MINUTES OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, TOURISM AND LEISURE SERVICES SELECT COMMITTEE HELD ON 14 APRIL 2005

47. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2005 were agreed.

48. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Mrs Lloyd declared an interest in Minute 56 as she was a Governor of Medina High School.

49. FORWARD PLAN

The Select Committee was advised about items of relevance which were contained in the Forward Plan for the period April 2005 to July 2005.

50. MEMBER INVOLVEMENT IN THE ISLAND PLAN (LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK)

Members were advised that the Local Development Framework (LDF) process would be adopted by the end of 2007. The LDF would supersede the current Unitary Development Plan (UDP), as well as incorporate local transport, health and other issues. The Core Strategy project plan was a fixed timetable, which would be used for measuring the performance of the Council. Consultations would be conducted with stakeholders and would involve the local communities and it was also vital to have Member involvement at each stage of the process.

It was proposed that an Island Plan Task Group (IPTG) would be formed from the Local Strategic Partnership Theme 7 members, Portfolio Holders, key officers and Elected Members. The Select Committee would receive reports from the IPTG in order to scrutinise and monitor progress. The Executive would ‘sign off’ each of the key stages of the LDF.

Members noted that the Special Island Policies included with the South East Plan, would be linked into the LDF.

Government funding for the LDF would be dependant upon meeting the timetable and the Select Committee asked whether further funding had been applied for from SEERA. The Head of Planning Services agreed to investigate and report back to the Select Committee.

The Select Committee congratulated the Head of Planning Services on the detailed and precise nature of the report presented.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE NEW COUNCIL FOLLOWING THE MAY 2005 ELECTION

a) That Elected Members, other than those serving on the Economic Development, Planning, Tourism and Leisure Services Select Committee, are nominated by Political Group Leaders to serve on the IPTG, thereby ensuring that there is no conflict of interest.

b) That the time scale as outlined in Appendix 1 of report be adopted.

c) That the appropriate Select Committee scrutinise the work of the IPTG within the Core Strategy milestones as noted in the report.

d) The dates of the Select Committee and Co-ordinating Committee be reviewed to enable the timetable of the LDF to be met.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE HEAD OF PLANNING POLICY

To investigate whether funding had been sought from SEERA and report back to the next Select Committee meeting.

52. BUDGET MONITORING REPORT AS AT END OF FEBRUARY 2005

The Select Committee was advised that some of the figures in the report had been superseded. However, no significant variance was anticipated at the year end.

Members were concerned about further losses in revenue for Leisure Services due to the recently imposed car parking charges. Officers reported that casual use at The Heights was approximately £15,000 down. However, the number of One Card users had increased across the Island, which enabled subscribers to park free of charge.

The Select Committee remained concerned that car parking charges were still affecting the most vulnerable people, with charges being levied after 6.00 pm.

53. QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT REPORT (QPMR) – 3 – 2004-05

The Select Committee agreed to focus on the Key Areas to Watch in the Quarter 3 report, since the Quarter 4 report was due out soon. The relevant Portfolio Holders were asked to provide an update on progress with these areas of concern.

a) Members were informed that following discussions within the Council, the PSA Target 11, regarding employment for the over-50’s, was not achievable. There would be no financial penalty for the Council, but similarly no Government funds would be made available.

b) The mismatch between the number of planning applications and staffing levels continued, with the Development Control Manager due to retire during April 2005. A temporary appointment had been made to cover the next six months and advertisements had been placed for three new posts. Two further officers, with previous experience, would be seconded from the Building Control section to Development Control in order to assist with achieving targets. In addition, it was envisaged that there might be an increase in the planning fee to provide greater flexibility with managing the current under staffing situation. The critical deadline would be meeting the Best Value Performance Indicators by March 2007.

Members were also concerned about monitoring the progress of Section 106 Agreements and ensuring that the money was collected from developers. It was noted that some authorities appointed a dedicated officer to co-ordinate Section 106 Agreements.

c) The Select Committee was informed that the upgraded Destination Management Service (DMS) should be in place by June 2005. Staff would be trained during the next two months and training for local businesses was available through the Chamber of Commerce. A dedicated officer was available for daily assistance with the DMS. The upgraded DMS system was compatible with London Net and Visit Britain. Members suggested that the DMS be raised at the Select Committee Awayday for possible inclusion on the Workplan for 2005/06.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY ALL HEADS OF SERVICE

That every effort is made to provide the necessary information for QPMR’s to enable comprehensive and timely reports for future Select Committee meetings.

