The Chairman to welcome all to the meeting.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting. Councillors Grey and Werner informed the Chairman that they would be leaving at 7pm to attend another meeting.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor Diment, Alison Alexander and Jane Corry.

To receive an declarations of interest.

No declarations of interest received.

To agree the Part I minutes of the last meeting.

The minutes of the last meeting were Unanimously Agreed after changing the following under Indoor sports strategy and the playing pitch strategy – Paragraph 6,  “A coach for the under 9’s football at the Thames Valley Athletics Centre gave up his position and ended the football club” to “A coach for the under 9’s athletics at the Thames Valley Athletics Centre gave up their position and ended the athletics club”

A presentation from Jane Corry, Norden Farm Centre for the Arts.

Martin Kaye, Chairman, John Seymour, Trustee and Chair of Finance and Ray Bowyer, Committee Financial Controller, all attended the meeting as Jane Corry was unable to attend.

John Seymour went through an overview of the finances 2015/16.John Seymour explained that the plan was tocover the costs and achieve a small net operating surplus after receiving the core grant. The total net income had increased by 8.2%, mainly due to a substantial improvement in the catering contribution. The overhead costs were 6.2% higher, mainly due to the need to meet minimum pay requirements, marketing costs and replacement of the foyer carpet. The overall we achieved was £10.3K operating surplus after our core grant. This was ahead of budget and better than previous year.

For the budget of  2016/17, the income would increase by 4.5%,  mainly due to room hires, donations and gift aid, and pricing. The overheads would  increase by 5.3% due to work place pensions and the living wage. The small operating surplus after RBWM core grant would be maintained.

The highlights of the year included:

•       The 15^th anniversary was celebrated and record numbers of people came to see the shows and take part at the Farm!

•       Another 3 years of core funding by RBWM was awarded.

•       Norden Farms own show, Kipper’s Snowy Day toured in London & Leicester for Christmas and played to over 7000 people, whilst another show was played to over 10,500!

•       The Norden Farm Night School was launched, which was immediately popular.

•       Norden Farm were voted number 1 attraction in Maidenhead by Trip Advisor and they received their second Certificate of Excellence.

Martin Kaye went through the 2015/16 actual numbers and highlighted that students from 23 RBWM primary and 5 secondary schools made sculptures, saw plays and live films, quizzed actors, wrote poetry, improvised on Shakespeare, made instruments, designed theatre lighting, wove willows and created animations.

Special projects at Norden Farm included:

•       Jump In! Family Arts Festival

•       Norden Farm Beach

•       6 week project with 8 local primary schools.

•       Daily beach craft and story telling sessions.

•       Activity weeks in circus,  theatre and art.

•       Family shows & Films.

•       Young Leadership Scheme.

•       Annual Lantern Parade: Carnival of the Animals.

Subsidised Hires for community groups included 38 days to members of the Maidenhead Arts Council. Performances included Tale of Two Cities, God of Carnage –Red Hot Theatre and Allo, Allo.

Norden Farm are looking at a corporate membership scheme, new seats for the farm, £250 each with a plaque for ten years and an education wing, for which, feasibility funding has now been secured from the Arts Council, RBWM and others.

The Chairman commented that there was a lot of physical management at Norden Farm, it was a very well run organisation. The £100k grant was an enabler for Norden Farm to take forward projects. Martin Kaye explained that the Norden Farm ethos was to do things for the community in Maidenhead. To do this,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

A presentation from Mark Camp-Overy, General Manager, Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead contract, Legacy Leisure.

Mark Camp-Overy, General Manager, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead contract, Legacy Leisure, reported on the operational performance of the leisure facilities with RBWM in 2016.

The following centres were included:

·         Braywick Park

·         Cox Green Leisure Centre

·         Charters Leisure Centre

·         Furze Platt Leisure Centre

·         Magnet Leisure Centre

·         Windsor Leisure Centre

Some of the facilities included:

·         Station gym

·         Tennis courts

·         Netball courts

·         Fitness studios

·         Pools

·         Children’s parties

To list a few.

Other points highlighted included:

·         Increase in overall attendance in 2016 which was a 14% growth in overall attendance.

·         More than 724 gym memberships collections.

·         236 instructor led group exercise classes a week, 64 more classes than 2015.

·         7% increase of swimmers booked on to the Aquazone Swim School.

·         63 more front line staff employed in 2016.

·         4 more new partnerships.

·         9 apprentices currently employed in the leisure centres.

·         3 National Governing Body and Sport England funded projects.

·         Sell out Christmas pantomime.

·         63 centre developments in 2016.

Feedback was now mainly received by online channels. These were monitored daily with a 24 hour response time limit. All feedback was reported monthly to the Client Officer. Customer comment cards were proactively advertised to gain feedback, which were located at the main reception areas within the centres.

Regular mystery shops were carried out. These reports covered the customer experience. These were used as ongoing training assessments for sites.

Health and safety remained the upper most priority. Audits were carried out every March and September and then reported to the Management teams.

The Chairman commented that it was an incredibly positive picture but was there an area where expectations had not been met. Mark Camp-Overy informed the Panel that gym membership was still down and many promotions were taking place to encourage people to join.

