Thank you uh good evening well and welcome everybody to this evening’s um place and economic development committee meeting this is a a public meeting and members of the public and press are permitted to report on the proceedings reporting includes filming photographing making an audio recording and providing commentary on
Proceedings please note this meeting is recorded and streamed live these recordings are published on the relevant meeting page of the council’s website by choosing to attend this public meeting you are deemed to have given your consent to being filmed or recorded and for any footage to be broadcast or published
If the alarm sounds the premises must be evacuated immediately do not spend time collecting personal belongings all emergency Escape Routes are clearly signed once you have left the building the assembly point is in the High Street opposite the Guild Hall members and other speakers are reminded to use their
Microphones when speaking and if you wouldn’t mind switching them off when you finish speaking as well thank you uh before we start the formal proceedings um I’d like to note that the chair of St Peter’s Harish Council passed away earlier this week today uh and I’d just like to take a moment one
Minute to have a m minute silence on his behalf thank you very much thank you everybody just go through the formalities of the meeting uh do we have any substitutes tonight please Margaret yes chair we have councelor Stanley for councelor Clear thank you thank you uh do we have any Declarations of
Interest chair would just declare an interesting member of the County Council agenda item eight where chair the the board looks after shrub Hill and also 12 as it relates to contracts with the County Council councelor cop I’m member of B Bluster thank you Council Kia uh in the interest of
Transparency um I’m married to one of the public speakers but he can’t successfully Lobby me to load the dishwasher correctly so I wouldn’t worry about Council matters um I’m also a member of bike Worster um and I have also previously um and currently work with um another public speaker STS on um play
Advocacy thank thank you very much I should remember my own instructions uh Jill I’m not sure if it’s relevant I’m Ward member for um Wen the C all and and just for transparency I’m also a member of the uh shrub Hill steering committee um so I’ll just make
That point as well thank you very much um we’ll go to public participation there are a large there are a large number there are a number of public speakers this evening um we normally allocate 15 minutes I understand some of you are going to be speaking for less
Than five minutes so I think we just let you speak and when we reach the 10- minute Mark we’ll we’ll let you know that that 10 minutes has been reached and then people could tune their their responses does that make sense Ro thank you so I’ll call the first public
Speaker is Carla Williams hi are you happy for me to read from her absolutely okay so I’m an appointed representative of a group of concerned residents in St Peters um regarding the location proposed for pump track in Buton Hall Park we appreciate the concept of the facility is fabulous our
Objections stem from the deeply rooted issues associated with the chosen site including the boggy terrain the proximity to houses the loss of valued Community Green Space for so many litter antisocial Behavior damage to the green space and disturbance to the wildlife which is in abundance in that particular
Area of ball park these are legitimate concerns that shouldn’t be overlooked there are concerns about antisocial Behavior and the inability to protect some of the protected species or to police and monitor the area due to the secluded location and layout it’s a large Park but this particular area is
Secluded where the pump track is proposed historically it’s a flood plane and in 2007 it was severely flooded it’s a runoff for the brook no mention is made of the in the um tenders I understand of permeable type tarmac that will be required there because of the boggy nature there’s also an existence
Of a 99 year soakaway agreement adjacent to the pump track proposed site that’s also not been mentioned in the report Emer access is compromised in this proposed location which is essential with a huge it will be a huge city-wide attraction the amount of people and users it would generate there is no
Access for emergency vehicles at all examples ranging from bike accidents to injuries caused by collisions with pedestrians dogs cyclists Etc as happened in July luckily that happened near the top of baton hle park near the railway line and ambulance um did come eventually also very um large concerns about the heavy construction traff
Traffic how will they access it how will the Green Space be protected from those vehicles and also the safety of people due to its location the site proposed raises serious questions about security particularly in light of past issues with antisocial behavior and drug problems in the area older children
Wanted a Mugger the multi-use games area that was provided it had to have shelters removed due to antisocial Behavior drug taking Etc so that’s evidence these things and that is in plain sight on a main road parking is already problematic on Springfield Road with dog walkers using Springfield Road to park toward their
Dogs that is likely to spill over into other unmentioned roads some other roads are mentioned but others are not the lack of consideration where older use may stay for extended periods adds another layer of complexity to the issue and there is no proposed action to be
Able to limit the time the track is used or supervision of it kids Grove in Staffordshire recently installed a pump track and had no end of issues with older children bullying and threatening younger ones and police matters including a knife incident the area of the proposed site
