5. The Working Group reflects the overarching nature of the role which will promote the delivery of healthier and more attractive public facilities which will boost Civic Pride as much as it is designed to support the economy and to delivery safer communities.

6. The Council is committed to developing a clear vision of its activities which links to the 2020 vision for the Island. This will enable resources to be used to achieve the objectives in the Aim High change management plan and contribute to the cleaner, greener, safer aims of the local area agreement by improving the local environment, increasing civic engagement, enabling service delivery through partnerships and responding to service demands.

7. The Council’s Aim High plan includes a gatekeeping role to review new projects that my or may not be incorporated in the plan. This gatekeeping role involves an assessment of outputs, resources and risk over time and is scored through a matrix which assesses potential improvements to Council services. In this case, the gatekeeping score result is 119.

OBJECTIVES

8. The Council aims to become an excellent council by adopting a community leadership approach to driving improvement. The key part of that aim will be to promote and support a spirit of civic pride across the Island. This will involve:

· ensuring community public facilities, open spaces, paths and highways under control or ownership of the Council meet the highest possible standards and are accessible to all;

· ensuring meaningful consultation with the community and key stakeholders;

· adopting a community-lead partnership approach to future management control and disposal of public assets;

· ensuring that a corporate approach is adopted throughout the Council to promote civic pride in all Council undertakings.

CIVIC PRIDE GROUP

9. The Civic Pride Group was formed to consider how best to improve civic pride on the Island and has met on several occasions to develop proposals. In the first place it was felt appropriate that the focus should begin with public conveniences which are unsuitable for purpose, difficult to clean and in poor condition. In order to bring them in line with the goals of the Aim High change plan, facilities have been reassessed and a proposed action plan for improvement is set out below.

10. In bringing forward this action plan, the Group has considered a range of issues including repairs backlog, cleaning contract, the scale of demand, flexible provision, forming partnerships, resourcing change, accessibility and promotion of tourism.

11. In bringing forward this report the Group has then put together both the short-term objectives and long-term goals. The short-term objectives are as follows:

· improve performance of cleaning contractor;

· utilise a dedicated contractor to daily remedy minor, historic repairs and immediate repairs;

· improve ventilation in high footfall areas;

· investigate management partnerships with local businesses;

· consider use of cost-effective, high quality mobile units in peak periods;

· consider CCTV provision through safer communities to resolve problem locations.

LONG-TERM GOALS

· To ring-fence available funds in terms of both capital and revenue and ensure these are redeployed to improve facilities and the service.

· To develop robust management relationships with local businesses.

· To liaise with Tourism to identify where resources shall be concentrated.

· Grasp opportunities that arise from long-term development projects.

FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPLICATIONS

12. The current revenue budget, prior to any impact of the 2006-07 budget strategy, is £465,752 which provides for cleaning contract, rates, utilities etc, and for building maintenance, but does not include capital financing and central support service costs.

13. The above budget figure assumes some closures will be made sufficient to achieve savings of £18,000, in accordance with the 2005-06 budget strategy’s imposition of a £38,000 savings requirement, subsequently offset by £20,000 transferred from Members’ Allowances.

14. These figures do not include any potential impact of 2006-07 budget strategy to be determined by the Council at its meeting on 22 February 2006.

15. Service provision cannot be sustained at its current level within existing revenue budget, and any extension of the service, such as longer opening hours, would add to the existing shortfall.

16. With regard to capital improvements might be funded from the sale of existing assets, subject to the Strategic Asset Management Strategy..

CIVIC PRIDE GROUP INITIATIVE

17. Property Services have assessed all current assets. If ring-fencing of capital and revenue were approved and a programme of works agreed, the estimates are that over a period of time 2 to 3 years:

· Revenue – selected closures or mergers could generate revenue savings, half of which could be reinvested in other sites to maintain service standards.

· Estimates Potential Net Revenue savings of approximately £30,000 based on current service provision.

· To undertake improvements such as extension of season would cost more than current service provision and budget allows, approximately £10,000 for extending seasonal openings from 1 April to 31 October. Revenue bids are likely to be required.