Councillor Gilmore raised that the changing rooms at Maidenhead Leisure Centre needed refurbishment and the cleanliness was also questionable by late afternoon. Mark Camp-Overy commented that the maintenance at Maidenhead leisure centre was ongoing and if the cleanliness was not great then they needed to know to continue to apply the resources to ensure it was better.

Councillor Grey asked where the increase in staff was, the fitness instructors and recreation assistants have been increased. Legacy leisure do a lot of work on succession planning, assisting staff to reach roles they want to work in. One of the apprentices at Windsor leisure centre was the one who saved the drowning man in Windsor.

Councillor McWilliams asked who was in charge of the pitch strategy and understood that it was Legacy Leisure. Mark Camp-Overy explained that it was the centre manager that dealt with all issues and regular discussions were taking place with the school. Any issues could be raised with him and he would look it. Councillor McWilliams would speak to Mark Camp-Overy outside of the meeting.

Councillor Werner had heard from many parents that complaints were not resolved. Councillor Werner asked how could the leisure centres reinvigorate the complaints procedure. Mark Camp-Overy explained that the complaints procedure was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

To receive the Budget 2017/18 Report.

Rob Stubbs, Head of Finance/Deputy Director Corporate & Community Services reported on the Budget Report 2017/18 as below:

Local Revenue Investments

•       Adults, Children’s and Health Services:

•       Forecast cost increases to meet more resident needs: £1,000,000.

•       Meeting increased costs such as National Minimum Wage: £350,000.

•       Increasing costs in residential care homes: £200,000.

•       Covering costs of local residents outside of area Ordinary Residence: £250,000.

•       More children’s social workers to reduce work loads: £180,000.

•       Rising home to school transport for special needs pupils: £330,000.

•       Increasing early years pupil premium spend: £120,000 over 3 yrs.

•       Expanding the practical support for homeless Residents: £400,000.

•       Other services: priority needs; £1.6m, including:

•       Expanding the planning team’s expertise and capacity: £196,000.

•       Increasing the care and maintenance of public trees: £100,000.

•       More grants for voluntary organisations: £160,000.

•       Funding the apprenticeship levy: £280,000

Revenue recommendations

Total band D £961.46 :

•       In 16/17 this was £373 less than the average unitary, £213 less than any other Berkshire unitary and £189 less than any other unitary.

•       3% adult social care precept at band D of £27.75, adding to the 2% in 16/17 of £18.14.

•       0.95% increase in council tax at band D, adding £8.62 to the £906.95 which did not increase from 15/16 to 16/17.

•       0.95% is half of the reference inflation of 2.0% in Sep16 and the 1.99% increase permitted without a local referendum.

•       Fees and charges are either not increased, or are increased at or below 2.0%, or are aligned to other councils.

•       Increases the real terms reduction in core council tax over eight years to 32.5% plus a priority adult social care levy of 5%.

2017/18 Capital Investment

•       Interest costs avoided in recent years by funding capital projects from available cash balances.

•       Capital receipts from the Maidenhead regeneration from 2018 to 2025 justify £73m of medium term borrowing in 17/18 for:

•       Full capital programme including slippage:£10.0m.

•       Ongoing schools expansion: £12.1m.

•       LED street lighting: £1.6m.

•       Consolidating the St Clouds Way development site: £4.5m.

•       Stage one expansion Broadway Car Park: £9.4m net: total £17.8m.

•       Stage one new leisure centre: £14.5m: total £29.0m.

•       Enhanced York House Windsor: £9.2m.

•       Other property and parking improvements: £8.3m.

•       Thames flood protection scheme contribution: £0.3m.

Business Rates – for business

•       Small business rate relief doubling to 100%  up to £15, 000.

•       Local newspaper business rate relief of £1,500 per title.

•       All locally controlled rate reliefs maintained.

•       Rural rate relief extended and redefined from large parishes to smaller voting wards.

•       Relief for reinvigorating vacant retail units to be extended to all commercial and industrial premises.

•       Ongoing deliberations and consultations on how local government will retain all business rates by the end of this Parliament.

Context of Report

•       Increased demand in adult social care with a permitted precept of up to 3% in each of 17/18, 18/19 & 19/20 capped at 6% in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

Chairman to update Panel on the progress from the task and finish groups.

The Brocket Task and Finish Group

The Chairman informed the Panel that there had been a task and finish group to discuss the best way forward for The Brocket. The Chairman advised all that there would be an open day at The Brocket. The event would take place on Saturday 11 February from 11am until 3pm and would be an opportunity for residents to visit the Grade II listed building and put forward suggestions for its future use.

Playing Fields Task and Finish Group

In response to a request from Cabinet, a Task & Finish Group is to be established to undertake a review of Joint Use Community Facilities agreements, the various joint use agreements and these would cover facilities as well as pitches.

Informal Maidenhead Riverside Task and Finish Group

Looking at ways to promote, develop and present the Maidenhead Riverside.

The Clerk to report on future agenda items.

The work programme was noted by Panel Members.

Members to note the date of the next meeting will be:

Tuesday 21 March 2017 – 6.30pm – Council Chamber, Town Hall, Maidenhead.

The date of the next meeting was noted by Panel Members.