09 02 2006

Councillors Mrs Cully (P), Dickson (P), Edgar (P), Jacobs (P), Kimber (P), Philpott (P), Redrup (P), Mrs Salter (P) and Train (P).

 

 

 

 

No apologies for inability to attend the meeting had been received.

 

 

 

 

There were no declarations of interest.

 

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 7 December 2005 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a true and correct record.

 

With regard to minute 36 (i)(d), the observation was made that the viewing of a video recording of a Parliamentary Select Committee would be appropriate for all members involved in overview and scrutiny.

 

 

Members were advised of a government initiative to replace Audit Committees with expanded Accounts and Audit Committees. These bodies would be required to review the Council’s accounts in detail and include one member who had received accountancy training together with co-opted members.

 

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Audit and Risk Sub-Committee meeting held on 30 January 2006 be received and noted.

 

 

Consideration was given to a report of the Development Services Manager, which gave Members the opportunity to consider performance information relating to Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) and actions agreed by the officers’ Council Management Team (CMT).

 

Members were reminded that they had already agreed to consider the performance information relating to BVPIs as their consideration of the Best Value Performance Plan for this year.

 

Members were advised that BVPIs were reported annually to the Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee and to Full Council. Internally the indicators were monitored four times a year by the Performance Sub-Group. The Council’s performance was audited annually by independent auditors.

 

Progress against BVPIs was reported in the Council’s Best Value Performance Plan, which was published on an annual basis.

 

Appendix 1 to the Development Services Manager’s report showed the Council’s BVPI performance at the end of the second quarter. Appendix 2 provided an extract from the minutes of the meeting of CMT on 8 December 2005 where relevant actions had been agreed.

 

A question was raised regarding indicators relating to ethnic minorities, which were not significantly represented in Gosport. Members were advised that it was important for the Government to be able to form a national view and therefore information was required even where there were low numbers of people from minority ethnic communities. Officers advised that the Council did not have a policy of positive discrimination but all appointments to posts were made on merit.

 

Concerns were raised regarding speed of response to letters received. Officers advised that figures for the third quarter were currently being looked at and the Council was moving towards the target of 95% of letters requiring a response would be answered within 10 working days.

 

Members questioned the raising of the target for days lost through sickness absence for 2005/06 and were advised that the targets were based on top quartile performance for previous years. A significant factor had been two large-scale outbreaks of illness, which had had an impact on staff absence.

 

Concerns were raised regarding the actual average time taken to process new Housing and Council Tax Benefit claims during 2004/05. Members were advised that the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate audit had indicated that the Council had performed reasonably well despite staff shortages. The Council had been criticised for aiming for speed to the detriment of accuracy. Approval had been given by the Personnel Sub-Board to recruit additional staff in the Benefits Section, and, whilst recruitment had not been easy, staffing was now nearly at full strength. Opening hours had been reduced and a quality assurance officer appointed and it was anticipated that performance would improve.

 

Members were advised that the Council now had a performance framework with national and local targets, which would help to improve services and set priorities. The targets were not arbitrary and this was the first stage of the process. There would be significant changes over the next 12 months.

 

Concerns were raised regarding Community Safety and the relationship between the Council and the police. Members were advised that this had been a major concern and the Chief Constable and Chairman of the Police Authority had been written to. The responses received had not been particularly helpful. The Council was dependent on information from the police but this had not been forthcoming, which could lead to Gosport Borough Council being criticised. It was understood that the police computer programme did not show solved crimes but it was hoped that this information would be provided in the future.

 

Members asked for the officers involved in Community Safety to be thanked for their hard work.

Members were satisfied that their consideration of the performance information relating to BVPIs concluded their scrutiny of the Best Value Performance Plan.

 

RESOLVED: That the report of the Development Services Manager be noted.

 

 

 Tourism and Marketing

 

Members were introduced to Juliette Scott of Tourism South East and Wendy Pinder of the Gosport Tourist Information Centre who been invited to attend the meeting to clarify their roles and talk about the present arrangements for promoting tourism in Gosport.

 

Members were advised that work was being carried out to increase activities and attractions for residents and visitors to the town. The Council was now engaging more with the tourism industry and was a constituent member of the Tourist Forum, having previously been the lead organisation.

 

Juliette Scott and members of the Forum had attended two trade fairs and there would be further such events in the future.

 

Members were shown leaflets indicating the Council’s position with regard to tourism and how it worked with the County Council. Demonstrations of current and new tourism websites were given.

 

Officers advised that working with Tourism South East assisted in keeping the Council in touch with developments. The Council was gradually improving the marketing of Gosport as a tourist attraction.

 

The view was expressed that working with Tourism South East was a step in the right direction and that it was important that Juliette Scott represented Gosport at regional meetings.

 

It was felt that more use could be made of the Borough crest and that the concept of “branding” using the crest be explored for future publications.

 

The tourism guide had improved, was well produced and readable and made good use of Timespace.

 

Members were advised that increased interest in tourism in Gosport had been shown from people outside the town. Juliette Scott had attended group travel fairs and the Annual General Meeting of a Group Travel Organisation. Literature about Gosport as a tourist attraction had been distributed, which advised other attendees about attractions in Gosport, many of which they had been unaware. Interest at exhibitions had been positive.

