Agenda and minutes

-           to receive the minutes.

The following report was submitted:-

Tourism Panel

1st June, 2009

Ken Wheat, Transportation Unit Manager, to report.

-           to consider award of contract to provide training and funding.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Senior Transportation Officer, informing the Cabinet Member of the award of extra grant funding for cycle training from Cycling England to increase the number of cycle training courses offered to school pupils in the Borough.

It was also reported that following re-tender for the two year cycle training contract 2001-2011 Cycle Experience of St. Albans had been appointed as cycle training provider, and began working with Rotherham Schools in late April, 2009.

Reference was made to:-

-                      the current positive feedback

-                      the value for money of this provider

-                      the need to involve the Cycling Champion, Councillor Barron

-                      the need for details about which schools were involved in the cycling training scheme

Resolved:-  That the contents of the report be noted.

Bernadette Rushton, Assistant Town Centre Manager, to report.

-           to recommend traders to whom licences would be issued for the purpose of siting a mobile catering unit in the town centre for the period 1^st July to 30^th September, 2009.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Assistant Town Centre Manager, which identified the recommended traders to whom licences would be issued for the purpose of siting a mobile catering unit in the town centre for the period 1st July- 30th September 2009.

Following a review of the existing food pitches consideration was given to recommended changes to the policy relating to the number of available pitches/Mobile Catering Units.

Reference was made to:-

-                      proposed public realm works for the fountain area on Howard Street/Effingham Street

-                      the new parking charges – free after 3 p.m.

-                      supporting existing business

-                      encouraging new more specialist businesses

-                      grants scheme

-                      the need to fill existing vacant town centre premises

Resolved:-  (1)  That the content of the report be noted.

(2)  That licences be issued to Messrs. C. and B. as identified and on the terms as detailed in the report now submitted.

(3)  That the applications from C.P. and G.B. be refused for the reasons detailed in the report now submitted.

(3)  That Food Use be removed from Pitch 2 & 3 (with exception of Saturdays through July – September.)

(4)  That revised arrangements be introduced for the letting of Pitch 1.

(5)  That, for the reasons stated in the report now submitted, the existing occupier be charged for Pitch 2 for the period to 15th May only.

Bernadette Rushton, Assistant Town Centre Manager/Julie Roberts, Town Centre and Markets Manager, to report.

-           to consider the proposed rent increase.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Assistant Town Centre Manager, relating to Part VIIA of the Highways Act 1980 which enabled the Council to grant licenses to commercial and not for profit organisations to use designated pitches within the town centre for the purposes of street trading, promotional activities, events & charitable collections.

It was explained that the Town Centre Management Team had undertaken a review of the associated Town Centre Spaces Policy and as a result was recommending a proposed rent increase.

The comparative charges made by neighbouring local authorities were set out in the submitted report.

It was also reported that due to a recent Council restructure the administration of town centre spaces applications had now been split between the Town Centre Management Team and the Events and Promotional Services Team.  As a result consideration was given to an additional charge being added to the fee for the town centre pitch to cover the cost of any staffing required for an event.  This would cover the attendance of an additional member of staff.  It was proposed that the fee be introduced for all new bookings after 1^st July, 2009.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the content of the report be noted.

(2)  That approval be given to the fee increases for town centre pitches, as identified in the report now submitted, to be implemented from 1st July, 2009.

(3)  That implementation of a fee to cover any staffing required at an event or promotion, as detailed in the submitted report, be approved, to be implemented from 1^st July, 2009.

Sharon Langton, Principal Estate Surveyor, to report.

-  for information purposes concerning the consent and landlord’s approval under delegated powers for an extension to Rotherham Hospice, together with consent for the provision of temporary access over Herringthorpe Playing Fields for construction purposes.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Principal Estates Surveyor, relating to the construction of an extension to Rotherham Hospice.

It was explained that planning permission had been granted and that, in terms of the lease, the Director of Asset Management had given consent to the extension.

It was also reported that in order to construct the extension access was required over part of Herringthorpe Playing Fields and that temporary access over the playing fields had been approved the Director of Culture and Leisure. Appendix 1 to the submitted report illustrated the route of the temporary access.

Reference was made to the safety of this access route and that used by Rudston School, noting that the issue had also been raised by the Area Assembly.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the position regarding the extension to Rotherham Hospice be noted.

(2)  That the Principal Estates Surveyor liaise with Rudston School, the Area Assembly and the Council’s Health and Safety section about the access/safety issues now raised.

The following item is likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular individual (including the Council)):-

Resolved:-  That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (financial/business affairs).

Tim O’Connell, Business Development Manager, to report.

-           to seek approval to a range of actions designed to maintain the focus of the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) as the UK’s premier advanced manufacturing technology park.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Business Development Manager, which sought approval to a range of actions designed to maintain the focus of the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) as the UK’s premier advanced manufacturing technology park.

Background information was given relating to the vision for the AMP, land ownership, management and legal agreements, and funding.

An outline of development to date was given and it was explained that a number of actions were now needed in order to maintain the vision for the AMP, and these were detailed in the submitted report.

It was pointed out that these proposed actions would be funded by Yorkshire Forward through marketing budgets already allocated to marketing of the AMP and the AEM sector.

Resolved:-  That approval be given to the following actions: -

(1)  that finance, available from Yorkshire Forward, be used to engage a specialist PR / marketing agency to increase levels of enquiries for the property product at the AMP.

(2)  that the Council acquires a new lease of property on the AMP to house the sub-regional Advanced Manufacturing and Metals (AMM) team, using Yorkshire Forward  funding, and the Assistant Chief Executive, Legal and Democratic Services, be authorised to complete the necessary documentation.

(3)  that a business support simplification compliant project be developed through Priority 2 of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to encourage AMP vision compliant companies to locate on the park.