Is rich in wildlife and even hosting protected species like slow worms which must be afforded the protection it legally deserves the report states that worshire Wildlife trust held a meeting on the 14th of November and had no concerns I had been speaking before that and wasn’t aware of it to a contact
There and they have no record of that meeting at all being the team that were responsible for the book enhancements with the council and they’re investigating as to who that may have been so we would like under the freedom information some um feedback on that please that particular meeting I’m still
Waiting for them to come back to me on that and also the survey was carried out during the hibernation of reptiles and no proper survey was carried out so we’re not quite sure exactly what happened there but it does raise credibility about some of the consultation process which as we all
Know was flawed in many ways the recent enhancements and Wild Flower plantings fed by the taxpayers transformed the brook area into a beautiful place fostering biodiversity providing A Quiet Retreat for residents essential that everyone has access to the space for good health not just bike enthusiasts everyone on
The estate including the elderly who use it as a socializing space as well the proposed replacement of t m Grumps and humps to quote our own Parish Council is disheartening it’s jeopardizing the efforts to maintain the natural beauty of our community space only in November the council said
The biodiversity Emer had happened and they were doing everything to reverse it ironically online videos posted by Pro groups are fabulous but they don’t know or live by the patch proposed they inadvertently capture the proposed area’s unsuitability showcasing Deep Water Pools boggy lands and the Quagmire that the particular area is throughout
The winter they actually show the whole of baton Park which is totally irrelevant issue in the report States it’s suitable for wheelchair users not if you put it in Baton Hall Park it’s not one of our group um has a child who uses a wheelchair bike but they need a
Large car parking space as wheelchair bikes have to be transported um and then obviously the journey from the car parking space to the track so it is not suitable at Baton Hall Park for wheelchair users and that is actually in the report and should be addressed legally residents are entitled to the
Quiet enjoyment of their properties the unique Green Space serves as a safe haven for all it’s significance for families joggers dog walkers and it is used constantly it’s it’s not a spare p P of grassland as people have said dog Waters let their their dogs off lead
Children play happily we see all sorts of games going on because it’s not near the roads concerns about impartiality lack of transparency and flawed consultation process further comp pound the issues at hand in conclusion I ask the council to um defer the proposal for investigation as recommended and
Consider alternative sites we know from the report that County Hall never ever is mentioned and yet repeatedly everybody we’ve spoken to has said County Hall with its toilets its small business Cafe will be supported it’s w it’s not interfering with Wildlife it’s away from houses um got parking Etc and
While the passion for the facility is undeniable you know it looks absolutely great fun I think we need to prioritize respect for each other and the shared green spaces and we’re grateful of the consideration of deferring to find a more suitable St site for a huge Citywide attraction um will prevail and
That we’ll find a solution that benefits every member of our commity Community thank you thank you Carla uh Nicholas stops I’d like to thank the committee for this opportunity to speak tonight someone who doesn’t live in the batol area nor of children who may use the pump track I speak as an objective
Non-resident whatever the council decides to do to go ahead with the track or to look for alternative sites I would remind them that childhood is fleeting and time is moving on when we moved to wer as a family nearly 30 years ago I was surprised at
How little there was for families to do if anything it’s fallen behind other comparable cities in terms of fun and free things for children and families to enjoy during the pandemic children sacrificed relationships education hobbies and clubs exercise Sports competitive games they missed birthday parties trips last days of school proms
End of term discos daily routines and general freedoms in order to protect the older generation from risk of infection children and young people did not complain about these sacrifices but there’s plenty of evidence to show that it has affected their health and well-being and just generally being able to cope with life
Our older generation and I include myself in this category need us to consider them if not first then at least as much as we consider our own needs and perhaps to sacrifice a little for them too getting Outdoors into green spaces in nature challenging yourself with safe risks feeling a growing competence and
Independence enjoying the sunshine and the wind making decisions and making friendships independently increases well-being and makes for positive future adults who are invested in communities that were and are invested in them if we don’t invest in children the alternative is isolation for them at home with screens and social media use or
Congregating in shopping centers and parks where they have outgrown the play equipment if we don’t encourage children and young people to be sociable the risk is that they become so bored they become antisocial I’m sure no one needs reminding that it’s already been two years since this facility was proposed a
Young person of 13 and looking forward to using it is already 15 and to wait another two years would see them at the age of 17 able to drive now and looking to get a job or possibly go to university a job where they will work for and alongside the same residents who
