LEISURE & AMENITIES COMMITTEE
Minutes of a meeting of the Leisure & Amenities Committee held on Monday, 1 October 2001, commencing at 7.30pm in the Deepings Youth Centre.
Councillor Walker, Chair, presided over Councillor Shinkins, Andrew Marsay (Area Youth Worker) and the clerk. Also in attendance were Youth Centre members Peter Martin, James Davis and Phil Laughton. There were no members of the public present.
001 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE were received from Councillor Dilks.
002 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
It was confirmed that the report of the meeting held on 23 August 2001 was discussed at the Council meeting held on 30 August 2001 (minute 047.2) and adopted as a true and correct record at the Council meeting held on 26 September 2001.
003 MATTERS ARISING NOT DEALT WITH ELSEWHERE ON THE AGENDA
.1 The land has been valued at £12,500 – this was accepted.
.2 A quote for barrier fencing between the two activity areas has been received for £375.
004 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT ON THE OUTCOME OF THE COUNCIL MEETING –26.9.01
The Chairman reported that the Parish Council had passed a resolution to pursue the proposals subject to adequate funding being available. The Committee agreed that the areas of concern raised by the residents attending the meeting should be taken on board and attempts made to resolve them. The clerk was asked to write to all those who had previously received a letter to update them on the outcome of the meeting – see copy on reverse.
005 CLERK’S REPORT REGARDING BIDS TO THE NATIONAL LOTTERY
Members received the clerk’s report of a meeting at South Kesteven District Council to discuss a co-ordinated approach to applications to lottery bodies. Stamford and Grantham are preparing similar bids and the District Council wants to avoid a ‘first come, first served’ scenario. No budget has been set for District Council assistance but applications for grants to them would be carefully considered. A minimum of 35% of the total costs must be secured before an application can be submitted to the Lottery and it is unclear at this stage whether the Council’s contribution of the land can be counted as cash value. This is being looked into. Members noted the report and agreed to defer a decision on co-ordinated strategy until we were ready to consider submitting a bid.
006 PROPOSALS FOR THE JUBILEE PLAYING FIELD/COMMENCEMENT OF GRANT
AID PROCESS
In view of the concerns raised at the presentation, it was agreed to re-site the equipment at the farthest end of the field from the road. The lighting quote previously obtained will now need reviewing and advice will be obtained from SKDC’s Environmental Health Department regarding acceptable noise and light pollution levels. Planning consent will be required but it was agreed to defer submission of application papers until such time as it was clear that grant assistance would be forthcoming. Fully costed specifications will now be obtained to start the bid application process but the following basic principles were agreed:
The clerk was asked to submit an application to the Police Authority under their Community Partnership Fund, which closes on 26 October 2001.
007 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
There being no other business, the meeting closed at 9.05pm.
To the Occupier(s)
From Deeping St James Parish Council
2 October 2001
Dear Sir/Madam
JUBILEE PLAYING FIELD, LINCHFIELD ROAD, DEEPING ST JAMES
You may recall that I wrote to you on 10 September 2001 to invite you to the Council Meeting on 26 September 2001 to hear a presentation from members of the Leisure & Amenities Committee on proposals for a refurbishing this playing field and to put any questions you may have to the Council. I would now like to take this opportunity to update you with the outcome of the meeting.
Thirteen residents attended the meeting and two other households made their views known beforehand. A variety of concerns were succinctly raised by those present, including the choice of location, potential noise and light pollution, potential vandalism and the future management of the facilities. Examples of the kind of anti-social behaviour currently experienced in connection with the existing use of the field were given in support of the issues raised.
Six young people were also in attendance and gave their support to the Council’s proposals.
There was a long debate after the presentation wherein the members of the Committee answered these points and gave an undertaking that all the points raised would be studied carefully and taken into account if the proposals were to go ahead.
Having heard the presentation and subsequent responses from both the residents and committee, the following resolution was put to the Council during the meeting proper and carried by a majority vote:
The Council will continue to pursue financing through the bidding process, to enable it to proceed
with the provision of a multi-sport/leisure facility at Jubilee Playing Field providing adequate
funding can be made available.
An amendment to seek an alternative site at the far side of the all-weather pitch by negotiating a land-exchange had earlier failed.
What this, in practice, means is that the Leisure & Amenities Committee will now take the matter forward and investigate ways to resolve the concerns raised and now start to assemble grant aid applications through various bodies. The Parish Council will also need to formally apply for planning permission from the South Kesteven District Council, a process that will automatically include residents directly affected by the proposals. The Parish Council wants to keep you as best informed as possible about the various stages of this project and so I will write to you again when a planning application is to be submitted.
In the meantime, if you have any questions and would like to discuss the matter further, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of the Parish Councillors.
Yours faithfully
Clerk for and on behalf of
Deeping St James Parish Council