Agenda and draft minutes

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the meeting held on 13^th February, 2012, be approved as a correct record.

- verbal report on any issues arising from the last Board meeting

It was noted that there was to be a special meeting of the Board on Monday, 26^th March, 2012, 9.30-11.30 a.m. to discuss the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

 - Jim Shaw, Living Streets to report

Jim Shaw, Living Streets, was in attendance to inform Members of the national charity “that stood up for pedestrians.  With our supporters we work to create safe, attractive and enjoyable streets where people want to walk”.

Through the Fitter for Walking project, Living Streets worked with local communities to improve local environments and get more people out walking.  Focussed on enabled communities, its work gave people the skills to improve their surroundings and the opportunity to achieve Living Streets award.  The dedicated Project Co-ordinator worked closely with community groups with each community choosing which area they wanted to improve and how.  Street audits took place leading to proposals to the local authority for street improvements.

In the South Yorkshire region, the project had been delivered successfully for the past 4 years in partnership with local authorities in Rotherham and Doncaster.  The project had commenced in 2008 and was due to end this month but had been extended until April, 2012.  

The project had been robustly evaluated by the British Heart Foundation who had recommended that it be rolled out nationally. 

Jim was thanked for his attendance.

Resolved:-  That the report be noted.

Dr. John Radford, Joint Director of Public Health reported on a proposed prevention project plan to address the perceived increase in the Vitamin D deficiency rates across target communities in Rotherham.

It was estimated that 15% of adults may be Vitamin D insufficient in the UK, rising to 94% for some UK Asian families.  There had been no local data collected routinely in Rotherham, however, concerns had been raised by practitioners identifying the need for further investigation and action to be undertaken.  In February, 2012, Vitamin D deficiency rates had been sought from Rotherham Hospital laboratories which had revealed, over a 15 month period, that of 625 babies, children or young people tested, 53% found to be significantly or mildly deficient.

NHS Rotherham’s Pharmacy Team had developed a clear pathway to help diagnose and treat people.  It was proposed to increase the education drive on Vitamin D deficiency and further promote the Healthy Start scheme to maximise take up of the scheme to address deficiency rates in pregnant women, new mothers and children under 5.  It was planned to further extend the Healthy Start scheme to target communities to reduce the potential levels of Vitamin D deficiency in children and pregnant women/new mothers.

Maximising take up would be supported by the clarification of the promotional role of the Health Visiting and Maternity Services including the clarification of where Healthy Start vitamins were available.  Further information would be provided to GPs to help them encourage families to collect their Healthy Start vitamins.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Public Health priority of Vitamin D supplementation be noted.

(2)  That the take up of the Healthy Start Scheme be promoted and maximised.

(3)  That a review take place after 1 year of implementation.

(4)  That ongoing financial investment in Vitamin supplementation from the Public Health budget be approved.

Alan Pogorzelec, Business Regulation Manager, submitted the proposed 2012/13 fees and charges for the chargeable services provided by Business Regulation.

The proposed level of increase was 5%, based on the rate of inflation as at November, 2011, as used by the Government.

It was proposed:-

Animal Health

The Council licensed riding, animal boarding and breeding establishments, pet shops, dangerous wild animals and performing animals primarily to ensure animal welfare conditions were met.  Regulation for some premises incorporated inspection undertaken by a veterinary surgeon, the costs of which were charged in addition to the licence fees.

Bereavement Services

The fees charged by Dignity Funerals Ltd. for the services it provided were reviewed in April each year including benchmarking against comparable authorities within the region.  A further report would follow in due course.

Food, Health and Safety

The Council registered premises for activities such as ear piercing, electrolysis, tattooing and acupuncture primarily to check and maintain appropriate health and safety standards.

The fees for the water samples were set to cover the fees charged by the Health Protection Agency.

Weights and Measures and Prescribed Poisons

Fees were charged for the testing and stamping (verification) of weights and measures used for trade and the sale by retain of certain strong chemicals prescribed by legislation as poisons.

The fee reflected the hourly cost based on the provision of a single Weights and Measure Inspector.

A full schedule of the proposed fees and charges were set out in the Appendix submitted.

Resolved:-  That the proposed fees and charges – Business Regulation – for 2012/13, as set out in the Appendix submitted, be approved.

Alan Pogorzelec, Business Regulation Manager, submitted a proposed registration scheme allowing the installation of kerb set memorials.

In recent months the Council and Dignity Funerals Ltd. had received a number of enquiries from members of the public wishing to install kerb set memorials around the graves of family members.  Such applications had been refused as the current Bereavement Services Rules and Regulations prohibited the installation of such in all Council maintained cemeteries.

However, the Council recognised the importance of customer choice and providing a range of memorial options to the bereaved was considered desirable.  There was also clear demand given the number of applications received.

It was proposed that the Council permit the installation of kerb set memorials in all Council maintained cemeteries subject to the memorial being installed in accordance with the following conditions:-

-    An application to install a kerb set memorial be made to the Cemeteries and Crematorium office, along with the payment of the appropriate fee

-    Installation of the memorial must not commence until the application had been approved by Dignity Funerals Limited (on behalf of the Council)

-    All work in relation to the installation of the memorial must be carried out by a registered Memorial Mason and in accordance with the relevant sections of the Memorial Masons Registration Scheme

-    Permission to place a kerb set memorial would be for a period of 30 years (permission may be renewed after this time),

-    Any kerb set memorial installed in a cemetery must allow sufficient room for pedestrian access with or without mobility aids

-    The size, design and specification of the memorial kerb set must be in keeping with the cemetery environment.  Applications may be refused if the memorial could be considered to be offensive or otherwise controversial in any way

-    The individual making the application remained responsible for the kerb set memorial for the duration of the permit (if the application was made by a stone mason on a customer’s behalf, then responsibility for the upkeep of the memorial rest with the customer)

-    Once installed, the memorial may not be amended in anyway without the prior approval of Dignity Funerals Limited (on behalf of the Council).

Each application to install a kerb set memorial would be assessed and determined on a case by case basis.  What was acceptable in one cemetery may not be considered to be acceptable in another; likewise different sections of the same cemetery may require the consideration of different factors. 

Should a kerb set memorial be installed that failed to comply with any of the conditions detailed above, the kerb set memorial may be removed by Dignity Funerals Limited (acting on behalf of the Council).

Resolved:-  That the installation of kerb set memorials within Council maintained cemeteries be approved subject to the conditions set out above.

The Leisure and Green Spaces Manager submitted the proposed annual review of fees and charges for Herringthorpe Stadium in 2012/13.

Where appropriate, charges had been increased by at least the rate of inflation; where charges had been increased by less than inflation rate/or remained the same, this was either due to incurring additional costs by increasing a price or Managers felt that a unit price increase would reduce overall income due to its impact on levels of business.

The proposed charge for hire of the track centre pitch was less than 2011/12 as usage and overall income levels had reduced following last year’s increase.  A reduction was also proposed for fitness activities to try and stimulate increased business.

Concession rate was not restricted to off-peak times as was the case in many other local authorities.

The proposed charges would come into effect from 1^st April, 2012.

It was noted that the Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning and Culture would consider the fees and charges for Cultural Services at her meeting on 13^th March, 2012.

Resolved:-  That the fees and charges for the Herringthorpe Stadium, as set out in the appendix submitted, be approved.