Leisure, Environment and Community Committee - 16 March 2022

NOTICE AND AGENDA

For a meeting of the Leisure, Environment and Community Committee to be held on Wednesday 16  March 2022 at 7.30pm in the Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House, Northway, Rickmansworth, WD3 1RL

Members of the Leisure, Environment and Community Committee:-

Councillors:-

Chris Lloyd (Lead Member for Leisure)

Roger Seabourne (Lead Member Community Safety and Partnerships)

Debbie Morris

Paula Hiscocks

Lisa Hudson

Stephen King

David Major

Alex Michaels

Phil Williams (Lead Member Environmental Services, Climate Change and Sustainability)

Alison Scarth

Jon Tankard

Joanne Wagstaffe, Chief Executive

8 March 2022

Lead Member Responsibilities:

Leisure– Arts development and facilities, Leisure and Community Grants, Leisure Development and Facilities, Open Spaces, Play Areas and Play Development, Public Health Strategy, Sports Development and Facilities, Wellbeing, Woodlands.

Environmental Services, Climate Change & Sustainability Air pollution and Noise Pollution, Animal and Pest Control, Cemeteries and Crematorium; Refuse collection and recycling; Street Cleaning and litter bin emptying; Sustainability, Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

Community Safety and Partnerships –

·       To review or scrutinise decisions made, or other action taken, in connection with the discharge by the responsible authorities of their crime and disorder functions (it is the Crime and Disorder Committee for the purposes of the Police and Justices Act 2006);

·       To make reports or recommendations to the Council with respect to the discharge of those functions;

·       The Committee will be able to co-opt members from the Responsible Authorities (the Community Safety Partnership) should it wish to when reviewing certain projects/decisions.

(We are required by law to have a scrutiny committee to carry out this function)

Disease Control, Food Inspection, Health and Safety, Health and social care, Licensing activities covered by the Licensing Acts, Licensing and Regulatory activities outside the Licensing Acts, Public Spaces Protection Orders, Unlawful Encampments.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public to aid discussions on agenda items at the Leisure, Environment and Community Committee meetings. Details of the procedure are provided below:

Members of the public will be entitled to register and identify which item(s) they wish to speak on from the published agenda for the meeting.  Those who wish to register to speak are asked to contact the Committee team by e-mail ( CommitteeTeam@threerivers.gov.uk ) 48 hours before the meeting although you can register on the night of the meeting.  Registering 48 hours before the meeting gives the Committee Team time to prepare the speaker sheet in advance of the meeting.

Please note that contributions will be limited to no more than three minutes.

Please note that, in the event of registering your interest to speak on an agenda item but not taking up that right because the item is deferred, you will be given the right to speak on that item at the next meeting of the Committee.

If you wish to observe the meeting we ask if you could contact the Committee Team by email at CommitteeTeam@threerivers.gov.uk  48 hours in advance of the meeting taking place although you may attend on the night.

In accordance with The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 any matters considered under Part I business only of the meeting may be filmed, recorded, photographed, broadcast or reported via social media by any person.

Recording and reporting the Council’s meetings is subject to the law and it is the responsibility of those doing the recording and reporting to ensure compliance.  This will include the Human Rights Act, the Data Protection Legislation and the laws of libel and defamation.

The Committee meeting will not being broadcast/livestreamed but an audio recording of the meeting will be made.

1.  APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2.  MINUTES

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Leisure, Environment and Community Committee meeting held on Wednesday 12 January 2022.

3.  ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 30 to be announced, together with the special circumstances that justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chair to rule on the admission of such items.

4.  DECLARATION OF INTERESTS

To receive any declarations of interest.

5.  BUDGET MONITORING – PERIOD 10

This report covers this Committees financial position over the medium term (2021 – 2025) as at Period 10 (end of January)

The Period 10 comprehensive Budget Management report has already been presented to the Policy & Resources Committee at its meeting on 14 March 2022 which sought approval to a change in the Council’s 2021 - 2025 medium-term financial plan

ENVIRONMENT SERVICES, CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY

6.  STAFF ENVIRONMENTAL CHARTER

A proposal to introduce a Staff Environmental Charter to embed and inspire the consideration of environmental and carbon impacts when making decisions, implementing policies, and interacting with the wider District and County. The proposed Environmental Charter also encourages the consideration of climate change in staff’s everyday lives when working from home or the office with particular consideration to transport, waste and energy.

The actions in the Charter are a response to the declaration of a Climate Emergency in 2019 followed by a Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy and associated action plan put together to aid the Council and the District to reach net-zero carbon by 2030 and 2045 respectively.

7.  CLIMATE EMERGENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN UPDATE

This report provides an update on the progress of various initiatives included in the Council’s Climate Emergency and Sustainability Action Plan. Update have been provided by officers and heads of service where appropriate and reflect the work undertaken over the last year.

8.  BIODIVERSITY OPPORTUNITIES AUDIT, INCLUDING ALTERNATIVE GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

The purpose of this report is to summarise the content and implications of the Biodiversity Opportunities Audit (BOA) of minor TRDC open spaces.

The report also includes proposals for alternative grassland management for parts of the district, in particular some of the Council’s major open spaces, such as Chorleywood House Estate and Leavesden Country Park.

The report and Appendices C and E includes financial implications of the recommendations detailed at point 13.1 and 13.2.

Recommendation agreed at Policy and Resources Committee - 14 March 2022

1.  Approved the Biodiversity Opportunities Audit Action Plan proposed in Appendix C and the delivery of an alternative grassland management regime as set out at 2.32 and within Appendix D, subject to any comment from the Leisure, Environment and Community Committee

2. That the implementation of the action plan be agreed within the £100k budget approved as part of the 2022/23 budget decision with additional funding sources being sought for the balance working in partnership with other community based organisations.  Funding for future years will be brought forward as part of the 2023/24 budget process.

9.  TO RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING FINAL SERIVCE PLANS 2022-2025 FOR RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL

• Leisure and Landscapes

• Environmental Protection

• Community Partnerships

• Regulatory Services (items relating to licensing)

10.  WORK PROGRAMME

To review and make necessary changes to the Committee’s work programme

11.  EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

If the Committee wishes to consider the remaining item in private, it will be appropriate for a resolution to be passed in the following terms:-

“that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under Paragraphs 1 to7  of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

(Note:  If other confidential business is approved under item 3, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional items.)

1.  OTHER BUSINESS – if approved under item 3 above

General Enquiries: Please contact the Committee Team at committeeteam@threerivers.gov.uk