Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which provides information and guidance to assist the Board in developing its work programme for 2009/10.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report with attached appendices, providing Members with information and guidance to assist the Board in developing its work programme for 2009/10.

The Chair welcomed Ed Mylan, Chief Officer (Resources and Strategy) and Paul Stephens, Chief Economic Development Officer, who were attending the meeting on behalf of the Director City Development who was unavailable.  It was reported that Paul Maney, Head of Policy, Performance and Improvement had intended to attended today's meeting but was ill.  Councillor A Carter, Executive Board Member for Development and Regeneration and Councillor J Procter, Executive Board Member for Leisure had both submitted their apologies due to prior commitments.

Officers responded to Members’ questions and discussed possible items for inclusion in the Board's work programme.

The Chief Officer (Resources and Strategy) advised Members that all the Chief Officers within the City Development Directorate had been invited to put forward items they would like to see on the Board’s work programme.

Members commented on and sought further clarification from the Chief Officers on particular issues for possible inclusion in the Board’s future work programme.  In summary, discussion centred around the following topics:

·  Climate change and reducing carbon emissions:

o  Making Council property and equipment more energy efficient – use of solar power, educating staff to save energy

o  Improving the efficiency of street lighting

o  Energy monitors available to borrow from Otley Library

Members agreed to receive a report to the September meeting of the Board on City Council initiatives to reduce carbon emissions with a view to undertaking further scrutiny.

·  Transport:

o  Improving public transport and encouraging people not to use cars

o  Lack of park and ride schemes

The Board was advised that the Chief Highways Officer would be consulting with the Board in the Autumn on the Leeds City Region Transport Strategy Vision.

·  Leisure Centres:

o  Members were advised that a report on the Vision for Sport would be submitted to the July meeting of the Executive Board.  Scrutiny Board requested input to the 5 year vision and to undertake some further scrutiny.

o  Members were updated on the concept of a Trust running the leisure centres and the reasons for it not being progressed at this stage..

o  The free swimming initiative for under 16s and over 60s – Members were advised that the Council had been compensated by the Government and received some capital monies. It was reported that this initiative was to have cost the Council approximately £50,000 but because a number of authorities had declined an invitation to participate in this scheme, the Council had received a bigger share of the available funds and the cost was now almost zero.

·  Visits:

o  The Chair suggested that arrangements be made for members of the Board to visit South Leeds Sports Centre, John Charles Acquatic Centre, the building site of the new well being PFI sports centre at Morley and Roundhay Park Mansion prior to it’s official opening.

·  City Centre Conference:

o  Improving Signage in Leeds City Centre.

Members agreed to receive a report to a future Board meeting to update members on the work being undertaken to improve signage in the station area and city centre following the City Centre Conference.

·  Attendance at  Concert Venues:

o  In response to Members’ concerns regarding the under use of concert venues in the city and the high average age of the audience at orchestral performances in general, it was agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Board on the use of cultural venues and initiatives to encourage attendance by young people.

·  Promotion of Events:

o  Members expressed concerns about how Leeds presented and marketed itself and provided examples of events and venues being poorly advertised.  Officers advised that this was in part a budgetary issue, but that events were advertised and promoted and  that many events were nevertheless over subscribed.  Members should advise the officers if there were concerns over specific events.

o  Members were advised that the main focus of Marketing Leeds was the promotion of Leeds on the international stage, not the promotion of specific events, although the emphasis of Marketing Leeds could be changed by Leeds City Council.

o  Members suggested Marketing Leeds submit a report on the work it undertook to promote the city nationally and internationally and whether it could undertake further promotional work of specific events in the city.

·  Accessibility by Public Transport to Hospitals:

o  Members were advised that discussions between LCC, Metro and NHS always took place as to public transport accessibility to hospital sites as part of the planning process.

·  Review of Libraries:

o  Members indicated they wanted a report updating them on progress to review libraries with a view to undertaking further scrutiny.

·  Playbuilder Initiative:

o  Members were advised that there was a report to Executive Board in June on a programme to build or significantly refurbish play facilities in Leeds.  The Board requested to see this report.

·  Agenda for an Improved Economic Performance:

o  Officers advised that a report on the Agenda for an Improved Economic Performance would be presented to the Executive Board in July.  It was anticipated that the Scrutiny Board (City Development) would be involved in this consultation in late 2009.

o  In response to a query, Officers advised that there were procedures in place with Job Centre Plus if there were a mass of sudden redundancies in Leeds.

·  Planning:

o  It was reported that the Chief Planning Officer would like to review the method by which public consultation of planning applications were advertised and the Board agreed to undertake scrutiny of this matter later in the year.

·  Conservation Unit:

o  The Board indicated that it wished to review the Conservation Unit and progress in undertaking conservation area surveys and to include this in the Board's work programme 

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the report, appendices and information discussed be noted with a view to developing the Board’s work programme.

(b)  That reports on the following topics be included in the Board’s Work Programme:

·  Climate Change and Initiatives to reduce carbon emissions – September meeting.

·  Leeds City Region Transport Strategy Vision.

·  Leeds’ Vision for Sport.

·  Improving Signage in the City Centre following the City Centre Conference.

·  Concert Venues.

·  Promotion of venues and events and Marketing Leeds.

·  Playbuilder Initiative.

·  Review of Libraries.

·  Agenda for Improved Economic Performance Review - late 2009.

·  Review of advertising of planning applications.

·  Conservation Unit and Conservation Area Surveys.

(c)   That arrangements be made for members of the Board to visit South Leeds Sports Centre, John Charles Acquatic Centre, the building site of the new well being PFI sports centre at Morley and Roundhay Park Mansion on a day which was not a Board meeting.