Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from:

• Councillor Dr Brian Mathew MP, who was substituted by Councillor Stewart Palmen
• Councillor Charles McGrath

It was further noted that Councillor Derek Walters would be joining the meeting remotely.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Environment Select Committee meetings held on 20 March 2024 and 4 June 2024.

The minutes of the previous meetings held on 20 March and 4 June 2024 were considered. Following which, it was:

Resolved:

The Committee approved and signed the minutes of the previous meetings held on 20 March and 4 June 2024 as a true and correct record.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

The Chairman drew attention to the document attached to the Agenda Pack titled “Procedural Document” which listed a number of standard scrutiny questions that could be applied to almost any topic that a Scrutiny Committee may encounter. As such, the Chairman encouraged Members to make use of the document and explained that it would be included for Members’ reference in all future Environment Select Committee agendas.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3 speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item. Please contact the officer named on the front of the agenda for any further clarification.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public or members of the Council received in accordance with the constitution.

Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named on the front of this agenda no later than 5pm on Thursday 11 July 2024 in order to be guaranteed of a written response. In order to receive a verbal response, questions must be submitted no later than 5pm on Monday 15 July 2024. Please contact the officer named on the front of this agenda for further advice. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Committee members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

The Chairman announced that a statement had been submitted by Mr Tony Blighe regarding Agenda Item 7, Leisure Strategy and the Warminster Project, and invited Mr Blighe to present his statement to the Committee.

Wiltshire Council has not previously developed a Council Cultural Strategy since its formation in 2009.

The Wiltshire Cultural Strategy 2024-2030 supports the delivery of key priorities set out in Wiltshire Council’s 2022-32 Business Plan. It seeks to provide a better connected, stronger creative and cultural sector and a more vibrant and diverse cultural offer, delivered through collaboration with strategic partners, the cultural and creative sector, and communities.

David Redfern, Director – Leisure, Culture, and Communities, delivered a presentation on the Wiltshire Cultural Strategy 2024 – 2030, alongside Tamzin Earley, Arts and Funding Manager, and Paul Pritchard, Service Manager – Development.

It was explained that Wiltshire Council had not previously developed a Council Cultural Strategy since its formation in 2009. As such, the Council had commissioned the development of a strategy with financial support from the Arts Council England. Officers were keen to develop a strategy that served the entire county and worked as an enabling tool that supported the delivery of arts and culture and yielded the wider benefits of related activities, such as enhancing the county’s natural heritage and landscape, improving the mental health and wellbeing of residents, and creating resilient and vibrant communities.

A set of presentation slides were delivered which detailed the background to the strategy, why the strategy was necessary, the progress made to date, the strategy’s visions, principles, and main themes, and next steps. Members were informed that officers had initially identified 5 key themes, however through stakeholder conversations and the engagement process, this had increased to 7 key themes which were: Identity; Health and Wellbeing; Community; Economy; Tourism; Communicate; and Connect.

Finally, it was noted that the next steps included corporate endorsement and continued conversations with designers to ensure that the strategy was delivered efficiently. Furthermore, the Cultural Partnership was highlighted as being the delivery mechanism for the strategy, therefore officers emphasised the importance of widening local partnerships and the development of the Council’s Cultural Forum in which key officers from across the Council would work in tandem to help shape the strategy. Members were informed that officers were looking to launch the strategy in Autumn 2024 at the first Cultural Assembly.

During the discussion, points included:

• Members queried what additional Council resources would be needed to deliver the strategy and where would they come from, to which officers acknowledged the limited capacity available which was why the mechanisms put in place as part of the strategy were focussed on bringing stakeholders together in order to share the delivery of the strategy.
• Members recognised the value in creating, supporting, and bringing together groups of people, however the limited financial means denoted to the strategy was highlighted. As such, Members raised concerns as to the strategy’s success without adequate funding and sought further clarity on if future investments could be obtained or if additional officer provision could be deployed to support different stakeholders in administrative tasks or coordination of events. In response, officers again recognised the financial limitations, but noted that as part of the strategy’s next steps, at least one more full-time equivalent role would be recruited to assist with delivery, and that officers had worked hard over the past couple of years in engaging with arts partners and identifying where the Council could help and support those partners. Furthermore, officers believed that raising the profile of the strategy would help in driving it forward, therefore Members were encouraged to promote  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.

To receive a report regarding the Leisure Services Review including Warminster, as resolved at the Environment Select Committee meeting on 4 June 2024.

Councillor Ian Blair-Pilling, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Communities, Leisure, and Libraries, introduced the report alongside David Redfern, Director – Leisure, Culture, and Communities.

The background to the report was explained as per the Executive Summary and Paragraphs 2 to 7 of the report, and Members were reminded that the additional investments into the leisure service were intended as a means to modernise Wiltshire’s leisure centres to maximise income and support public health objectives. It was noted that within the leisure service, Wiltshire were bucking the national trend with both its financial position and the maintenance of service delivery which officers noted could only be continued by making well informed decisions based on the Business Plan and sound evidence. As such, officers were continuing to strive for the right balance between sustainability gains, cost effectiveness, and benefits to wider public health.

