Agenda and minutes

1.1       The Head of Committee and Governance Services to report any changes to the membership.

1.2       To appoint a Chairman for the concurrent meeting.

1.1       The Head of Committee and Governance Services reported the following changes:

            Housing, Finance and Corporate Services Policy and Scrutiny Committee:

            Councillor Peter Cuthbertson and Councillor Jacqui Wilkinson had substituted for Councillors Richard Holloway and Antonia Cox.  Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors Peter Freeman and Vincenzo Rampulla.

            Children, Young People and Customer Services Policy and Scrutiny Committee:

            Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Iain Bott.

1.2       Councillor Brian Connell was elected Chairman of the concurrent meeting.

1.3       The Head of Committee and Governance Services advised that the following papers had been tabled:

            Agenda Item 3 (a) which was an officer response to the proposals submitted by the Queen’s Park Community Council and the Save the Jubilee Sports Centre Campaign.

            Presentation: Copies of the slides used by the Director of Community Services and the Project Manager.

            Report Agenda Item 3 (a) with comments added by the Queens Park Community Council and the Save the Jubilee Sports Centre Campaign.

            Spreadsheetwhich had been originally submitted electronically but not been included in the paper submission from the Queens Park Community Council and the Save the Jubilee Sports Centre Campaign.  The officer response had been based on the electoral submission.

To receive declarations by Members and Officers of the existence and nature of any personal or prejudicial interests in matters on this agenda.

2.1     Councillor Rita Begum declared that she lived in the Queens Park Ward.

2.2     Councillor Ruth Bush declared that she had previously spoken against the proposals and had voted against the proposals at a Planning Applications Committee.

2.3     Councillor Andrew Smith declared that he had sat on the Planning Applications Committee which considered the original application for the site.

Report of the Head of Committee and Governance Services in consultation with the Director of Community Services.

3.1     The Chairman explained that following the call-in he had asked Officers to prepare a presentation setting out the current position with the project to assist Members.  Mr Barker, Director of Community Services, with Alison Davies, Project Manager, gave the presentation and also responded to the alternative proposals which had been submitted on behalf of the Queens Park Community Council and had also been addressed in the report which had been circulated as Agenda Item 3(a).

3.2     Councillor Steve Summers, Cabinet Member for Sports, Leisure and Customer Services addressed the Committees.  He outlined the reasons for the most recent decision which included the need, as part of the Council’s agreed budget, for the project to realise £600k pa of revenue savings.  If these were not met from the project it would be necessary to find these from elsewhere within the Sports and Leisure budget.

3.3     Councillor Tim Mitchell, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services advised that he had supported the financial aspects of the report to enable the project to proceed which included significant capital investment in the new sports facilities in the Queens Park area.

3.4     Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg and Patricia McAllister addressed the meeting explaining why they had called the decision in for review.  They explained that they wanted further information on the financial information and to look in further detail at the proposals submitted by the Queens Park Community Council and the Save the Jubilee Sports Centre.

3.5     Members of the Committees asked questions about various aspects of the project, including the alternative proposals which had been submitted by the Queens Park Community Council (QPCC) and the Save the Jubilee Sports Centre (SJSC).

3.6     These were responded to by representatives of the QPCC/SJSC Group and Council Officers, including on the financial aspects of the City Treasurer.

3.7     Following this detailed question and answer session and at the request of the Chairman, Councillor Steve Summers responded to the issues raised during the meeting.  He confirmed that whilst being pleased that the opportunity had been given to look at the decisions but had found no reason why the decisions under review should be changed or delayed to allow for a further review of the alternative submitted.

3.8     The Chairman then asked each of the Committees to come to a formal decision based on the options available to them as set out in the report.

Housing, Finance and Corporate Services Policy and Scrutiny Committee

Resolved: That the decisions of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services be endorsed.

Councillor Adam Hug asked that his dissent be formally recorded.

Children, Young People and Customer Services Policy and Scrutiny Committee

Resolved: That the decisions of the Cabinet Member for Sports, Leisure and Customer Services be endorsed.

Councillors Rita Begum and Ruth Bush asked that their dissent be formally recorded.

The Chairman, on behalf of both Committees, asked officers continue an open dialogue with the Queens Park Community Council regarding the options and priorities for the management arrangements of the new  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.