Minutes:
Leader of the Council
“Thank you, Madam Chairman and firstly can I say how good it is to see you back in the Chair. I know that you’ve been so poorly lately and for you to come back even though you’re not fully well I think shows your strength and determination and I’m very pleased for one to see you back here.
Madam Chairman, I’d first like to just update Members on a few urgent items that have happened in my Portfolio since the last meeting. Firstly with the Place Enhancement Board. Work on the place is really beginning to take shape and I’m pleased that it’s being led by a very pro-active private sector led partnership. The next steps will be in the upcoming Cabinet report in November which will then be pushed out to Members.
In terms of economic growth, Madam Chairman, on Friday the 21st September the Annual Ashfield Jobs Fair was held at the Festival Hall in Kirkby. The event was attended by almost a thousand people and they were able to visit sixty five stands which were occupied by a mixture of employers, agents and training providers with local and national employers like the Armed Forces. There were well over a thousand jobs on offer. I spoke to all the exhibitors and local residents as usual and the feedback was very positive.
We continue to manage our successful business grant scheme which is aimed at stimulating business start-up, business growth and shop front improvements. Almost £60,000 still remains in that pot, Madam Chairman, and it’s therefore still open for local businesses to apply. Andrew I’m looking at you, we want some good news in the Chad about that, about how much money we’ve got available and we’re very keen for businesses to come forward and apply for some of that funding we’ve got.
Of course, Madam Chairman, I meet regularly with major local businesses to find out their concerns. Just recently I’ve met with a very large national retailer about their growth plans, with successful local manufacturing businesses and also with the Mansfield and Ashfield 2020 network of small and medium sized businesses. Yesterday was my fifth business breakfast with those groups and again it was incredibly successful. I’m determined to ensure that the procurement for the new Kirkby Leisure Centre is a model of good practice as well regarding local businesses and apprenticeships across all trades and services.
With regard to planning, we have begun the research and development work on the new Local Plan 2018 to 2037. As I said at the Extraordinary Council meeting on the 6th September, I want a greater degree of ambition and creativity in the next Plan. A Cabinet report setting out the next steps went to the 1st October Cabinet Meeting and we are currently working up a more detailed timeline of activities which I will bring back to Members in due course.
Also at the 1st October meeting, I announced a consultation on a new design guide for those who might want to convert vacant retail premises into residential. While our retail vacancy rates are not out of step with other comparable areas, there are too many which are simply being left. I hope Members will support this new guidance and I would want to bring a report back to Cabinet in due course.
Conservation Area status is being investigated for Hucknall Town Centre following a year of development including engagement with the local Historic Society, a proposed conservation area has been developed and was presented to Cabinet on October the 1st. Wide ranging consultation is now underway and I will be bringing forward another report in due course.
We are prioritising dealing with dilapidated and empty commercial and industrial land and premises. We much prefer to work with the owners to bring this premises or land up to a reasonable standard but if they are not willing to work with us we will not hesitate to enforce. We are in the process of taking enforcement action against several of the worse grot spots. I will keep Members briefed on progress and we have already, Madam Chairman, had two or three successful court orders ruling in our favour. We will be tough on those that leave our District untidy or unpleasant to view.
Madam Chairman, that is my Leader’s briefing, thank you.”
Cabinet Member (Outward Focus)
“Thank you, Chairman. Can I say how happy I am to see you in the Chair even though you’re not a hundred per cent and I know you’ll do a fine job as you always do.
Chairman, the Housing Department is pleased to announce that as of the end of Quarter 2, its rent collection figures are the highest they have ever been at this time of year when compared to any previous year. The income collection team is noted as being one of the highest performing income teams in the land and has achieved its success through offering different forms of services to those tenants who can’t pay and those who won’t pay.
This is a tremendous achievement on the eve of the launch of Universal Credit across the Ashfield District, thus meaning the team can focus on helping tenants with their current financial issues rather than still having to deal with debts from the past. I would also like to thank both the Director of Housing and the Manager of Tenancy Services for providing a very informative Members’ briefing on the subject of Universal Credit last week which I attended.
