use, but the Commission could be kept advised of plans for the site.

AGREED:

1)    That the Director of Tourism, Culture and Investment be asked to keep the Commission advised of progress with the creation of the new walk way at the Jewry Wall Museum;

2)    That the Head of Sport and the Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services be asked to liaise with Members to consider whether any of the proposed external defibrillators can be placed at football sites;

3)    That the Assistant City Mayor with responsibility for Energy and Sustainability be asked to keep the Commission advised of plans for the site of the former Open Air School; and

4)    That the Director of Tourism, Culture and Investment be asked to locate the Museum service’s collection of trades union banners and consider how these can be displayed.