Agenda and minutes

Consideration was given to the minutes of the previous meeting of the Cabinet Member for Cultural Services and Sport held on 29^th June, 2010.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet Member held on 29^th June, 2010, be signed as a true record.

Further to Minute No. 13 of 15^th June, 2010., Phil Gill, Green Spaces Manager, submitted the final version of the Strategy for approval and referral to Cabinet for adoption by the Council.

The 4 proposed strategic aims of the Strategy were:-

-        To increase the proportion of the people living within easy walking distance of Green Spaces meeting defined quality standards

-        To increase the number of people who regularly visit Green Spaces

-        To increase the proportion of the population who were satisfied with Green Space provision in Rotherham

-        To increase the number of people participating as volunteers within Green Spaces

It also embraced the principles of sustainable development, fairness and community involvement which had led to 8 specific objectives:-

-        Provide sufficient accessible Green Space to meet current and future demand efficiently and sustainably

-        Make Rotherham a safer, healthier and more attractive place to live and visit by ensuring Green Spaces were secure, clean and well designed, managed and maintained

-        Target existing resources and secure new funding to improve priority Green Spaces and to manage and maintain them to high standards

-        Bring together different providers of Green Spaces and other partners to work towards agreed standards and priorities for Green Space provision

-        Actively involve communities in the development and management of Green Spaces to ensure that local needs were respected and valued

-        Raised people’s awareness of Green Spaces by making sites and activities within them accessible and attractive to all groups and individuals, thereby increasing use and satisfaction and contributing to community cohesion

-        Improve the environmental sustainability of Rotherham through biodiversity, landscape protection, reducing surface water runoff and other measures

-        Exploit opportunities to link Green Spaces to develop a green network across the Borough.

There were no immediate financial implications.  However, there were longer term costs relating to delivering and sustaining improvements in Green Space provision.  The Strategy was based on the principle of achieving improvement by maximising inward investment and using available Council funding in an efficient and targeted way.  It was proposed that the Council work in partnership to access all available external funding and developer contributions but was also expected that bids would be made to the Council’s Capital Programme to support the strategic development of Green Space sites.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Green Space Strategy be referred to Cabinet for adoption by full Council.

(2)  That, subject to adoption of the Strategy, officers be instructed to develop and pursue an action plan for its implementation, initially covering the period 2010-2015.

Jackie Thornhill, Manager Sport and Physical Activity, presented the final draft of ‘Active Rotherham’, a Strategy for Sport and Physical Activity 2010-2020 highlighting its 6 main themes and key tasks whilst outlining how the new Strategy would be adopted and delivered by the Rotherham Partnership network.

With the support of the South Yorkshire Sport (CSP), the Rotherham Partnership Network had worked to create 1 Strategy for the whole of the Borough that focussed on the development of sport and physical activity.  Although the Local Authority had played an integral part in the production and development of the Strategy, it had been a partnership approach by a number of agencies who had an interest in sport and physical activity including NHS Rotherham which had also played a key role.

The Rotherham Partnership Network’s belief in the need for a long term cultural change had led to ‘Active Rotherham’ outlining a 10 year vision based on the need for sport and physical activity interventions that had the potential to influence wider social agendas such as health and crime.

The strategic themes of the vision, which would provide areas of focus for the next 10 years, were as follows:-

1.         Everybody Active – Raising Levels of Participation

2.         Places and Spaces to be Active

3.         Pathways for Activity

4.         Marketing Sport and Physical Activity

5.         Developing the Sport and Physical Activity Partnership and Workforce

In addition the strategic framework had 2 cross cutting key themes that would run through each of the above 5 core themes:-

Equity

Sustainability

The Strategy had been developed to ensure a planned and co-ordinated approach to the development of sport and active lifestyles across the Borough and set out how progress would be monitored in delivering Active Rotherham outlining the specific targets and performance indicators which would be used to measure performance.

Resolved:-  (1)  That an annual progress report against the Strategy’s 10 year vision be submitted to the Cabinet Member.

(2)  That the Strategy be approved as a working document for Culture and Leisure Services involvement with the Rotherham Partnership network and its partner agencies.

The following item is likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (information relating to any individual/information which is likely to reveal he identity of an individual):-

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).

It was noted that a meeting of a Complaints Panel had been held on 30th June, 2010, comprising Councillors Foden (in the Chair), Buckley and Havenhand.  The Panel heard a complaint received from Mr.  W. relating to the inclusion of a skatepark within Rosehill Park.

The Panel had not upheld the complaint.

Resolved:-  That the Panel’s findings be noted.