Ashfield Housing Services, whether as the Council or Ashfield Homes, has always had a strong commitment to providing opportunities for apprentices. Building on previous successes I am delighted to announce that Ashfield won not one but two awards at the Association for Public Service Excellence Awards event in Stoke last week. The first award was for our plumbing apprentice, Keaton Pierce, who lives locally in the District. And the second in recognition for Ashfield District Council’s commitment as an employer to the apprentice scheme. Further awards have been forthcoming as well after winning the East Midlands Regional Award for energy efficiency in relation to its upgrade work to tenants’ homes, we were represented at the region at the national awards last month and received a special commendation for our efforts.
Contracts have been formalised to fit new communal heating systems in both Nuncar and Aspley Courts. The schemes will provide a more responsive heating system to residents as well as lowering the Council’s carbon footprint. The Council will this month let nine family units on Hawker Way in Hucknall, with the remaining seven to be let shortly.
The Cabinet visited Rolls Royce with the Director of Housing to view the nine properties being delivered by Persimmon Homes on that site and I can confirm that the homes are built to a very high standard and will be a great addition to Ashfield’s housing stock, supplying much needed family accommodation in the face of growing numbers of applicants and the loss of many properties due to Right to Buy which stands at around fifty units lost last year.
The Council is now over half way towards its target of achieving the purchase of twelve properties from the HRA’s £1 million acquisition fund in order to provide much needed accommodation for those on the housing waiting list. In addition to this the Council is actively pursuing the purchase of the former Hucknall By-Pass properties from the County Council. I am sure this Council looks forward to the Housing Department coming forward for more funding to buy yet more properties. Thank you, Chairman.”
Deputy Leader of the Council (Outward Focus)
“Thank you, Madam Chairman. I echo my colleagues’ words, glad to see you back in that chair.
I’ll just be very brief, there’s just a couple of points that I wanted to bring up. The first one I wanted to talk about was Brierley Visitors Centre. I know a lot has been said on Facebook about Brierley and I thank you for approaching us, Councillor Anderson, about this issue. The Brierley Visitors Centre isn’t closing for good, it is having a full revamp, being completely cleaned, gutted, renovated, freshly decorated and that is out to tender at the moment. We’re interviewing potential people to go in and take over the use of that unit as we speak.
We’ve also in the last week had the lady that runs Hucknall’s Titchfield Park hand in her notice on the Titchfield Park in Hucknall. So we are also out to tender for that café as well. But there’ll be no loss of service during that period.
A couple of things that I’m very happy to announce, that a number of projects presented to Cabinet in October as part of the Play Strategy; to invest up to a £120,000 in each of the four areas across the next four years. The strategy will focus on the Rural areas in the first year with projects due to be progressed through the Council’s Capital Gateway process. Subject to approval from the process and approval at Cabinet and Council in November, the following projects are proposed; Friezeland Recreational Ground, Underwood, outdoor gym and scooter park, multi-use games area at Jacksdale Recreation Ground and an extension to the main car park in Jacksdale.
The play area at Broomhill Park is being progressed with the play equipment tender process completed. The play areas are expected to be installed by the end of March next year. Works to replace old play equipment at Sutton Lawn, Morven Park and West Park in Kirkby are due to be completed by February next year. The Council is working with the Sutton Junction Residents Association to complete the replacement of the play areas at Roundhills Recreation Ground. A unique play facility in Ashfield has being installed over the summer at Brierley Forest Park with the Park Trust Group contributing £24,000 towards to the cost of the new equipment. An opening event will take place in October/November incorporating the raising of the green flag.
I’d also like to say that my last point, Madam Chairman, is that yesterday I had a very long meeting with all the bowls clubs across the District and we are doing a lot of work with the bowls clubs to bring all our bowling greens up to a reasonable standard so that we’re not having teams from outside of the District refusing to come and play bowls at our fields. It’s not on…it’s not good and I will put that right.
Thank you, Madam Chairman.”
Deputy Leader of the Council (Inward Focus)
“Thank you Madam Chair and I think first I know everybody’ll be disappointed that Councillor Chapman’s not here to deliver a twenty-two minute speech on his Portfolio but I’m sure he’ll make it up at the next one, Madam Chair.