Did not want them to ride their bikes scooters skateboards in their Community there might be further alterations to the design of this track perhaps there needs to be a way of ensuring children are safe from attach by dogs that are walked nearby although I’d like to think
That there was room for all to enjoy green spaces perhaps its relocation its location needs reconsidering I’m not an expert but children can’t play out on the street or ride their bikes on the roads the way you some of us used to when we were young because of the
Dangers of traffic they need designated safe spaces where they are able to play all ages genders abilities and ethnicities in conclusion I’d like to remind the committee and The Wider community that children also have a right to play and whether or not this is in Baton Hall our energies must be in
Prioritizing the needs of children and by extension families living in muster thank you thank you Nicola thank you rob thank you chair um speak before you start can I just point out that we’re at nine and a half minutes Rob so I can do my best thank
You very I’ll I’ll give you some minutes back from last time CH and So speaking of half of wer folks uh you need no introduction um so first off uh pump tracks are great we know that you know that let’s not spend ages talking about how brilliant pump tracks are we all
Like the idea of a pump track the question is when the rubber hits the road who’s going to give the political backing to install a pump track in their Ward okay who who Who’s Got That who’s got that in the locker on on baton Hall Park specifically it’s very hard for us
As outside observers to scrutinize the extent to which decisions are being made legitimately um or the extent to which the the debate has been disproportionately influenced by essentially nimbyism some overzealous dog walkers and some people talking about earthworms on on other sites um our concern is that officers will go
From Ward to Ward to Ward looking for political backing and and they won’t get it and we’ll end up just going round the city the same thing will happen over and over again there’s no doubt that the consultation process can be improved but we need to give the officers the
Opportunity um to to build these facilities with with the political backing and that you folks can afford them that and that’s for the councilors in the room but it’s for other colleagues and candidates in may as well and the the last thing I’d like to say is that um we’ve had loads of
Conversations this week we’re delighted with the city council’s vision for pump tracks in the city we believe in Allen new okay and but it feels like we’re falling at the final hurdle as ever bike Worcester are here to support a cross-party effort to improve cycling in the city um and we’re
More than happy to support um anybody who wants to try and change the debate thank you chair thank you rob I’ll remember that one fruits tness revity uh Gary Valance thank you chair I’m here as a baton Hall resident um and on behalf of Jacob my 12-year-old
Son and his friends who ride their bikes to school through baton Hall Park hundreds and hundreds of children live within minutes of baton Hall Park almost all have access to a bike scooter or skates and lack anywhere safe to play on them you and I sit here with those in
Opposition trying to hoard every square inch of their park while those with most at stake remain absent from the process in October a pump track surveyed that my son wasn’t allowed to complete was shared online in channels he can’t access and on posters in a park where he often feels
Unwelcome it wasn’t openly communicated in his school or in schools that share the park boundaries the data from the survey scored strongly in favor of the pump track plan however the survey repeatedly instructed those in opposition to expand on their views but not those in favor some locals were canvased many
Weren’t despite an evident bias the report recommends grounding the project under the weight of regurgitated misinformation this is especially hard for Jacob as he and I have visited over 150 pump tracks around the UK Village Green venues hidden by wild flowers or threaded between trees Railway sidings retail Parks Jacob has
Made friends in towns peppered with places to ride tford has 14 by the way because he’s almost given up hoping for one he can enjoy with his neighbors and schoolmates in our experience there is no perfect setting building one close to a cafe or toilets if you can find them
Means busy Pathways hiding them away impacts disabled and emergency access real spaces to play have been absent from urban planning for decades so these are practical challenges that must be overcome recognizing that modern pump tracks by Design nurture inclusivity respect well-being and friendship it is unacceptable to favor apathy or nimbyism
While there is a choice baton Hall Park isn’t perfect but it’s perfectly good enough for an excellent facility and ready to move forwards with no valid reason to delay progress now investigating further locations should not be a mutually exclusive process there is real potential for tracks of varied scale and scope in
Every Ward and in the context of pump tracks specifically the difference between neighborhood and destination facilities cannot be overstressed when Riders take pride in their local track the benefits are felt at the doorsteps of their communities but here now while Worcester City Daydreams about a handful of ideas
The only project in progress is at a standstill kids cannot play on pump Trek plans they need something solid thank you thank you Gary uh and finally Paul slob uh thank you chairman and members and uh especially thanks to council for the progress made with this project so
Far um I’m speaking tonight because I’ve read the report and um I am concerned that the project is about to St all um and as a local resident of baton Hall and as a a Young Riders Community leader with was the St John Cycling Club I just