 

Juliette Scott and Wendy Pinder advised that there were certain areas that could make Gosport more attractive to tourists i.e. concentrating on the maritime influence in the town, the Spinnaker Tower, water activities and the introduction of a water bus. Lack of suitable accommodation for tourists was also identified as a problem, particularly that of budget level hotels. Lack of direct transport links to the Explosion! Museum was also identified as a difficulty.

 

Members were advised that the provision of a water bus was one of the key aims of the Portsmouth Harbour Renaissance. However, the watermen had been refused permission to go into Portsmouth Dockyard. The Royal Clarence Yard pontoon would be available as soon as Health and Safety issues associated with the building were resolved. Once the direct transport link was in place, a waterbus service could be provided. At present potential visitors to the Explosion! Museum were finding the trip from the town too long.

 

Members raised the issue of historic walks of the Borough being organised. These would have a modest impact on budgets and would need to be promoted. It was felt that, should they be organised and conducted professionally, a great deal of interest would be generated.

 

Officers undertook to investigate the provision of historic walks in Gosport and report back to the Committee.

 

The view was expressed that the website could be translated into other languages to attract visitors from overseas and those entering the country via the Continental Ferry Port at Portsmouth.

 

(NB Councillor Mrs Cully left the meeting at 7.25 p.m.)

 

Members were advised that Gosport was unlikely to be a primary destination of foreign visitors and there would be a cost element involved in translation work. Some 10 years previously a leaflet targeting French and Spanish students had been produced and, whilst this had been reasonably successful, it had been very time consuming.

 

(NB Councillor Train left the meeting at 7.35 p.m.)

 

The view was expressed that not to translate at least parts of the website constituted a missed opportunity.

 

It was felt that Gosport had a wealth of history and was associated with well-known historical characters such as Lindbergh and Captain Bligh.

 

Concern was raised that the tourism guide did not make reference to the Lee-on-the-Solent History Trail.

 

With regard to the age profile of visitors to Gosport, Members were advised that school and uniformed groups visited but, in the main, visitors tended to be of the older generation.

 

Members requested that officers compile a list of ideas and issues to be forwarded to Tourism South East, under the name of the Chairman, to form the basis of discussions next Municipal Year (September 2006).

 

RESOLVED: That:

 

a)

Officers investigate the provision of historic walks in Gosport and report back to this Committee;

 

 

b)

Officers compile a list of ideas and issues to be forwarded to Tourism South East under the name of the Chairman of the Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and

 

 

c)

Further discussions with Tourism South East be undertaken next Municipal Year (September 2006).

 

 

 

Consideration was given to a report of the Public Toilets Working Group, which contained the findings of the Working Group together with its conclusions and recommendations.

 

Members were in agreement with the report’s recommendations related to the toilet blocks at Haslar Road, Haslar Sea Wall, Whites Place and Forton Recreation Ground, Nobes Avenue, Elson Recreation Ground and Stanley Park.

 

The Committee debated the issues surrounding the closure of the existing toilets and the provision of a new block of toilets at the Falkland Gardens. Councillor Mrs Salter advised the Committee that she had consulted her group regarding the proposals.

 

The following views were expressed by Members during the debate on the Falkland Gardens’ new toilet block:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A recorded vote on the report’s recommendations was requested. (Note: Councillors Mrs Cully and Train had left the meeting and therefore did not vote on the Working Group’s recommendations).

 

Members voted as follows on the report’s recommendations:

 

 

 

 

 

The recommendations in the report were therefore carried.

 

RESOLVED:  That the following recommendations of the Public Toilets Working Group be approved and referred to the Community and Environment Board for adoption:

 

5.1

Haslar Road and Haslar Sea Wall   The toilet blocks at Haslar Road and Haslar Sea Wall be demolished;

 

 

5.2

Whites Place and Forton Recreation Ground   The public toilets at Whites Place be closed for a six-month trial period and the existing closed facility at Forton Recreation Ground be re-opened for a trial six-month period. Following the trial, consideration be given to the re-vamping or demolition of the Whites Place facility;

 

 

5.3

Nobes Avenue    Toilet block be retained and referred back to Ward Councillors for suggestions regarding the future of the building;

 

 

5.4

Elson Recreation Ground    Toilets be incorporated within the existing changing rooms for use by changing room users only. Resultant space to be offered to a local pre-school for use as a storage area;

 

 

5.5

Stanley Park   The existing facility at Stanley Park be converted to a store/mess room for staff working at the park and the concept of the use of the toilets at the Alver Bank Hotel by members of the public, with the agreement of the hotel management, be pursued;

 

 

5.6

Falkland Gardens   The new facility to be provided at the Falkland Gardens be of a design where members of the public walk directly into the cubicles (3 unisex, 1 disabled persons); and

 

 

5.7

That the following apply to the provision of the new facility at the Falkland Gardens:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was reported that the Borough Solicitor had not received any requests for matters to be scrutinised.

 

 

 

 

The only matter to be considered in the Work Programme was now to review Tourism and Marketing.

 

 

 

 

There was no other business to discuss.