Agenda item

Cllr Bob Bushell, Portfolio Holder for Remarkable Place, presented a report to Performance Scrutiny Committee to show the progress made in the following areas over the past year:

 

-       Allotments

-       Equipped Play areas

-       Parks

-       Boultham Park

-       Hartsholme Country Park and camp site

-       Commons

-       Volunteering

-       Arboriculture

-       Park Advisory Groups

-       Travellers

-       Street Scene

-       Waste/Recycling

-       Street Cleansing

-       Public Toilets

-       Bereavement Services

-       Crematorium

-       Climate Change

-       CoLC commitment to reduce single use plastics

-       Licensing

-       Food, Health and Safety

-       Health and Safety (Enforcement)

-       Sport Recreation and Leisure Services

-       Obesity

-       Leisure Centre Provision

-       Yarborough and Birchwood Leisure Centres in Partnership with Active Nation

-       New Artificial Grass Pitches

-       Fairs and Circus’s

-       City of Lincoln 10K

-       Playing Pitches

 

Invited members’ comments and questions.

 

Question: Members asked when the allotments at Melbourne Road were allocated?

 

Response: Once the contractors were on site, it should take 6-8 weeks for 12 allotments to be ready for allocation.

 

Question: Members asked how many play parks were closed and whether feedback was sought from users of the play park?

 

Response: There were no play parks closed. The Citizens Panel was a cross section of people so not necessarily users of the parks. There would be a community event for St Giles for users of the new play park to attend.

 

Comment: Members commented that the advocate for play parks was not invited to the meeting regarding the Play Area Strategy.

 

Response: The first meeting for the Play Area Strategy was regarding costs. Officers were to include the advocate on future meetings

 

Question: Members asked if the cleaning of parks and the repairs had targets associated with them, whether hot spots for anti-social behaviour were monitored and how were decisions made on where new parks were to be placed?

 

Response: The location of new parks is within the Play Area Strategy. Repairs were dealt with by property services and the amount of time it took to repair  depended on whether a part was needed or not. There was a degradation timescale that was used when play parks needed cleaning. Reports were received for drug paraphernalia at play parks through the performance board.

 

Question: Members asked if there was proof of litter bins being emptied?

 

Response: The trucks that empty the bins were tracked. Officers were looking at smart bin technology which would track when they are half full etc.

 

Question: Members asked how much communication provision was in the Play Area Strategy and what could be done to improve the Media Strategy?

 

Response: The media strategy was to be included in the Play Area Strategy.

 

Question: Members asked what was done with allotments that were not being looked after by tenants?

 

Response: Officers try to work with the tenant to increase the usage and get the site back to a manageable state. Tenants also receive letters.

 

Question: Members asked whether information was available to show the length of allotment tenancies and the profile of the tenants?

 

Response: The information was available and the allotments were owned by a mix of different ages. Data was not reviewed regularly but once the Allotment Strategy was updated it will be.

 

Question: Members asked when the tree stumps on Ruskin Avenue were to be taken out?

 

Response: Trees were only cut down if needed. The stumps were removed at a later date and would be replaced with trees.

 

Question: Members asked what action was being taken for travellers that set up on our land?

 

Response: A few sites had been identified for an injunction to be placed on them but this had been put on hold due to the court’s ruling that this was not an appropriate use of court time. Other measures were being looked at such as CCTV. The issues was still on the radar.

 

Comment: Members commented that the amount of trees that were being planted needed to be communicated with the public more.

 

Response: The partnership with The Woodland Trust and The Wildlife Trust would help get the message out regarding trees and they are backing the work that was being carried out in Boultham park.

 

Question: Members asked whether voluntary contributions could be put towards the car park at Hartsholme park as the biggest issue was with drainage?  Members also asked whether the use of the barrier to stop travellers had been appraised?

 

Response: Prices to repair the car park were higher due to having to be sensitive to the trees that surround it. The barriers were installed to deter travellers from entering the car park at night but this could be got around by entering in the day when the barriers were up.

 

Question: Members asked whether there is anything that can be done for the maintenance of trees?

 

Response: The maintenance of trees was a big job. Some of the footpaths that were damaged from trees was due to an inappropriate tree being planted in that location. There were two arborists that were employed by the City of Lincoln Council and these respond to concerns and do as much as they can.

 

Question: Members asked whether it was worth installing mobile CCTV cameras in areas where fly tipping was most prominent and at peak times of the year?

 

Response: CCTV had been effective in the past for catching fly-tippers but it was very hard to stop this all together. Officers ad put forward a BID for 2 mobile CCTV cameras in Sincil Bank. The culture needed to be changed of residents and The Acts Trust were working with the City of Lincoln Council on this.

 

Question: Members asked whether there was a long term plan for bus shelters?

 

Response: Bus shelters were part of the Transport Strategy.

 

Question: Members asked for more information regarding memorial sales.

 

Response: Officers were to forward the information regarding memorial sales to the Committee. The crematorium was going to have its own website and have its own branding which would help with memorial sales.

 

Comment: Members commented that officers were very dedicated to fly-tipping.

 

Question: Members asked whether there was a policy which enabled council tenants to have an electric car charge point installed at their property?

 

Response: There wasn’t a policy in place but tenants could apply to improve or change their property.

 

Question: Members asked whether there was any figures available for the use of the peloton studio and whether it had covered its costs?

 

Response: Officer were to circulate this information to the committee.

 

Question: Members asked if there could be more signage in town to show where taxi firms were located?

 

Response: This should be picked up in the Lincoln Transport Strategy that was being published by Lincolnshire County Council.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

1.    information regarding memorial sales to be circulated to committee members

 

2.    information regarding the use of the peloton studio at Birchwood Leisure Centre to be circulated to committee members

 

3.    the content of the report be noted.