· Capital could be realised from sale of sites and realigned to provide a reinvestment opportunity in public conveniences of approximately £950,000.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

18. The Council has power under Part 1 of the Local Government Act 2000 to promote the economic, environmental and social well-being of the Island where this is consistent with the community strategy.

TABLE OF ALL PUBLIC CONVENIENCES AND RECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN

Wards	Location		Action Plan
1	Havenstreet Church Road Toilets		Closed
2	Bembridge High Street Toilets		Retain / Improve / Explore partnership
2	Bembridge The Point Toilets		Site visit
3	Bembridge Lane End Toilets		Retain / Improve / Explore partnership
4	Ryde Binstead Recreation Toilets		Query usage
5	Brading Car Park Toilets	S	Retain / Protect / Explore partnership, Town Trust?
5	Brading West Street Toilets		Merge with Car park toilets?
5	St Helens The Duver Toilets		Retain / Improve / Explore partnership
5	St Helens The Green Toilets		Query usage
6	Brighstone Car Park Toilets		Retain / Explore partnership
6	Freshwater Compton Bay Car Park Toilets		Explore partnership National Trust
8	Carisbrooke Car Park Toilets		Retain / Improve
10	Niton Church Street Toilets		Poss. Development & Realign with Youth club
11	Cowes Mornington Green Toilets		Retain
11	Cowes Parade Toilets	S	Retain / Improve / Need vastly improving
11	Cowes The Cut Toilets	P	Retain / improve / redevelopment
12	Cowes Northwood Park Toilets		Merge with Park Rd Car park toilets?
12	Cowes Park Road Car Park Toilets	S	Retain / Improve / See Northwood Park
12	Cowes Park Road Recreation Ground Toilets		Retain / Improve / Protect / Explore partnership
14	Cowes Floating Bridge Toilets		Query usage
15	East Cowes Albany Road Toilets		Retain / Improve / Protect
15	East Cowes Esplanade Toilets	P	In partnership with Town Council
16	East Cowes Osborne Road Toilets		Explore partnership Town Council (town hall)
17	Newport Seaclose Park Toilets		Retain / Improve
18	Freshwater Moa Place Toilets		Retain / Explore partnership
18	Freshwater Stroud Recreation Ground Toilets		Demolished!
18	Freshwater Gate Lane Toilets		Retain / Improve
19	Freshwater Colwell Bay Toilets		Retain / Improve / Explore partnership
20	Cowes Shore Road Toilets		Retain / Explore partnership
21	Lake New Road Toilets		Poss. Development
22	Lake Cliff Gardens Toilets (Skew Bridge)		Retain / Improve
22	Sandown Battery Garden Toilets		Site visit
25	Newport Town Quay Toilets		Retain temp - Poss. long term development
25	Newport Post Office Lane Toilets	S	Retain / Improve / Ventilation
26	Newport Church Litten Toilets		Replace PC's & Car park if disposed of
28	East Cowes Prince of Wales Toilets		Closed / Sell?
31	Ryde Eastern Esplanade Toilets		Canoe Lake / Ventilate
31	Ryde Western Esplanade Toilets		Retain pending interchange / Protect
32	Ryde Lind Street Toilets		Retain / Improve
33	Ryde St Johns Road Toilets		Retain / Improve / Explore partnership
36	Ryde Appley Park - Toilets		Retain / Improve / Protect / Explore partnership
37	Sandown Eastern Gardens Toilets	S	Retain / Improve / Protect
37	Sandown Sandham Grounds Café Toilets		Retain / Protect / Explore partnership
37	Sandown Yaverland Car Park Toilets	S	Retain / Improve / Protect / Explore partnership
37	Sandown Devonia Esplanade Toilets		Demolish
38	Sandown Lake Slipway Toilets		Retain
38	Sandown Pier Street Toilets		Protect / Poss. Development
38	Sandown St Johns Road Car Park Toilets		Retain / Improve
39	Ryde Puckpool Park Toilets		Retain / Improve
39	Seaveiw Seagrove Bay (off Gully Rd)	S	Retain
39	Seaview Rope Walk Toilets		Transfer / Development
40	Yarmouth Bridge Road Toilets		Retain / Improve
40	Yarmouth The Common Toilets		Query usage
41	Shanklin Spa Car Park Toilets		Close / Redevelopment
41	Shanklin Tower Cottage Toilets		Retain / Improve
41	Shanklin Town Hall Toilets		Closed
43	Shanklin Esplanade Toilets	P	Retain / Improve / Explore partnership
43	Shanklin Cemetery Toilets		Closed
43	Shanklin Chine Cliff Toilets		Retain / Improve / Explore partnership
43	Shanklin Falcon Cross Toilets		Retain / Improve
43	Shanklin Rylestone Garden Toilets	P	Retain / Improve / Protect / Explore partnership
44	Totland Broadway Toilets		Closed
44	Totland Madeira Road Toilets	P	Retain / Explore partnership
45	Ventnor Bonchurch Village Toilets		Retain
45	Ventnor Bonchurch Shore Toilets		Retain / Explore partnership
45	Ventnor Pound Lane Toilets		Close / Development
45	Ventnor Smugglers Haven Toilets	P	Retain / Explore partnership
45	Ventnor Marlborough Rd.	S	Retain / Improve
45	Ventnor Wheelers Bay Car Park & Toilets	P	Retain / Explore partnership
46	Ventnor Western Esplanade Toilets	S	Retain / Improve / Poss. Development
46	Ventnor Bath Road Toilets		Close / Sale
46	Ventnor Botanic Garden Toilets		Usage
46	Ventnor Newport Road Toilets		Close
46	Ventnor Park Avenue Toilets		Building life expired / Close
46	Ventnor Steephill Cove Toilets	P	Retain / Explore partnership
47	Wootton Brannon Way Toilets		Retain / Explore partnership
47	Wootton Recreation Ground Toilets		Closed
48	Godshill Main Road Toilets		Poss. Development
48	Wroxall Grove Road Toilets		Retain / Explore partnership

