Agenda item

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.

The Committee received updates on recent activity for the following Task Groups:

i)             The Council’s Playing Pitch Strategy

The Committee received an update from the Cabinet Member for Communities, Communication, Leisure and Libraries about the development and delivery of actions following the adoption of the Wiltshire Playing Pitch Strategy (WPPS) in February 2017.

The report highlighted that the WPPS was endorsed in 2017 by Cabinet following the Environment Select Committee input into the Strategy at their meeting on 13 December 2016.  The Committee agreed to receive annual updates on the development of the Strategy.  In addition, the report indicated that the WPPS supplemented the Local Plan with regard to the protection of open spaces and assuring that appropriate facilities are constructed in the right place. The WPPS works in partnership with developers to guarantee funding for these open spaces.

The Cabinet Member for Communities, Communication, Leisure and Libraries referred to the allocation of developers S106 monies to three key projects detailed in the report. He explained that the Council is working closely with the Wiltshire Football Association about the provision of six 3G pitches, and that two Wiltshire rugby clubs had been identified in the Rugby Football Union National Facilities Strategy to receive financial support for development. He also gave an update on a recent meeting between representatives from Wiltshire Council, South Wilts Grammar School for Girls and Salisbury Athletics and Running Club.  Copy attached to these minutes.

The Committee was informed of the Strategy’s Implementation Group membership, noted their input into the annual report and how the allocation of S106 monies was being replaced by Community Infrastructure Levy monies. In addition, the Committee discussed the differences and potential influences for the funding of different sports, including football and hockey.  It was suggested that Ministry of Defence (MOD) sporting facilities could be made available for community use.  The Cabinet Member confirmed that he was in discussions with the MOD about this matter.      

Resolved:

i)             To note the update about the development and the delivery of actions following the adoption of the Wiltshire Playing Pitch Strategy in February 2017.

ii)            To agree that no further overview and scrutiny engagement, by way of an annual update, is necessary, unless the topic becomes a matter of public interest again. 

ii)            Waste Contracts Task Group

The Committee were reminded that following their Annual Meeting on the ‘Waste Portfolio’ it was agreed that a Waste Contracts Task group be established and this was endorsed by the Committee at its meeting on 21^st November 2017.

The Chair of the Task Group and Senior Scrutiny Officer explained that the first meeting of the Task Group was held on 27^th February 2018 and that the Task Group had decided to present a report to the Committee requesting delegated authority to endorse a particular option of the Waste Service’s Marketing Plan, as tight timescales may not allow the Task Group to report their findings to the Committee prior to the sign off of the Marketing Plan.

The Chair referred to the public statement at Minute 18 above, relating to the Waste Strategy Task Group and their desire to present evidence to the Task Group.  He explained the role of the Task Group, how they operated and the preparation of recommendations for consideration by the Environment Select Committee. He further indicated that the public were invited to lobby the Cabinet Member and Portfolio Holder and that the public views would then be considered as appropriate by the Task Group.

Resolved:

i)        To support the Waste Contracts Task Group receiving the requested additional information around pricing, before giving their support to a particular option identified within the Waste Service’s Communications Strategy;

ii)      To endorse the Waste Contracts Task Group’s approach that, in order to help protect the environment, it is imperative that communications about changes to waste services collection be as effective as possible.