Agenda item

The Committee are asked to agree the scope and methodology of the review and establish a Task and Finish Group, in partnership with the Council’s Tenant Scrutiny Panel; to help facilitate a review of Community Centres which will include a district-wide consultation.

The Committee received the report of the Housing and Environmental Health Service Manager and Housing Strategy Officer, which asked them to agree the scope and methodology to review and establish a Task and Finish Group, in partnership with the Council’s Tenant Scrutiny Panel, to help facilitate a review of Community Centres, which would include a district-wide consultation.

Councillor C Pearson, Lead Executive Member for Housing, Health and Culture was in attendance at the meeting, and introduced the item.

The Committee noted that previous reviews have taken place in regards to Community Centres. Most notably in 2010, following a report to the Social Board, the decision was made to sell the poorly used centre at Womersley and convert the centre at Kellington into a residential unit. This left the Council with the 10 centres it had today:

·           Anne Sharpe Centre, St Edwards Close, Byram

·           Westfield Court Centre, Westfield Court, Eggborough

·           Coultish Centre, Charles Street, Selby

·           Cunliffe Centre, Petre Avenue, Selby

·           Harold Mills House, North Crescent, Sherburn-in-Elmet

·           Lady Popplewell Centre, Beechwood Close, Sherburn-in-Elmet

·           Grove House, Grove Crescent, South Milford

·           Calcaria House, Windmill Rise, Tadcaster

·           Kelcbar, Kelcbar Close, Tadcaster

·           Rosemary House, Rosemary Court

Reviewing the Community Centres had been suggested as a piece of work in June 2015, following a proposal from Councillor Buckle. Primary concerns were raised around the poor use of the centres, running costs and lack of community engagement. Considerable discussions took place between the Committee and Lead Officer for Community Support, but it was not felt a Task and Finish Group was required at that stage. It was however agreed that work would be undertaken to try and address the issues raised by Committee as to the use of the centres.

Members acknowledged that since 2015, public WiFi has been installed into almost every centre, and a new booking system created and managed by the Customer Contact Centre, in the hopes of encouraging new community and private sector interest in the centres. An investment of £78,000 over two years had also been agreed in 2017 to facilitate security and access improvements. However, the same concerns regarding community usage and value for money remained, and it was therefore important that this work was revisited and progressed, and that a review was undertaken to inform a way forward.

The Committee discussed the report and agreed it would be better to pick members for the Task and Finish Group after the May 2019 local elections. However, it was suggested that Scrutiny Committee members could assist Officers with the scoping of the work in the few weeks prior to the elections; the Chair asked for volunteers to do so. Councillors Buckle, Duckett and the Chair herself volunteered to meet Officers and undertake this work in the next few weeks.

RESOLVED:

i.       To defer the establishing of a Task and Finish Group until after the May 2019 elections.

ii.     That Councillors Buckle, Duckett and Nichols meet with Officers to offer guidance and ideas for the scoping of the review into Community Centres, before the May 2019 elections.