KEY
Retain Site
Investigate Options
Dispose of site / Closed / Demolished
To become Special block	S
To go into Partnership	P

OPTIONS

19.

(a) Do nothing.

(b) Enhanced status quo, ie Monitor the situation, revise existing strategies, and recommend closure to enable the priority sites to remain open.

EVALUATION/RISK MANAGEMENT

20. Whilst the provision of public conveniences by a local authority may not be a statutory function the Isle of Wight Council recognises the importance and need of this service to the Island. The Council has committed to improving the quality of public conveniences provided for the community and visitors to the Island and for these reasons the option to do nothing is not available.

21. The Council could look to retain the existing 72 public conveniences as provided in and around the Island and enhance the status quo as and when opportunities arise. However, this is unlikely to be a sustainable proposition in that it will not create early improvements or provide a sustainable service without significant resources being given to facilities that on balance are no longer needed or are life expired.

22. By undertaking a comprehensive review through the Civic Pride Group it has been possible to balance need against real demand, the need for a flexible approach to provision in terms of capacity and to secure significant investments that modernise and improve standards.

23. The principal changes proposed above support tourism to the Island, growth of the local economy and aims to put the pride back into public facilities whilst supporting local businesses and showing partnerships. By revising the cleaning contracts this has enhanced the quality of that operation and secured a new working timetable by looking at redevelopment opportunities and by testing those through wide community consultation the Council will be best able to realign both its revenue and capital resources to redirect priorities that achieve a sustainable service.

24. There remains some further consultation particularly with Town and Parish Councils and there is considerable work still to be undertaken in terms of improvements to existing fabric, existing contracts and new provision to take place over the forthcoming middle term. These changes require the continued support of the Cabinet as well as the persistence of the Civic Pride Group to secure the outcomes now being proposed.

RECOMMENDATIONS

25. It is recommended that the cabinet give specific authorisation to the Head of Engineering Services and to the Cabinet Members for Resources and Transport & Planning to:

· develop a business plan to implement proposals set out in this report and,

· to deliver that plan, within existing resources.

Contact Point : Tony Flower, Head of Property Services ' 823263 [email protected]

MR TONY FLOWER

Head of Property Services

COUNCILLOR JILLY WOOD

Cabinet Member for Resources, Audit, an Efficient Council and

Customer Champion

SUMMARY/PURPOSE

STRATEGIC CONTEXT