Agenda and minutes

Councillors are reminded of the need to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests that relate to business on the agenda and which have not already been included in the register of interests, before any discussion takes place on the item. Unless the interest is sensitive, you must also disclose the nature of the interest. In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, you must then leave the room and must not participate in any further discussion of the item.  Councillors requiring clarification should seek the advice of the Monitoring Officer prior to the day of the meeting.

No declarations of disclosable interest were made.

To consider the report of the Director, Communities Health Wellbeing Sport and Leisure.

The Portfolio Holder, Leisure & Physical Activity Leisure introduced the report which described the public consultation on the draft strategy and proposed minor changes to the original proposals, following feedback which included comments on accessibility, active and sustainable travel as well as prioritising the Canal and Quay assets for physical activity.  The Portfolio Holder recommended that the revised Exeter Live Better and Move More Physical Activity Strategy be adopted.

It was acknowledged that Exeter had a relatively young and affluent population which tended to be more active, however some areas of Exeter were also amongst the most deprived in the country.  This Strategy would help to drive forward the ambition for everyone to benefit from an active lifestyle. The feedback from the draft proposals were overwhelmingly positive with 94% respondents to the survey, in support of the overall vision approach.  The consultation had attracted 1,650 responses from individuals and organisations and included online and face to face survey reports, written responses and face to face conversations with residents.  It was noted that in paragraph 8.2 of the report, that the dates of the public consultation were undertaken between 25 March and 10 May 2019, and the consultation contact email address should be noted as active@exeter.gov.uk

The Strategy offered a once in a generation opportunity, and the involvement of the Sport England Pilot would make a sustained difference to ensure that physical activity was a part of everyone’s daily lives. It would also provide the overall direction for increasing physical activity in Exeter and covered three important areas:-

·    Tackling congestion and accessibility

·    Promoting active and health lifestyles and

·    Building great neighbourhoods

The Portfolio Holder Leisure & Physical Activity responded to Members’ queries:-

·    the Strategy was informed by the work of Sport England, but was a Council Strategy to encourage people to become more active.

·    the Strategy was part of a high level aspiration, which, although not exhaustive, included the Sport England pilot, consideration of the leisure facilities in the city, the open environment such as parks, pitches, the Canal and Quayside, and also ways to reduce congestion in the city.

The Director Communities, Health Wellbeing Sport and Leisure responded to Members’ questions as follows:-

·    building any physical activity into daily life to improve health and wellbeing was important and a Member’s comment that working on an allotment or in the garden is a good example of this.

·    although the Strategy did not explicitly reference disability, ensuring appropriate accessibility and promoting active participation applies to both able bodied and those with disabilities and does not discriminate on that basis.  The intention was to focus on the areas of greatest need and address those who had the most challenges, which may include those with disabilities and other protected characteristics.

The Director confirmed that funding from the Sport England Delivery Pilot would expand the number of community builders and introduce new physical activity roles into Wellbeing Exeter. Wellbeing Exeter was currently funded by the City Council, Devon County Council and the Devon Clinical Commissioning Group and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

To consider the report of the Director Communities Health Wellbeing Sport and Leisure.

The Portfolio Holder for Leisure & Physical Activity and Portfolio Holder Environment & City Management presented the report, which described the public consultation on the draft report, proposed changes to the original proposals following feedback and recommended the adoption of the revised Strategy, as well as setting out the next steps for delivery of the strategies proposed within the report.

The Portfolio Holder Leisure & Physical Activity referred to the Built Sports and Leisure Facilities Priority Actions in relation to the following:-

·      St Sidwells Point Leisure facilities as a replacement for the Pyramids.

·      the commitment for the upgrade and reopening of the swimming pool and spa at the Riverside Leisure Centre in 2020.

·      closure of the pitch and putt provision at Northbrook Approach golf course.

·      prioritisation of plans for a new and improved swimming pool to replace the Northbrook Pool.

·      an outline business case for an enhanced facility mix at the Exeter Arena site to create a community sports village to benefit the whole city.

·      a strategic cycling hub in partnership British Cycling, national stakeholders and local clubs

·      working with local residents, community groups, Sport England and other stakeholders to co-design a blue print and outline business case for a flagship Community Health and Wellbeing Centre to replace the Wonford Sports and Community Centres.

·      continuing to work with the Exeter ski club to identify potential alternative sites for their relocation from the Clifton Hill site.

·      continuing to provide engagement opportunities for residents, communities and stakeholders to input into future built facility development plans.

The Portfolio Holder Environment & City Management stated that the Strategy had identified the need for certain kinds of pitches and particularly facilities that could be used year round. He referred to the five Priority Actions set out in the Strategy in relation to the following:-

·    working with the local community.

·    undertaking an audit of the city’s green space.

·    mapping and developing the linkage to parks and green space with the cycle and footpaths.

·    improve the walking and cycling infrastructure.

·    providing support for grass roots community groups wishing  to take on more responsibility to manage and maintain parks and green spaces.

