Agenda and minutes

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

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

Items
No. Item

1.

To Note the Appointment of the Joint Chair (Plymouth City Council) and to Appoint a Joint Chair from Cornwall Council

The Joint Committee will be asked to note the appointment of the Joint Chair from Plymouth City Council and to appoint a Joint Chair from Cornwall Council.

Minutes:

The Joint Committee noted the appointment of Councillor Mrs Pengelly (Plymouth City Council) as Joint Chair for this municipal year 2017/18 and agreed to appoint Councillor Trubody (Cornwall Council) as Joint Chair for the same municipal year.

2.

Declarations of Interest

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

Minutes:

In accordance with the code of conduct Councillor Crago declared a private interest as his son owned a bar.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 83 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2016 as a correct record.

Minutes:

The Joint Committee agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2016 are confirmed as a correct record.

4.

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.

Order of Business

With the permission of the Chair the order of business was changed and was reflected in the minutes below.

5.

Mount Edgcumbe Website

The Joint Committee will receive a verbal update on the website.

Minutes:

David Marshall (Plymouth City Council) provided a demonstration of the newly designed website for Mount Edgcumbe.  Specific focus had been place on the home page of the website to demonstrate that Mount Edgcumbe was the destination to visit in all weathers.  A robust marketing strategy would be drafted to ensure that the Park was ‘Brexit’ ready.

 

The new website address was www.mountedgcumbe.gov.uk.

 

The key area of questioning related to how the website linked to social media.

 

The Joint Committee welcomed the development of the new website and congratulated officers on delivery of such a good product.

6.

Talk on the Black Bee Reserve

The Joint Committee will receive a talk on the Black Bee reserve.

Minutes:

Nick Bentham-Green (Chair of the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association BIBBA) gave an extremely informative talk on the black bee reserve that had been established at Mount Edgcumbe and the B4 Project (Bring Back Black Bees).  Two members of staff were currently being trained as bee keepers.

 

The key areas of questioning related to the –

 

(a)

management of cross breeding of black bees;

 

 

(b)

definition of a bee reserve;

 

 

(c)

feasibility of selling the honey that was produced at Mount Edgcumbe;

 

 

(d)

importance of educating people to provide bee and pollinator friendly environments.

 

Councillor Mrs Pengelly (Joint Chair) thanked Nick Bentham-Green for the work he was undertaking.

7.

Revenue Outturn 2016/17 and Budget 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 164 KB

The Joint Committee will receive the Revenue Outturn 2016/17 and Budget 2017/18.

Minutes:

Chris Burton, Park Manager presented the revenue outturn 2016/17 and budget 2017/18 report which highlighted the final outturn position for Mount Edgcumbe for the financial year 2016/17 and confirmed the 2017/18 budget.

 

Councillor Mrs Pengelly (Joint Chair) on behalf of the Joint Committee commended the hard work of officers in generating a surplus in 2016/17, despite the financial challenges faced by the Park.

 

The key area of questioning related to the High Level Stewardship scheme.

 

The Joint Committee agreed to -

 

(1)

note the financial position contained in the report along with the risks, issues and mitigating actions; 

 

 

(2)

approve the capital proposals to be presented to Plymouth City Council’s Investment Board;

 

 

(3)

 

progress a decision on 2017/18 and onwards, as to the audit arrangements.

 

8.

Park Activity (July 2017) pdf icon PDF 50 KB

The Joint Committee will receive a report on the Park’s activity (July 2017).

Minutes:

Chris Burton, Park Manager presented the park activity report for July 2017 which highlighted the works and activities carried out in the Park since November 2016.

 

The key areas of questioning related to –

 

(a)

the number of letting facilities within the Park;

 

 

(b)

whether there was a designated cycle route through the Park;

 

 

(c)

the future challenges that the Park faced;

 

 

(d)

the future funding level contributed by the constituent authorities and concerns regarding the adequate level of staffing within the Park.

 

The Joint Committee noted the report.

9.

Friends of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park Update pdf icon PDF 41 KB

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

Minutes:

Mr Neil Rugg, Chair of the Friends of Mount Edgcumbe provided an update on the key areas of work that the Friends of Mount Edgcumbe which included the financing of the repairs for the pond in the French Garden (up to £5,000) and £10,000 for the first step in securing a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the repairs to the English Garden House. The next event would be the Classic Car Show which was being held on 6 August 2017.

 

The key area of questioning related to the difficulties in addressing the issues raised by the Police regarding the traffic management plan for the classic car show event.

 

On behalf of the Joint Committee, the Joint Chair, thanked the Friends of Mount Edgcumbe for their continued and valued support.

10.

Update on Sea Wall Repairs

The Joint Committee will receive a verbal update on the sea wall repairs.

Minutes:

Jon James (Cornwall Council) provided a verbal update on the current position relating to the repair works to the sea wall which highlighted that –

 

(a)

the repair works on the sea wall had now been completed; the contract had been awarded to Teignmouth Maritime Services Ltd who had manage to save £150,000 from the budget; 

 

 

(b)

the £150,000 saving would be used to undertake further works along the coastline that were in need of repair.

 

The main area of questioning related to the funding of the scheme.

 

The Joint Committee noted the report.