54. PLANNING SERVICES BEST VALUE IMPROVEMENT PLAN UPDATE

Members were advised that a Business Plan had been put forward and four main aims had been identified and supported by underlying principles. Officers explained that one of the greatest difficulties was the relationship with Town and Parish Councils and improving engagement with local communities. The main aim was to achieve a customer focussed service and it was acknowledged that the information now available from the Website had improved the quality and speed of information for members of the public. However, Members were also aware that a great deal of contact was by telephone. In particular, pre-application guidance was extremely important. It was envisaged that the Call Centre would be able to assist with upgrading this part of the service in due course.

In conclusion, Members agreed that the Planning Service now had the structure in place for a real step forward.

55. TOURISM BROWN SIGNS TASK GROUP UPDATE REPORT

The Select Committee had previously agreed that a Task Group should be formed to investigate the Review carried out by the Head of Tourism. A presentation had been provided by the Head of Tourism detailing the current situation regarding the condition of every brown sign on the Island, and the proposed new policy for the future. The Task Group subsequently put forward a number of recommendations for consideration prior to a decision being taken under delegated powers.

The Select Committee acknowledged that it would take up to eighteen months before all the existing signs were dealt with, after which the Island would have a much improved tourism signage system.

The Head of Tourism was congratulated on the in-depth investigation undertaken and the support provided to the Island’s tourist industry.

56. MEDINA DUAL-USE AGREEMENT UPDATE REPORT

Mr Williams advised the Select Committee that several meetings had been held to discuss the current mis-match of use between Medina High School and the Leisure Centre. The main problems were with the swimming pool and the Medina Theatre.

The Focus Group had worked very hard to resolve matters and the Dual-Use Agreement was now in draft format and would be reviewed at the Group’s next meeting. It was envisaged that the new Dual-Use Agreement would be in place by the beginning of the new school year. Members agreed that both the school and the public would benefit from the new Agreement and suggested that a progress report should be brought to the Select Committee following the Group’s next meeting.

ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY SELECT COMMITTEE AND REVIEW TEAM AND ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CULTURAL AND LEISURE SERVICES

A progress report, together with a copy of the draft Dual-use Agreement, to be brought to the Select Committee after the next Focus Group meeting.

57. MEMBERS QUESTION TIME

Mr Bowker asked a question in relation to a pest problem at St John’s Wood Park, Ryde. The Portfolio Holder explained that since the land was owned by a Trust, it was their responsibility to ensure the land was maintained in a clean condition and if necessary address the problem with rats.

Mr Adams asked a question relating to the number of ticket sales for the Island Rock Festival to date. The Portfolio Holder explained that the Isle of Wight Council was not involved in ticket sales this year, but he believed that approximately 20,000 tickets had been sold to date.

ACTION LIST FROM PREVIOUS MEETING

a) Project Officer to be employed for two years

The Portfolio Holder informed the Select Committee that the Strategic Director of Environment Services had approached the Isle of Wight Economic Partnership (IWEP) with a view to using one of their officers to begin this work, but to date an officer had not been identified.

b) Full Environment Impact Study to be undertaken as a priority within the Sandown Bay Area

The Portfolio Holder for Economic Development, UK and EU, Regional Issues explained that a full study had been carried out in terms of potential flooding and the plans were on record. The study had given a clear indication of which areas could not be developed. Work was on-going with the Portfolio Holder for Tourism and Leisure to identify what could be developed. A more in-depth study would be carried out, which would be re-charged to developers on a proportional basis.

c) Exploring initiatives for the Sandown Canoe Lake area

The Portfolio Holder for Tourism and Leisure had spoken with the Manager of Sandown Zoo. An overall plan was needed regarding his requirements and how they fitted with the Arup Plan. The Council would provide guidance as necessary.

d) Revetment Lighting

The Portfolio Holder reported that this had now been completed.

e) Nominations for the Sandown Bay Regeneration Steering Group

The Strategic Director of Environment Services had not, as yet, written to local stakeholders and organisations for nominations. Confirmation would be provided from the Director’s office in due course.

The Chairman thanked the Portfolio Holders for their co-operation and positive responses to the Select Committee questions. The Select Committee also endorsed the Chairman’s thanks and appreciation to Mrs Butchers, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Development, Environment and Planning Policy, for her commitment and dedication over the past 4 years.

CHAIRMAN