The Portfolio Holder Environment & City Management confirmed that the concept of destination play parks would be reconsidered along with the need for greater inclusivity and the reality of ongoing maintenance.  A Task Group would be set up to design a strategic framework and high level priorities for the future development of play areas across the city

The Portfolio Holder Leisure & Physical Activity responded to Members’ questions as follows: - 

·  the usage at Northbrook Approach Golf Course had halved since 2010, with only less than 1% of residents using the facilities during the three month open season. There were no plans for the City Council to continue to offer golf as there was existing provision in the city.

·  94% of respondents to the survey had agreed with the strategic approach of a number of sustainable centres in strategic locations in the city with suitable public transport links as well as the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

To consider the report of the Growth and Commercialisation Manager.

The BID Manager presented a report which set out the process and proposals for a second term of the InExeter Business Improvement District (BID), and as the Council will be eligible as a rate payer on its own property, recommended that the City Council should cast a yes vote in October 2019 to show support for the setting up the BID for the next five years.  A copy of the INExeter BID Business Plan was circulated with the report.

The Portfolio Holder Environment & City Management set out the proposals for a second term as well as a five year Business Plan. During the summer the City Council would work on a contingency plan should the BID vote not be successful in October 2019.  He welcomed the focus to support business with the city centre to ensure a strong and vibrant economy and further develop making InExeter as the first point of contact and as a conduit for the operations of the city.  He referred to the BID levy rules which had been amended from the next BID term as well as an extension of the BID area to include parts of Sidwell Street, Longbrook Street, New North Road, Fore Street, Bartholomew and West Street, Queen Street, Fairpark Road and Magdalen Road at the request of the businesses located there, which were detailed in an appendix to the report.  He referred to the success of the BID which now had 700 businesses, which generated over £500,000 annually to deliver the Business Plan. It was also proposed that the BID levy would change from 1% to 1.25% with businesses being levied from the current rateable value list. He had been nominated to represent the City Council on the BID Board with the support from the Growth and Development Manager as a non-voting attendee. 

The BID Manager made a short presentation and thanked the Portfolio Holder and the Council for their commitment to the BID Board over the last five years. She referred to the work of the volunteer Board of Directors and referred to her position as a Council member of the BID Foundation and was pleased that Exeter’s BID had the opportunity to connect with other towns and cities to share best practice.

A full description of the projects completed by the current Business Plan was attached as an appendix to the report, but some of the key improvements and projects over the last five years included:-

·         the provision of city centre management.

·         better connected business community with regular meetings, communication and networking.

·         an enhanced and reactive cleansing service,

·         the Christmas campaign, lights and events  and other seasonal city dressing as well as additional artwork in Queen Street, all to add colour and interest to the city.

·         upgrade of the directional fingerposts. 

·         the launch of the Independent Gift Card with 73 businesses represented and

·         the reinstatement of a large retailer group to link to the city’s key campaigns.

The Bid Manager had coordinated an engagement process for the BID with all  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

RESOLVED that, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of item 9 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Act.

RESOLVED that, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Act.

To consider the report of the Director, Place and Service Manager – Recycling, Waste and Fleet.

The Portfolio Holder Environment and City Management presented the report which asked Members to endorse investment in the City Council's Materials Reclamation Facility (MRF) with an enhancement of the current kerbside recycling service and introduction of the collection of glass and food waste. The business case outlined a number of options with the aim of improving the financial and environmental outcomes of the MRF, as well as meeting the expectations of residents and future Government requirements in respect of recycling. A number of options were presented with Option 4, identified as offering the best technical solution to address this.

The Service Manager – Recycling, Waste and Fleet referred to the opportunities to increase capacity, maintain the reliability of the service, as well as develop other marketing opportunities to increase revenue. He outlined the detail of what the service would look like to the public with a more immediate capture and sorting of the recycled waste at the kerbside. A further report would be presented to Members at the September meeting of Place Scrutiny Committee and include a detailed cost analysis of the proposal. 

He provided the following responses to Members:-

·         the lifespan of the various recycling and vehicles was advised.

·         food waste would be sent to an anaerobic digestion facility in Devon and the by-products would be a compost-like materials and the gas produced in the digestion process generating electricity which could be stored and fed back national grid network.

·         information on recycling would be largely pictorial to ensure the information was accessible to all.

·         alternative arrangements would be made to ensure that those residents who required assisted waste collection and, on a trial basis, trolleys to move the boxes.

The Deputy Leader Portfolio Holder Climate & Culture also thanked the MRF Manager and his team for their efforts to effectively recycle the waste, and was reassured that in particular Exeter’s plastic recycling was being properly dealt with.
 

Members of Place Scrutiny Committee supported the proposals and requested the Executive note and support the following:-

(1)     findings of the report (Appendix 1 – Update to the Business Case Investigation of Options for Collection of Household Food Waste);

(2)     support Option 4 (weekly kerbside-sort recycling collection, incorporating glass and food waste collection, with three weekly rubbish collection), and consider a detailed analysis of the cost, health & safety and organisational change implications in the next committee cycle; and

(3)     the investment in appropriate material sorting technology to implement Option 4 and maximise commercial recycling opportunities,  and consider a detailed cost analysis in the next committee cycle.