Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Mrs. M. Smith (Early Years Development & Child Care Partnership), Mr. T. Belmega (Learning & Skills Council), and Councillors Hodgkiss, Kaye, Pickering and Swindell.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no questions from the press and public.

Sean Rourke, Festival Director, Rotherham Arts Festival gave a presentation on arrangements for the planning of this major cultural event in Yorkshire.

The Festival, which was one of the biggest in the UK, was to take place on the 3^rd September – 3^rd October, 2004.

Plans had involved working in partnership with:

-                      Rotherham Arts

-                      Business of Culture

-                      Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

-                      The local business community

in order to present a dynamic cultural programme showcasing local talent and bringing many international performers to Rotherham for the first time.

The presentation outlined the sponsorship value and opportunities for sponsors to select from various levels of investment to promote company business interests and enhance a socially responsible corporate reputation, the benefits of which can be negotiated to match the needs of individual sponsors which will be confirmed by contract.

The following information was reported on:-

-                      Strategic Objectives

                  -     to celebrate the town and Borough, its people and heritage

-                      Issues Encountered

-                      Key Events Confirmed

            -     Civic Theatre (14^th-17^th September)

            -     Covered Market (4^th & 5^th September)

            -     Nikolai Demidenko (18^th September)

            Commissions

            -     Dinnington Primary School

            -     Dinnington Colliery Band

            -     St. John the Baptist Church, Wales

-                      Projects under Development

            -     Media Launch (1^st September)       

            -     Rother Valley Country Park

            -     Rotherham Historical Murder Mysteries

            -     Rotherham Ghost Walk

            -     Open Day at Magna

            -     Performances at Local Libraries (Saturdays)

            -     Street Entertainment (4^th and 18^th September)

            -     Awaiting confirmation of Rotherham Arts Events

            -     World Food Fair

            -     Satellite Events (Wath, Dinnington and Maltby)

-                      Festival Needs

            -     Message and aspirations

            -     essential vehicle to build civic pride

            -     a major calendar event – complements strategic local                                        regeneration

            -     tremendous potential for the future

The meeting discussed the following issues:-

-                      areas not included in satellite work

            It was explained that the work would percolate to the entire Borough           from this year’s events but that specific areas, as discussed, would   be        included.

-                      not to eliminate areas of the Borough which do not have Libraries

            The event is an umbrella for local groups to be included and            promoted.  Two way process, everyone encouraged to get in touch    and encourage people to participate.

-                      Community Arts Service – supporting the Festival and linking with all such initiatives within the Borough.  Full use being made of the new Space for Sports and Arts facilities in Thurcroft by Dinnington Colliery Band. 

-                      Need to involve the Youth Brass Band through the Schools Music Service.

      -           Need for all children with artistic talents to be involved, including                 those from ethnic minority backgrounds

Sean Rourke, Festival Director, could be contacted by email on sean@businessofculture.com.

Resolved:-  That Sean Rourke be thanked for an interesting and informative presentation.

Consideration was given to a report of the Acting Executive Director on the performance against budget for the Education, Culture and Leisure Services Programme Area for the period – April to March, 2004.

In the financial year 2003/04 a number of issues have been identified which result in a reported overspend of £139,309 against the Programme Area’s budget.  The overspend consists of £15,064 for Education Services and £124,245 for Culture and Leisure Services.  Accounts for the year are presently open, and there may be some changes as a result of the close-down exercise.

Appendices 1 and 2 provide details of the actual spend on the Education Services and Culture Leisure and Lifelong Learning areas of the Programme Area.  Action was taken to address the identified budget pressures and consequently the overspend position has been minimised.

The meeting raised the following questions which it was believed to be impacting on the Programme Area budget:-

-                      would there be a carry forward of deficit as in the previous year?

-                      what was the likely revenue position for this financial year with respect to swimming pools?

-                      was the use of the arts centre meeting room by RBT contributing to the programme area’s income shortfall?

-                      on what basis any profits from RBT would be shared out to programme areas?

The Acting Executive Director explained that The Cabinet had given an indication that the overspend will be carried forward from last year into this year.

In terms of Culture and Leisure Services specifically, it was envisaged that swimming pool closures would make it easier to ensure that expenditure remained within budget.

RBT

Corporate issues around RBT transfers was an uncertain factor and a report was to be presented to Corporate Management Team outlining how it was intended to deal with this as part of the close down process, and in terms of subsequent years.  This budget report reflected approximately £166,000 of additional cost on RBT (Payroll, Human Resources and Procurement).

The biggest financial pressure which the Programme Area had been tasked with absorbing was the ICT issue, and a guarantee that hardware will be refreshed on a regular basis.

It was pointed out that as this was the first year of the RBT initiative, certain issues were as yet unresolved around contractual arrangements, accounting mechanisms and provision of equipment.

Members expressed concern that the budgetary information provided for ongoing scrutiny purposes, in relation to the RBT initiative, is incomplete and suggested that every effort be made to improve this in next year’s budgetary exercise.

Resolved:-   That the report be received and the situation noted.

Pursuant to Minute No. 149 of a meeting of the Lifelong Learning Opportunities Scrutiny Panel held on 22^nd March 2004, consideration was given to a report of the Young People’s Services Manager on the situation at Longdendale since its destruction by fire in September, 2002.

The report explained that plans are currently being prepared by EDS for the new building, in compliance with both the Peak Park Planning Regulations and the Disability Discrimination Act.  As these two factors impact on the type of new build, further agreement will be sought from Corporate Management Team before the rebuild commences.  The aim, given all the necessary permissions, is to have contractors on site in August this year.  If this is achieved the building could be completed and in use for the following April.

