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

There were no Declarations of Interest.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 19 July 2019 as a correct record.

The Committee approved the minutes of the meeting 19 July 2019.

Proposed Councillor Pengelly

Seconded Councillor Vincent

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

There were no items of Chair's Urgent Business.

Nicola Moyle (Head of Art, Heritage and Film) and Beverly Gardiner (Senior Technical Officer) presented the Revenue Budget Monitoring 2019/20 report to the Committee –

(a)   The report provided an update of the financial position for the Mount Edgcumbe Joint Committee for financial year 2019/20.

Key variations to budget were:

·         £13k Additional staffing

·         (£16k) Additional Parking income

·         £2.8k Utilities pressure Lady Emma’s Cottage

(b)  Budgets were a work in progress due to joint authority subsidy yet to be finalised and review carried-out of commercial project delivery timetable. Budgets would progress savings targets, future income streams (includes parking and events) and revenue implications of capital projects proposed.

The key areas of discussion were –

·         Whether there was a phased pay back on Vat;

·         Queried if the lease holders of the Quay were making any contribution;

·         Whether there was a policy for visitors wanting to charge their electric cars at holiday lets.

The Committee:

1.    Noted the financial position contained in the report along with the risks, issues and any mitigating actions;

2.    Noted the capital programme and proposals to be presented to Plymouth City Council’s Investment Board.

Chris Burton (Mount Edgcumbe Manager) presented the Park Activity (to November 2019) update to the Committee -

(a)   Lady Emma’s Cottage was purchased from the owner in September 2018 and since then has been fully booked, justifying its purchase as a Park asset. The cost of this sale was covered by a donation from the Oak Foundation.

(b)  The Orangery Gatehouse holiday let has been completed and is very busy, aimed at the wedding market this is a one bedroom property adjacent to the Orangery with fantastic views across the Sound.

(c)   Captain Blake’s Retreat has been fully booked since it was launched on the 1 June 2019. November 2019 has been the first opportunity to get into the building and snag it since it was opened all seems to be going well and it has very positive feedback despite the trek involved getting to it.

(d)  Work on Cremyll car park has been completed with the car park resurfaced and parking bays delineated.  Parking as a whole contributes around £90,000 for the Park. Early indications show that we are likely to receive in excess of £2,000 per month more in the summer months from this car park.  A balance will have to be sought between local car parking permits and pay as you park customers in the summer. The price of the annual car parking permits have not risen since April 2011.

(e)   Cremyll Lodge and Horseshoe Cottage are our oldest holiday lets and would receive a makeover this winter as part of the continuing maintenance regime of the property portfolio.

(f)    The new holiday let development of The Coastguard Lookout at Rame Head had gone out to tender and work would commence before the new-year.

(g)   Initial design concepts for the Tree House were being drawn-up to be put forward to Planning at Cornwall Council with the hope of starting construction next autumn.

(h)  An interpretation board was completed on Lawrence of Arabia telling of his involvement with Air Sea Rescue at RAF Mount Batten and his visits to the Park.

(i)    Funds were being sought for the repair of the access road to the Barrow Centre, which had become very uneven and subject to flash flooding and dust storms in the summer. The cost of these repairs however was likely to be around £25,000 and beyond the Park’s routine maintenance budget. A business case would be prepared.

(j)    The Park had taken delivery of a triple mower and a Suzuki ride-on mower from Plymouth City  Council.

(k)   The Park’s trees featured in the Corporate Risk Management Strategy. The Rangers were continuing to carry out the work involved with the ‘Quantifiable Tree Safety Risk Assessment’

(l)    The Park welcomed eight Austrian volunteers on ten month placements through the KONA European Programme.

(m)The clearing of fallen trees after storms and the number of times the Park was closed due to high winds was on the increase. This was a symptom perhaps of the effects of global warming  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

Neil Rug presented the Friends of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park Update to the Committee –

The Charity Commission had provided new guidance for charities with a connection to a non-charity and The Friends were in the process of revising its General Policy to take this guidance into account in their association with the Park Management.

The guidance also provided greater clarity on where The Friends were ‘permitted’ to provide financial support and was likely to mean that while we may be sympathetic to requests for funding of certain items they will fall into the category of those that have to remain the ultimate responsibility of the Joint Committee.

Quarterly meetings with the Park Management would result in a mutual prioritisation of projects.

The Friends were in the process of investigating a significant improvement to the toilet provision at the Orangery and the creation of a shelter structure for use by school groups in inclement weather.

Members wished to thank the Friends of the Park and all their volunteers for the hard work they do.

The Committee noted the Friends of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park Update.

Proposed by Councillor Smith

Seconded by Councillor Mavin