Want to do everything I can um to see if we can just move this this project forward um I was going to repeat what the the central issues are but I think they’ve been very eloquently put very thoroughly put in detail by a local resident here which I think is missing
Uh from the report um I’m I was somewhat surprised and very disappointed to see um nothing in the report that would mitigate uh these potential the these issues and concerns of local residents simply a list of uh responses and I think there’s there’s a lot that could be done um so what ierge
In the committee to consider uh tonight is not following the recommendation of 1.2 um and instead um consider investigating the potential to reduce the severity of all the issues that have been mentioned uh looking for practical uh ways to do that and to do that in fur a consultation with those most um
Severely impacted um which in my understanding looking at the report are those really uh living most closely uh to the proposed facility um I think there’s some relatively small changes that could be made uh to the location to Landscaping to the track shape um which may reduce these impacts to an acceptable
Level um I also think there’s probably things we could do I don’t know if members have had a site visit but I’d certainly be willing to go to the go to the site do a mockup pump track lay it out stake it out bring some kids along
We’ll make lots of noise and members and the tech technical offices of the council can perhaps start doing some measurements and make an assessment um of what the impact really is can even interview uh or asked to speak to passes by that have walk in their dogs um
Certainly in invite the the local residence as well and we can start to make a a more scientific um uh assessment of what the impacts are and what you can do to mitigate against them sorry to interrupt you PA could you just begin to wrap right okay I’ll just I
Just finished then with with um we’re saying that this consultation has been about um a proposal in Baton Hall Park and I’m a resident of baton Hall it’s our pump track proposal uh and it’s our park and I really would urge the this committee to focus on that that local
Issue U and not spend time uh looking at alternative sites and just to move forward with with this one to it reaches a a inclusion thank you thank you you you haven’t asked to speak I’m sorry it’s the rules you haven’t asked to speak you have to give 2 24 hours
Notice of wanting to speak I think personally I’d like to thank all of the speakers tonight I think you’ve made your points really well uh and officers will get back to you um with with any feedback on your questions that you’ve raised and hopefully the outcome of the
Decisions this this evening um will will you know at least lead us a way forward so uh thank you very much right so the next topic on the agenda is are the minutes is the minutes are the minutes a m point I guess I’ll read through the I won’t read the
Minutes I’ll just go through the pages and ask if there are any comments page one no thank you page two no comments page three nothing page four no page Five thank you and finally page six thank you everybody so on to budget planning for 2024 25 28 to 29 as well shame sorry Mark thank you um this report sets out the next stage in our budget setting process for for next year and the medium-term financial plan that follows
Thereafter um we’re following the uh the tried and trusted approach that we’ve used in the last few years um so you’ll recall that at the policy and resources committee meeting in December the draft budget was presented um and this is members opportunity to uh to review that and
Make comments and or suggestions um there’s three appendices to the report that I’ll just briefly talk you through um appendix one is the extract of that draft budget um with the budgets that are relevant to this committee um from a revenue point of view um the other two appendices are then the
Medium-term financial plan for the council as a whole that shows that the um budgeted deficit for 2425 next year is um £4 452,000 and um the current proposal is that will be funded from reserves and then the um the other appendic is the council’s capital program U and that summarizes all the
Capital projects for the Council not just ones that might be relevant to this committee um as I said this is also the opportunity for members to make any suggestions in terms of how they might want to modify that budget or any suggestions for things that they might
Want to add into it um having said that the report notes as I’ve said already that we are currently um proposing facing a budget gap for next year and therefore obviously there isn’t a great deal of room for new suggestions or additions unless those come with um the
Relevant funding to to finance them um I think at that point I said all I need to um I’m happy to take any questions thank you so any comment from Members thank you none so we’ll proceed to the recommendations then um are we happy for me to take the the recommendations on
Block so 1.1 through 1.4 um any people are for accepting those recommendations I think that’s unanimous Margaret thank you very much members colleagues before we go on to the next item which is B Hall way uh I believe councelor cochrum you want to address the committee Thank you thank you chair um so um I wanted to address the committee um as one of the city council is representing St Peter’s Ward um in relation to the uh uh report um and consultation on the pump track obviously we’ve already heard a lot about that this evening already so
I I don’t want to kind of go over um the all the the arguments we’ve already heard but um I think it may perhaps be um useful to um just mention a few things um this was a a project which um initiated um in uh with a former um city
Councelor um and the parish council and um in a what you might say was a the oldfashioned politics of allocating funds um um before needs assessment and um Community engagement had been done um so when I became City councelor uh in St Peters um I found that this the proposal