So can I, can I first thank Council officers for the excellent job they are doing. I’m proud to be standing here today doing my first speech as joint Deputy Leader of Ashfield District Council. The first thing I did when I took over the Leisure Portfolio was to scrap the deal to build a new leisure centre in Kirkby on NHS land.
We cancelled a deal with the NHS to buy the former Ashfield Health and Wellbeing Centre on Portland Street, Kirkby. The previous leadership had wanted to demolish it and turn it into the new leisure centre replacing the Festival Hall on Hodgkinson Road. Residents have been promised a new swimming pool for decades in Kirkby and the Ashfield Independents intend to deliver it.
Work continues at a pace on identification of an appropriate site and work with funders on pulling together a financial contribution to provide this new leisure centre. This is one of our top, if not the top, priorities. We are pleased with the support being shown by the Local Enterprise Partnership and Sport England. This is just the type of partnership working we need if we are to deliver a first class facility for residents to enjoy. I have also been using my influence within the Local Government Association to gather support for this ambitious project.
Another thing I did when I took over, Madam Chairman, was to stop the works to demolish the former Huthwaite Leisure Centre. The closed Huthwaite Leisure Centre was weeks away from being knocked to the ground and the site turned into six new homes.
Following the decision to offer the centre as a base for a community group or business, we are delighted to announce that this Council are working with a hugely popular community group to take over the facility. The facility was originally a school and more recently converted into the leisure centre with a gym, a small court hall, bar, kitchen and snooker room, associated changing rooms and office space with off-street parking.
We invited community groups and other interested parties to submit a sustainable business plan to operate the site at no future cost to the Council. It is absolutely critical that we maintain as many community facilities as possible, Madam Chairman. Residents spoke about the lack of community facilities available in Huthwaite and if the plans go ahead with the community group we are talking to, the future of the building will be safe for future generations. Huthwaite Leisure Centre cost the Council £250 a week. A loss of £12,000 a year. We are determined to keep this valuable asset for future generations. The previous Council’s decision to demolish it was especially contentious as only last year the Council spent £100,000 on a new roof and electrics.
Speaking of retaining leisure facilities, I was pleased that the Cabinet on the 9th July formally approved the operation of Selston Leisure Centre to the transfer of Selston High School. The transfer of the operation to the school makes perfect sense. It allows Selston High School to manage the leisure provision that already is located on their campus, allowing both pupils and the local community to make best use of the facilities available. The Council commissioned a new review to ensure that community and sporting facilities remain affordable, accessible and fit for purpose. The transfer of operational management to Selston High School will ensure this remains the case. The transfer was a common-sense solution to ensure the leisure centre and facilities remain open to all in the Rurals.
One of the greatest success stories of this Council’s leisure centres, is this Council’s Lammas Leisure Centre in Sutton. This year it is celebrating its tenth anniversary whereby Dame Kelly Holmes opened it alongside a fresh-faced Councillor Jason Zadrozny who was then Leader of our District. A fantastic activity hosted by an Olympian and TV personality and also Everyone Active sporting champion Colin Jackson is to be hosted on Saturday November the 3rd. A date for everybody’s diary there. Not sure Jason looks as fresh-faced though now.
I think actually it’s important as well to take the time to talk about some of the events that we’ve hosted in the District. I mean many people will have seen the Tour of Britain and the number of yellow bikes we had put out and the community stalls we hosted in Kirkby and various other locations. Also the money-grabber we had in Sutton town centre on the 8th of September. I mean it was great to see some of the kids, and frankly adults, jumping around there trying to grab, win themselves £100 and I think they’re the kind of big splash events that this Council should aspire to do.
After this meeting I’ll circulate a list of future events that are happening across the District to Members but, for example, there’s the Kirkby down-pouring event on the 19th of this month, a Halloween Spectacular on the 27th of this month, along with Christmas events starting in early December and community events; a community feel along with the leisure facilities are exactly what this Council and what this administration intends to push forward. And I only hope after we’ve had a bit more time under our belts that that list of activities and achievements will grow, Madam Chairman, and I look forward to doing a much more lengthier speech at the next meeting.
Thank you, Madam Chair.”
(During the announcements, Councillor Lauren Mitchell left the room at 7.16 p.m. and returned to the meeting at 7.18 p.m.)