Agenda item

Councillor Bob Bushell, Portfolio Holder for Remarkable Place:

a)    presented a report to Performance Scrutiny Committee covering the following main areas:

-       Parks and Open Spaces – General

-       Allotments

-       Equipped Play Areas

-       The Arboretum

-       Boultham Park

-       Hartsholme Country Park and Camp Site

-       Commons

-       Hope Wood

-       Dawber Charity Gardens

-       Events and Activities

-       Education

-       Volunteering

-       Arboriculture

-       Travellers

-       Street Scene

-       Waste/Recycling

-       Street Cleansing

-       Graffiti

-       Litter Policy

-       Public Toilets

-       Sport and Leisure

-       Lincoln 10K

-       Recreation Services

-       Food, Healthy and Safety

-       FSA Recovery Plan

-       Local Air Quality Management

-       Licensing

b)    invited members’ questions and comments.

Comment: Members commented that the work that had been carried out at Whitton’s Park play area had been very well received by the public and the activities at Hartsholme Park had been good.

Question: Members asked if there were enough resources to look at more enforcement for allotment tenancies where the allotment site had not been well maintained.

Response: There was limited resource for allotment enforcement but where plots were clearly being neglected then resource will be managed to look at these sites as a priority. All enforcement action would be dealt with sensitively.

Question: Members asked what was going to be done to help tackle recycling contamination.

Response: Contamination is a work in progress and would hopefully improve when the way we recycle improves such as when the paper and card recycling came into force in Lincoln.

Question: Members commented that they had received comments from the public regarding the grass being too long on the corner of Birchwood Avenue and Fulmer Road and were concerned that the grass could become a fire risk due to the extreme heat we had in summer. Members asked if this could have wildflower seeds planted to make it look more attractive.

Response: This would certainly be an option but sometimes re-wilding didn’t work due to weather conditions.

Question: Members asked if the outflow at Hartsholme Park had been improved within the dam wall works and whether the path and area of grass that had been destroyed due to the storage of equipment will be corrected.

Response: Contractors were coming back on site to resolve some snagging issues which would help address some of these points. The restriction was at the entry point of the dam which was improved and improved the outflow.

Question: Members asked whether green waste that is put in black bins damages the energy from waste plant equipment.

Response: This had never been an issue that had been raised at the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership meetings.

Question: Members asked if St Giles Community Centre would be sold or rented out.

Response: The Community centre would not be sold, and it would remain available for community use. This would potentially be a long-term lease with the YMCA but was dependant on the YMCA getting a grant and was in the early stages. Some elements of this lease would be for public use/Councillor Surgeries.

Question: Member mentioned that the Dawber Gardens were in desperate need of renovations and asked whether the Council had applied to the Dawber Charity Committee for a grant.

Response: There were strict restrictions in place as to what the Dawber charity monies could be used for or given to. If the charitable trust was set up, then they would be able to apply to the Dawber Charity Committee for funding.

Question: Members asked if CCTV could be put in at the Usher Art Gallery as there had been a lot of offensive graffiti.

Response: CCTV was being looked at for that area and offensive graffiti was removed within 24 hours.

Question: Members asked whether street bins could offer recycling.

Response: In an ideal world these bins would be offered to the city but one of the problems is the high contamination rate. The city did need these recycling bins and would look at these within the new contract.

RESOLVED that the annual report be noted.