Agenda and minutes

Mount Edgcumbe Joint Committee - Friday 6 November 2015 10.00 am

Venue: Belvedere Room, Barrow Park Complex, Mount Edgcumbe, Cremyll, Cornwall

Contact: Helen Wright Email: helen.wright@plymouth.gov.uk

Items

No.

Item

12.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

View the declarations of interest for item 12.

Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

Minutes:

Sir Richard Carew-Pole Bt declared a personal interest in accordance with the code of conduct as he owned chalets along the coast.

13.

MINUTES PDF 94 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on17 July 2015 as a correct record.

Minutes:

The Joint Committee agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 17 July 2015 are confirmed as a correct record.

14.

CHAIR'S URGENT BUSINESS

To receive reports on business, which in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Minutes:

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

15.

REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING 2015/16 PDF 122 KB

The Joint Committee will receive a monitoring report on the revenue budget 2015/16.

Minutes:

The Strategic Director for Place (Anthony Payne) and the Head of Commissioning and Asset Management (Peter Marsh) submitted the revenue budget monitoring report for 2015/16. The Head of Finance Operations (Chris Randall) presented the report and highlighted the following key areas –

(a)	an overview of the 2015/16 monitoring variations;

(b)	2015/16 revenue monitoring including -

	?	Mount Edgcumbe House;
	?	Mount Edgcumbe Park;
	?	Mount Edgcumbe Trading;

(c)	budget risk;

(d)	future year’s budgets.

The main areas of questioning from Members related to the following –

(d)	insuring events against adverse weather conditions;

(e)	methods of advertising of the Christmas Fayre;

(f)	the Park’s Twitter account (@mt_edgcumbe;) and the number of followers (76);

(g)	the cost of Steve Pickering (consultant) picking up some the managerial responsibilities (estimated to be in the region of £10,000);

(h)	the delivery of a realistic budget.

The Joint Committee agreed that –

(1)	a strategic overview of the use of social media will be undertaken and the outcome reported to the next meeting;

(2)	a review of general communications for the Park will be undertaken and the outcome reported to the next meeting;

(3)	a breakdown of the costs of employing Steve Pickering (consultant) will be provided to all committee members by the Head of Arts and Heritage.

16.

UPDATE ON DEVELOPING WATER TRANSPORT LINKS AND INCREASING ATTRACTION TO THE PARK PDF 46 KB

The Joint Committee will receive an update report on developing water transport links and increasing attraction to the Park.

Minutes:

The Strategic Director for Place (Anthony Payne) and the Head of Commissioning and Asset Management (Peter Marsh) submitted an update report on suggested additional activities on the Park. The Interim Park Manager (Jerry Masters) presented the report which highlighted the following key areas –

(a)	the launch of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) initiative to establish coastal communities (the intention was to reverse the trend of economic decline in coastal areas by linking together groups and organisations);

(b)	to assist establishing the teams, the DCLG had set aside £1.1m in 2015/16 (approximately £10k per team);

(c)	the Torpoint and Rame Peninsula Coastal Communities Team had been established (Mount Edgcumbe was represented on the team);

(d)	grant funding was being sought through additional monies from DCLG and Heritage Lottery Fund.

The main areas of questioning from Members related to the following –

(e)	the possible destinations of a ferry service such as the Royal William Yard, Barbican, Torpoint, etc;

(f)	the renewal of the existing ferry service contract in 2017;

(g)	discussions with Torpoint Town Council and the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry.

The Joint Committee noted the report and agreed that further updates are provided to future meetings.

17.

PARK PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES PDF 46 KB

The Joint Committee will receive a report on the Park’s programme of activities.

Minutes:

The Strategic Director for Place (Anthony Payne) and the Head of Commissioning and Asset Management (Peter Marsh) submitted an update report on suggested additional activities on the Park. David Marshall - Business Development Manager presented the report which highlighted the following key areas –

?	High Level Stewardship;
?	building and park infrastructure;
?	walks, talks and workshops;
?	conferences;
?	weddings;
?	events;
?	occupation of rentable business spaces;
?	Park Manager update.

The Joint Committee took this opportunity to thank Jerry Masters for his hard work and support in his role of interim Park Manager.

The Joint Committee noted the report.

18.

The Joint Committee will receive an update report on the suggested additional activities on the Park.

Minutes:

(a)	following the previous Joint Committee meeting in July 2015 additional income streams for the Park had been investigated which included –

	?	a ‘Parkrun’;
	?	an equine event;
	?	swimming gala;

(b)	work to develop the ‘Parkrun’ was well underway.

The Joint Committee agreed to name the Parkrun’ and as and when other initiatives are developed that it is kept informed at subsequent meetings.

The Joint Committee noted the report.

19.

REVIEW OF GOVERNANCE AT MOUNT EDGCUMBE PARK PDF 35 KB

The Joint Committee will receive a report on the review of governance at Mount Edgcumbe Park.

Additional documents:

Appendix A to Governance Report , item 19. PDF 75 KB

Minutes:

The Strategic Director for Place (Anthony Payne) and the Head of Commissioning and Asset Management (Peter Marsh) submitted a report on the review of the governance at Mount Edgcumbe Park. The Interim Park Manager presented the report which highlighted the following key areas -

(a)	in 2012-2013 the option of developing a Trust to manage the Park had been explored; (officers had looked at how Torbay Borough Council developed and operated an independent Trust);

(b)	since 2013, the focus had been on identifying and implementing initiatives that generated income for the park and to improve the current income streams with a view to achieving no funding from the constituent authorities by 2018/19.

The Joint Committee was assured that the governance arrangements would be re-visited once the level of income for the Park was sustainable.

The Joint Committee noted the report.

20.

FRIENDS OF MOUNT EDGCUMBE COUNTRY PARK UPDATE PDF 56 KB

The Joint Committee will receive an update report from the Friends of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park.

Minutes:

The Chair of the Friends of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park (Commander Crocker) provided an update on the work of the group which highlighted the following key areas –

(a)	the support the Group had given to the park both financial and in practical terms;

(b)	the social events (including the classic car show and fayre);

(c)	the World War I project.

The Joint Chair, on behalf of the Joint Committee, took this opportunity to thank Commander Crocker (Chair of the Friends of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park) for his support and the achievements of the Group. This sentiment was echoed by Sir Richard Carew Pole Bt.

The Joint Committee noted the report.

21.

REPAIR WORKS TO THE SEA WALL

The Joint Committee will receive a verbal report on the repair works to the sea wall.

Minutes:

Jon James (Environment Manager) provided a progress update on the repair works to the sea wall which highlighted the following key areas –

(a)	monies had been secured through the Environment Agency’s flood defence fund to undertake works (such as filling the void on the slipway);

(b)	a further submission for phase 2 of the fund had been made at the beginning of the year but a decision was still awaited;

(c)	if successful in gaining the additional funding from the Environment Agency this would only cover 50% of the total cost of the works which would result in the constituent authorities contributing £150,000 each through their capital schemes (this proposal was being submitted to constituent authorities Cabinets for approval).

The main areas of questioning from Members related to the following –

(d)	the future stability of the coastal footpaths in the area;

(e)	mitigation works on the quay;

(f)	liability for the repair works to the slipway;

The Joint Committee noted the report.

22.

EXEMPT BUSINESS

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s)….. of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Minutes:

There were no items of exempt business.