Agenda item

The Assistant Director informed the Committee that at the previous meeting held on 19 June 2018, and looking ahead to the October meeting, the Committee resolved to re-establish the informal working group to look into special expenses with Councillor Middleton being invited to join Councillors Joyce and Mrs Wilkinson on the group.

Given the limited time available this year as the KLACC recommendations on Special Expenses would need to be made at the 29 October meeting, the group agreed to focus on certain key areas for the review.  These were:

·        Grass cutting; and

·        Community Centres.

In relation to grass cutting, it was noted that the Environment and Community Panel would be looking to establish an informal working group to look into the issue.  This was currently on the work programme for 4 December 2018.  It was felt that rather than replicate the potential work of E & C, at least one Member of KLACC should be on any informal working group set up by E & C.

The Assistant Director explained that in relation to Community Centres the present trading accounts of the Fairstead and South Lynn community centres were attached to the report.  They showed that in the current financial year to date, collectively between the two centres there was currently an underspend of £1998.00.  Therefore there was the possibility that some of the surplus could be used for other purposes, and the need for a marketing budget had been suggested by the informal working group in the past as a way to boost income.  However it was considered prudent to retain some of the underspend to potentially cover issues such as a drop in income or an unforeseen issue that may need attention for the remainder of the financial year.

The Assistant Director drew the Committee’s attention to the recommendations set out in the report.

Councillor Joyce added that community centres cost a lot of money particularly with regard to business rates.  The Working Group had tried to look at ways to reduce the cost of community centres and it was felt that by more marketing this could bring in more customers.

The Leader, Councillor Long informed the Committee that he had attended a briefing at County Hall where it was explained that County would be looking to put more staff into ‘hubs’ and would be looking to use community halls, libraries, etc.  This could bring a dedicated source of income into those facilities.

He also added that he was supportive of the proposal for some of the under-spend on Community Centres to be used for marketing purposes.

Councillor McGuinness referred to the report, where it mentioned limited time available.  The Assistant Director explained that the Committee had undertaken a full review of Special Expenses the previous year, therefore it was considered that a light touch was required for this financial year. 

Councillor Howman made reference to grass cutting and that there needed to be more cuts carried out and weed spraying.  He asked if Special Expenses could be used to increase grass cutting in areas.

Reference was made to the Informal Working Group to be set up by the E & C Panel which would be looking at grass cutting and the need for a member of this Committee to sit on that Working Group.

Councillor Middleton added that he sat on the Informal Working Group which looked at grass cutting and the Community Centres.  He considered that the marketing of the community centres needed to be looked at and welcomed the use of the under-spend for marketing purposes.

Councillor Mrs Wilkinson agreed with the comments which had been made regarding the findings of the Informal Working Group.  She added that if county services were being relocated to community centres, libraries, etc then the sites needed to be looked at to ensure that there would be good working conditions for staff.

The Chairman thanked Councillors Joyce, Middleton and Mrs Wilkinson for the work carried out by the Informal Working Group.

Councillor McGuinness suggested that if at the end of the year it was found that the contingency sum was not being used, then this money could also be used in the future for marketing purposes.  The Committee agreed to amend condition 3.

AGREED:       (1)        That, the Committee request that any Environment & Community Informal Working Group looking into grounds maintenance (including grass cutting) should include at least one member of KLACC.

(2)        That at its September meetings going forward, the Committee receives a monitoring report on expenditure within special expenses.

(3)        That a budget of £1,000 be set aside for ways of promoting community centres, to be spent this financial year, given the current underspend in the community centres budget.  In the event of a continued underspend, at the end of the financial year, the remainder of the monies be available to the Committee for a future marketing campaign.

(4)        That in the event that (3) above is agreed, the Informal Working Group meet with officers to agree ways of spending the marketing budget.