The report gave details on the following issues:-

-                      The Business Plan

-                      User Groups

-                      Comprehensive Schools

-                      Various youth projects and groups based in Rotherham

The Strategic Leader Culture, Leisure and Lifelong Learning reported verbally at the meeting that advice had been sought from the Loss Adjustor who had confirmed that the centre could be rebuilt with the amount of money awarded from the insurance.

The new build would be greatly improved in terms of its fabrication and would service the users much better and be more accessible to all users.

The Business Plan for 2005/08 had shown a more stable budget with monies available from income to cover running costs.

Whilst the Crowden Centre was nearby, this was mainly used by serious walkers, and did not offer the same facilities as Longdendale.

Completion of the new roof at Habershon House was imminent and both members of staff in charge of the facility spent a tremendous amount of their own time working on the internal decoration.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be received and the position noted.

(2)                 That a further update report be submitted on the use of the new Centre at Longdendale after it is fully operational.

(3)  That an update report be submitted to a future meeting on the use of Habershon House. 

The Scrutiny Panel considered the contents of a report of the Scrutiny Adviser which outlined the Panel’s achievements over the current Municipal Year and suggested areas for inclusion in the work programme for 2004/2005.

The Panel continues to monitor progress arising from previous reviews. 

These include:

-                      Allotments Review

-                      Rotherham Theatres’ Review

-                      Rother Valley Country Park

-                      Green Spaces Best Value Review

Members were asked to consider the following aspects, in addition to influencing factors:-

·                    what has worked and what has not worked

·                    holding quarterly monitoring meetings as proposed in the recent Review Report and then use meetings in between to focus on a particular theme

·                    agree those areas which would be subject to detailed scrutiny review

·                    to refer the details of the Scrutiny Panel’s Forward Work Programme 2004/05 to the Performance and Scrutiny Overview Committee

Appendix Two gave details of a draft programme for 2004/2005.

Suggestions included:-

-           monitoring meetings

-           a number of themed meetings inbetween

-           cross-cutting reviews

-           all complementary reports being considered at the same meeting

-           a number of one day scrutiny reviews making recommendations on the           same day

Performance and Scrutiny Overview Committee was presently working on a system for Policy Reviews which it was suggested could be programmed in.

The draft programme suggested two full Scrutiny Reviews as follows:-

1.      Opportunities for Adult Learning in Rotherham

2.      Key Stage 4 and preparation for the world of work

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Forward Work Programme 2004/05 be referred to the Performance and Scrutiny Overview Committee.

(2)                 That any comments/suggestions be fed back to the Scrutiny Adviser.

(3)           That the Programme of Work be submitted to this Scrutiny Panel on a quarterly basis.

   (4)  That the Home to Hospital Tuition Service be included in the Programme of Scrutiny Review work.

Further to Minute No. 166 of a meeting of the Lifelong Learning Opportunities Scrutiny Panel held on 26^th April 2004, a verbal update was given by the Head of Corporate Finance on the use of office accommodation within the Authority by the RBT initiative.

It was explained that one of the elements of the Contract with RBT is that the provision of office accommodation for the staff who are seconded to the company is at cost to the Council.

The bulk of the accommodation which they occupy is termed as “pooled office accommodation”.

The cost of operating the buildings is administered by Economic and Development Services which is then charged out to Programme Areas on a square foot basis.  In real terms, although they count against the cost of service provision within programme areas, they do not count against the cash limit of this Programme Area and the same distinction was made as with central charges.

The use of certain accommodation by RBT in the Library, as in the case of the Arts Centre, was not part of the office accommodation pool and therefore is treated differently.

The issue which seemed to be in question is whether the lack of revenue from the hire of those meeting rooms should be at cost to the Council corporately or at cost to the Education, Culture and Leisure Services Programme Area.   The current position is not clear because when the agreement was set up prior to the RBT contract coming into force, halfway through 2002/03 it had been discussed at Corporate Management Team and the issue was resolved in respect of the library and arts centre being compensated for the remainder of the period 2002/03 but not beyond that.  The issue which required further debate and agreement is the extent to which that loss of income to the Arts Centre in 2003/04 and subsequent years was factored into the cash limit budget given to the Programme Area for 2003/04 and whether this will be taken into account at the point of setting the 2004/05 budget.

The Scrutiny Adviser referred to a comprehensive list of office accommodation, parts of which were being used by RBT staff within Rotherham.  It was further pointed out that the issue about the Arts Centre meetings rooms was further complicated inasmuch as Organisations were no longer booking the smaller rooms either, in view of their need to book a number of rooms simultaneously.

Resolved:- (1)  That a report be submitted to a future meeting on a proposal for a formula for the redistribution of any profits from RBT to Programme Areas.

(2)                That a report outlining the cost to the Programme Area as a result of the use of the Meeting Room at the Arts Centre by RBT be submitted to a future meeting.

(3)  That clarification be sought on whether the reduction in revenue income is factored into the 2002/03 and 2003/04 budgetary process.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 26^th April, 2004 be received.

Schools PFI Project:  Potential Surplus Assets

It was noted that a report on the content of the Green Space Review is expected at the July meeting of this Scrutiny Panel.

The Panel noted the content of the minutes of meetings of the above Committee held on 16^th and 23^rd April, 2004.

The Panel noted the minutes of a meeting of The Rotherham Children and Young People’s Board held on 31^st March, 2004.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of meetings in respect of decisions made by the Cabinet Member for Education, Culture and Leisure Services, under delegated powers, held on 13^th, 20^th and 27^th April, and 4^th and 11^th May, 2004 be received.