Leisure, Environment and Community Committee - 24 November 2021

NOTICE AND AGENDA

For a meeting of the Leisure, Environment and Community Committee to be held on Wednesday 24 November 2021 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)Phil Williams (Lead Member Environmental Services and Sustainability)

Roger Seabourne (Lead Member Community Safety and Partnerships)

Paula Hiscocks Alex Michaels

Lisa Hudson Debbie Morris

Stephen King Alison Scarth

David Major Jon Tankard

Joanne Wagstaffe, Chief Executive
16 November 2021

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 - & 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:

For those wishing to speak:

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 if they could contact the Committee team by e-mail ( CommitteeTeam@threerivers.gov.uk ) 48 hours before the meeting.  Registering 48 hours before the meeting allows 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.

For those wishing to observe the meeting can you please contact the Committee Team by email at CommitteeTeam@threerivers.gov.uk  48 hours in advance of the meeting taking place.

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 13 October 2021.

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 REPORT (PERIOD 6)
This report covers this Committees financial position over the medium term (2021 – 2024) as at period 6 (end of September) The Period 6 comprehensive Budget Management report has already been presented to the Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 1 November 2021 which sought approval to a change in the Council’s 2021 - 2024 medium-term financial plan.

LEISURE

6. WATERSMEET PRESENTATION

To receive a presentation.

7. THREE RIVERS DISTRICT COUNCIL PLAY AREA – CAPITAL UPGRADING PROGRAMME 2024 – 2033
The purpose of this report is to provide Members with proposals for the future priority order for upgrading and refurbishing play areas in the District

COMMUNITY SAFETY AND PARTNERSHIPS

8. PUBLIC SAFETY PROTECTION ORDER WITH RESTRICTIONS FOR DOGS EXTENSION
The report requests Members agree to go out to public consultation in order to extend the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) with restrictions for dogs currently in place throughout the District for a further 3 years

9. STRATEGIC, SERVICE AND FINANCIAL PLANNING 2022-2025
This report enables the Committee to comment to the Policy and Resources Committee on the strategic priorities, the Committee’s draft service plans, and the growth bids to support them for the three years commencing on 1 April 2022

• Leisure and Landscapes
• Community Partnerships
• Environmental Protection
• Regulatory Services (items relating to Licensing)

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES AND SUSTAINABILITY

10. COUNCIL MOTION ON GRASS CUTTING
To receive the amended Motion, which is being presented to the Committee under Rule 11(6) to be proposed by Councillor Alex Michaels, seconded by Councillor Joanna Clemens, and to be moved as follows:
Grassland is one of the most unique habitats for wildlife and pollinators in the UK. 97% of species rich grassland in Hertfordshire has been lost since the 1930's and 48% of species associated with it have noticeably declined since 1970
(1) Hertfordshire has predominately chalk bedrock
(2) which often leads to conditions which support chalk meadows which have been called 'the UK's equivalent of rainforest'
(3) Of the total publicly owned land in the District TRDC owns circa 30%.
TRDC resolves to look for opportunities to cease mowing up to 50% of the grassland it owns and manages and replace this with hay meadow management (cutting and clearing twice a year). This will exclude unsuitable areas such as football pitches, areas used for playgrounds (etc.) and include verges, areas in parks and all other areas which are mown and do not need to be mown for a specific recreational reason (e.g. football pitch, playground). This motion will aim to decrease grass cutting by up to 50% of TRDC owned land and achieve concurrent gains in biodiversity. Costs for the cut and lift will likely fall into two areas. Firstly new equipment which may be paid for by cost savings, reduced mowing where possible, existing budgets or a request to P&R. Secondly disposal costs which should be mitigated by creating sacrifice areas wherever possible, or by sale to a biodigester (e.g. the plant at Royston). TRDC will aim to have a plan presented to LEC prior to April 2022, which will take into consideration biodiversity data gathered in the 2021 audit. TRDC will review relevant officers job descriptions within the Leisure department and ensure sustainability is incorporated to re-enforce this shifting outlook.

11. WORK PROGRAMME
To review and make necessary changes to the Committee’s work programme.

12. OTHER BUSINESS – if approved under item 3 above

13. 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 of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under Paragraph 3 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