Members were given an insight into the multi-levelled decision-making process that was followed in respect of pipeline projects and the subsequent framework that supported David Redfern as the Director for Leisure, Culture, and Communities and decision-making authority. A series of slides were then presented which detailed the importance of fitness memberships through income, and the proportion of income related to squash specifically, the latent demand for the sites across Wiltshire, and which sites could benefit from further investment opportunities. Members were then shown the public squash court availability in comparison to a selection of other Local Authorities, public squash court usage in Wiltshire from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, and quotes from Sports England “Active Live Surveys” 2023 and 2024 in respect of squash.

Finally, Members were shown the assessment findings for investment options to improve sustainability and increase participation with regard to Warminster Sports Centre, and then the usage of the sports centre itself.

During the discussion, points included:

• The distance between Warminster and the next closest squash courts in Westbury, and the transport links between the two was raised when considering those members of the public who couldn’t drive. In response, it was noted that officers needed to focus on what was financially viable to the Council and what would have the biggest impact for the future.
• Members from Warminster Area Board attended the meeting and expressed their support for the decision and the subsequent improvements that were planned for the Warminster Sports Centre.
• Members thanked officers for their hard work, clear and thorough presentation, and the quick turnaround on the report.

Following which, it was:

Resolved:

The Committee:

1)    Noted the Strategy for Leisure, alongside the framework for decision making.

2)    Noted the response from the Director of Leisure, Culture, and Communities on the public statement made at the 4 June 2024 meeting of the Committee around the specific project in Warminster.

3)    Thanked the Cabinet Member and officers for their comprehensive report.

To receive the final report of the Speed Limit Assessments Task Group.

Councillor Jonathon Seed, Chairman of the Speed Limit Assessments Task Group, introduced the report alongside Councillor Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene, and Flooding, and Dave Thomas, Head of Highways Asset Management and Commissioning.

Members were reminded of the aims and background to the creation of the Task Group as per Paragraphs 2 to 4 of the report. Members were then informed that the Task Group were proposing 7 recommendations, all which were unanimously supported by all Members that had attended the last 2 meetings of the Task Group, and which were intended to help explain the policy and process, standardise the process, capture and use all of the relevant evidence, publish the data with recommendations, and create an open, evidence-based appeals process for challenging speed assessment outcomes.

The different areas that the Task Group considered were briefly detailed as per the report such as speed data, road environment, and speed limit assessment reports, and it was emphasised that one of the main issues identified had been the disparity between how the Speed Data Guidance issued by the Department for Transport was being interpreted and applied by different Local Authorities across the Country.

Finally, the Members and officers who had supported the Task Group were thanked for their time, expertise, and hard work.

During the discussion, points included:

• Road safety concerns around Wiltshire in general, and how the National Speed Limit was not appropriate on a number of Wiltshire’s more rural roads was raised. It was also suggested that the Task Group could have looked at alternative methodologies of setting speed limits, component elements of speed management, and more modern vehicle engineering and designs. In response, it was emphasised that the Task Group’s Terms of Reference did not invite Members to consider a wider review of speed limits in Wiltshire or further examinations of road safety which were more within the remit of Central Government policy.
• It was noted that there were specific roads within the network that were the subject of recurring requests for speed limit assessments, and it was therefore queried whether the Council could create a map which showed over time those roads that had already been assessed and a record of those speed limit assessment outcomes.
• Finally, Members commended the report and the hard work undertaken by the Task Group.

Following which, it was:

Resolved:

The Committee:

1)    Endorsed the report of the Task Group and referred it to the Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene, and Flooding for a response at the next meeting of the Committee on 3 September 2024.

2)    Requested an additional recommendation so that completed Speed Assessments were mapped/collated and published.

Councillor Richard Budden requested that his vote against the motion be recorded.

To receive any updates on recent activity for active Task Groups and from Members of the Environment Select Committee who have been appointed as Overview and Scrutiny Representatives on Programme Boards.

Councillor Dr Nick Murry, on behalf of Councillor Graham Wright, Chairman of the Climate Emergency Task Group, presented an update on the Task Group since 4 June 2024.

The recent activities of the Task Group were detailed, namely:

• A meeting on 28 June 2024 in which the Task Group were briefed on the emerging Tree & Woodland Strategy. Members welcomed the strategy but encouraged the Council to implement it as soon as possible and queried how the strategy would be funded, how the entire tree, woodland, and hedgerow programme was being communicated more widely, and how the strategy fitted with the Local Plan, Neighbourhood Plans, and the Council’s use of its own estate.

Following which, it was:

Resolved:

The Committee:

1)    Noted the updated on the Task Group activity provided.

2)    Noted the Climate Emergency Task Group’s draft Forward Work Plan in Appendix 1.

To note and receive updates on the progress of items on the Forward Work Programme.

Under the revised Overview and Scrutiny (OS) arrangements, there is now a single OS work programme controlled by the OS Management Committee, linked to priorities in the Business Plan.

Therefore, it should be noted that whilst any matters added by Members are welcome, they will be referred to the OS Management Committee for approval before formal inclusion in the Forward Work Programme for the Environment Select Committee.

A copy of the Overview and Scrutiny Forward Work Programme for the Environment Select Committee is attached for reference.

The Committee received the Forward Work Programme for consideration.

Following which, it was:

Resolved:

The Committee approved the Forward Work Programme.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items.

To confirm the date of the next scheduled meeting as 3 September 2024.

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 3 September 2024.