Agenda and minutes

The minutes of meetings held on 30^th November and 7^th December, 2004 were agreed as a correct record.

New Public Library Service Standards

The Cabinet Member, Education, Culture and Leisure Services reported verbally that the recent Comprehensive Performance Assessment score for the Programme Area, which will remain unchanged in part until the next inspection, had increased slightly due to the work in processing SEN statements within eighteen weeks and on tackling truancy.

The minutes of a meeting of the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education held on 25^th November, 2004 were received.

Consideration was given to the sixth Budget Monitoring Report for the Programme Area in 2004/05, with a current forecast to overspend against budget for the financial year by £397k (0.25%).  This position remained unchanged from the previous month.

This relates to budget pressures mainly in Culture and Leisure Services (£330k) and within the Education Services (£67k).

The following budget pressures are under evaluation:-

-                       Education Transport

-                       Human Resources (Schools Traded Service)

-                       Recreation and Sport (Indoor Sports)

The meeting discussed the level of action being pursued in order to recover this position, whilst acknowledging the present situation in terms of the level of budgetary cost applied to the Programme Area in the past year and the closure of pools.

The meeting was informed of a recent visit to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to seek further advice on the way forward.   There would be a report to members in January 2005 on the next stages of the procurement of the new pools.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the forecast outturn for 2004/05 based on actual costs to 30^th November and forecast costs to the end of March 2005 be noted.

(2)  That a report be submitted to a future meeting containing details of the different options for 2005/06.

Consideration was given to a petition containing 728 signatures regarding a request to save Keppel’s Column.

Resolved:- That the Manager, Libraries, Museums and Arts, write to the organiser of the petition to acknowledge receipt, and to inform of the present position in relation to a decision already taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Member, Education, Culture and Leisure Services held on 2^nd November, 2004 (Minute No. 94) to prepare a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the total cost of repair and refurbishment of the column.

(The Chairman authorised consideration of the following item to enable members to be fully informed and for any necessary action to be taken).

The Manager, Libraries, Museums and Arts gave a verbal update on the recent evaluation process following the submission of tenders.

One tender had been received for CliftonPark Museum café and none for the Arts Centre café.

Resolved:-  That a report on proposed options be submitted in January, 2005 when further work has been carried out on points being raised with the Company.