Up to 15 minutes are allowed for public participation. Participants are restricted to 3 minutes each.
Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed Mrs Mallen and Mr Ridley to the meeting and invited them to put their 3 questions to the Committee.
Question 1
“Thank you Lady Chairman, ladies & gentlemen.
Can the Chair explain the local plan view on indoor bowls and how the Council is working to adopt the outline strategy? Your local plan is an important document a road map if you like as to how as guardians of the community intend to develop and nurture it in the years to come. All local plans are an complex document that has taken a lot of work and money to develop - it is therefore a valuable document that needs to be used as a guide to how things should happen in your community.
The mid Lincolnshire Local Plan was developed in conjunction with 2 other authorities to give a joined up process for many years to come. It covers not only housing and industry, the local economy, the natural and historic environment, and so it goes on. But it also addresses leisure & sport provision. Just over a year ago, on 24 April 2017, West Lindsey District Council signed up to that mid Lincolnshire Local Plan in preference to the previous one. I know we are only one year down the road since then, but I have a special interest in one section and would like to hear how the Prosperous Communities Committee plan to work on that section of the plan. The plan does touch on other types of bowls: such as short mat, which is acknowledged as a village hall type of activity and is very well provided for in some venues it also addresses outdoor bowls and identifies that specifically that in Gains in the next 5 to 10 years, additional provision will probably be required.
So what I’m enquiring about is the local plan and indoor bowling rinks that are used in national and international competitions and featured on television each year for the world championships. We understand the local plan West Lindsey was estimated in 2012 in to need 7.5 indoor rinks.
Until the end of May 2018 there are 8 rinks; at a stroke on 1st June this will reduce to 5, which puts West Lindsey out of step with the Plan and which creates under-provision.
The final words on indoor bowling in the Plan are in bold, saying there is an increasing importance and role to support indoor bowls.
Thank you.”
Before responding the Chairman advised that this matter had been the subject of discussions at both this Committee and the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee, and subsequently a meeting of Full Council on 9 April 2018. The decisions taken then had been ratified and were now being implemented.
The Chairman responded to the question as follows: -
“Thank you Mrs Mallen for your question. The Central Lincolnshire Local Plan is essentially concerned with development that needs planning permission. Whilst the works to the Leisure Centre will be extensive that are wholly internal (apart from new windows) and these works will not require planning permission. It is also clear that the building, once the works are completed will remain a Leisure Centre and provide facilities for the health and wellbeing of all those that use the centre and this is in accordance with the policies of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.”
Councillor Young raised a point order and requested that the Committee suspend the Standing Orders allowing for the matter to be debated. The Public Participation Scheme sat outside of the Council’s Constitution however the request was put to the vote.
On being put to the vote the request to suspend Standing Orders was not supported and therefore
RESOLVED that Standing Orders be not suspended.
The gallery indicated their discontent and were reminded of the rules of attendance.
Mrs Mallen posed her second question.
Question 2
“Thank you Lady Chairman.
What value do the elected members put on consultations for Prosperous Communities projects with the residents of West Lindsey District Council and how many responses and people approached and a timescale would be a valid process? Much importance is attached in the processes of the UK Government and local councils to public consultation and West Lindsey has the citizen panel. It is seen as a valuable contribution to developing any policy or strategy and the results of the consultation should shape the outcome.
At a meeting with West Lindsey Indoor Bowls Club representatives, it became clear that the proposed change of use for the Indoor Bowls facility came as a complete surprise to the Chair. I was surprised that such a suggestion did not cause a pause to consult with the stakeholders involved and the public in general, rather than just inform them of a fait accompli.
This then made me wonder just how much importance the Committee and Councillors attached to the views of the public and stakeholders when making such decisions or do they just get in the way of Local Government?
Thank you.”
The Chairman responded as follows: -
“There is no statutory obligation for the Council to consult on contract and procurement matters. As these are legal matters we do have to abide by them. Once we became aware of one of the likely outcomes of that particular procurement, as a Council we were keen to engage with the bowls club as soon as practically possible once the decision to award the contract was made and we have been committed and remain committed to securing alternative provision within the leisure centre.”
A further point of order was raised and it was suggested that the matter of consultation should be further discussed as this had not been done so previously.
The Chairman re-iterated her opening comments and the decision which had been passed by the Committee to not suspend standing orders and the matter would not be debated further.
Mrs Mallen posed her third question.
“Thank you Lady Chairman.
To build another permanent indoor bowls hall to the standard of the current facility, it is accepted would cost in the region of £1m. Can you confirm firstly, that the removal of this facility is not just a way of West Lindsey District Council and the leisure provider equipping a fitness gym on the back of health and wellbeing funding?
And secondly, what can be done to ensure this facility can be developed in such a way that it is not completely destroyed, but retained in the event that it needs to be brought back into use?
The Council has decided, in tandem with SLM that they wish to try a new venture at the West Lindsey Leisure Centre in Gainsborough by taking over the indoor bowls hall, and turning it into a quasi-medical facility, providing health and wellbeing services. This is a common business strategy of SLM throughout the country. Everyone has got to be in favour of health and wellbeing provision and Gainsborough would seem to have some challenges on this. However, in discussion with your Officers, the existing GP referral service has not been a success. Why should this venture be any better?
Members of the Indoor Bowls Club, formed when your predecessors were proud to provide the gift of such an excellent facility to the bowling community, they’re concerned that this project away from the centre of town may not be as successful as predicted, or a need is later identified to provide such services as an outreach facility in the centre of town, accessible and on the same level as the ‘bus station and not requiring a climb up Spital Hill – for those needing cardiac rehabilitation or mobility improvement. No ‘buses go to the Leisure Centre. The health and wellbeing centre will have some success – but our concern is that this specially created room, with a custom built surface, that needs specialist construction, is going to be removed and damaged forever.
Should this happen, and there is a re-design of the proposed service, the hall could not revert easily and at minimum cost if the fabric of the rink is compromised.
Despite being promised a sight of plans and drawings in February, these have not been forthcoming – which leads us to think that for such a jewel in the crown of the community, that none have been done so far.
We are keen, therefore, that the Council and EA explore just how they can have an eye to the future, which is always unknown, and preserve what they can of the bowls hall fabric.
Thank you.”
The Chairman responded as follows: -
“The Council is not in receipt of any health and wellbeing funding in order to carry out the changes at the leisure centre. The Council are providing £1.4 million investment into the Centre.
As the redevelopment will be extensive there is no way which the current facility can be retained. The floor will need to be level and this cannot be accomplished by keeping the bowls carpet in situ. It has been acknowledged that this area can be developed to ensure a greater level of footfall and provide wider health benefits and it will be the Council and Everyone Active’s joint responsibility to ensure this is a success.
As we have said as a council we will work with those that currently use the bowls facility to ensure that the ability to take part in bowls is retained in some form in the improvements.
These changes are not designed simply to save money, but to ensure that the centre is used by more people. The focus of all the changes is on improving the health and wellbeing of all the people who use the centre.”
In response to Members’ comments the Chairman again re-iterated that the matter was not for debate, and had been the subject of a number of previous debates, Member workshops and Briefings.
The Bowling Club were thanked for their attendance and for making their thoughts known.
Conduct warnings were issued and the meeting adjourned at 6.55pm to allow the gallery to depart.
The meeting resumed 5 minutes later and a Member of the Committee asked that it be noted that Councillor Young and Rollings had left the meeting without advising the Committee and therefore did not take part in the remainder of the meeting.