And location had already been decided but no residents had actually even been spoken to um so Alina and myself have been sort of engaged with um you know uh garnering the the um mood of the public in St Peters um not just residents um
Who are close to the park but also um uh young people um as to whether this is something that they want um and so none of this information comes in in the report of course because it’s not part of the official consultation um but um we have certainly heard from young
People who really want a pump track um we’ve heard from young people who indifferent about it because they don’t think they’d use it um we’ve heard from residents who as you have heard are concerned about various impacts that the particular location that has been um suggested would have upon them and the
Park and the environment um we also hear from people who um you know um want one as quickly as possible and feel that the delays that have already occurred uh are are unacceptable and um the F any further delay um would um be disastrous for the generation of
Young people are growing up in St Peters now I think from my perspective having spoken to Residents having spoken to young people um having done my own survey back in um 2022 um I you know I I think that we want a good solution both for St Peters
And we want a good solution um for Worcester city um my personal opinion um is that you know pump tracks are you know a a fantastic um community resource that can be used by all ages and um the you know Worcester city is well behind uh the the
Curve on this compared to other places in terms of you know these kind of facilities um so the the quicker we can Implement these things the uh the the more pump tracks that we can have so that children can access them uh children young people can access them
You know from their homes um by active travel the better um I think that having a pump track in St Peters would be fantastic um I think that there are other locations within St Peters um that would be as good if not better um and I think that that they they would not
Considered um seriously enough um by the parish council in the V early stages and so we’re never brought forward to the city council in a proper manner to to consider you know what is right for the local community um I do also think that we need a destination um type facility
As well and I think that there are at least two if not three locations in Worcester city that um that that um could uh uh be successfully implemented so you know I don’t think we’ve heard anybody who has said something negative about um P tracks and um you know I
Think that the uh Council officers um and members are are now um um much more well informed than they were um two years ago which is a big step forward um funding there is allocation for funding and um the the officers um have a have you know um quotations and understanding
Of impacts I think that we need to kind of like move forward with this as quickly as possible um to to implement what will you know suit the the city and St Peters um and and I think that that is a pump track in St Peters um in an
Alternative location and um a destination pump track as the minimum for the whole of Wester city thank you very much thank you councelor Cochran um Lloyd are you introduce him with that thank you thank you chair um as has been um mentioned already chair this this project um or this concept started out
Around delivery of a pump track within the St Peters Ward um and 60,000 pounds has been um made available within the the capital program in order to to fund it um following initial consultation with Ward cers at the time um the location uh was identified within within
The park um and that’s the location we’ve obviously carried out further investigation on and that location is is contained within the report as part of a as part of the plan um back in July uh last year um this committee approved the wor the play plan and also it approved
Progression of further work on um what we’re calling uh first phase priority projects um and and the batol pump track is is one of these um what the report has tried to do is is present the the further work that’s that’s been undertaken um because
One of the jobs of us was to bring a business case back back to members so so what we’re talking about uh is primarily uh two elements to the project um the first is installation of a pump track um and we would regard this as a as an
Entry level pump track um suitable for participants of all ages and skill levels um and in doing so that would make it more accessible and inclusive um to those either they using adaptive bikes or wheel chairs or bikes or scooters um and that pump track is
Around 50 m by 20 mters in in dimension um we’ve undertaken uh a procurement exercise at no risk um and from the capital uh um allocation of £60,000 um at current costs we know a pump track can be installed all for within that funding envelope in addition to the £60,000 U
We’ve also identified some section 106 monies um and that will provide some extra facilities including benches and all this board um some some surfacing work around the track um just to make it look uh that that bit nicer um initial advice from uh from planning was that because the track was
Of a certain scale um then no planning application was required for it and it would be allowed and permitted develop rights just in terms of tying it back into the the wor the play plan even though the proposal predated um development of the play plan um there is some Ender provision that’s been
Identified within within that Ward so there’s a small amount of Ender provision for young people um and that affects the number of Residential Properties on on baton hole drive there are three existing plays sites within close proximity of the project location but those play sites are very predominantly located at much younger children
Rather than sort of those into into teen years um and the nearest site for for youth play uh is the mty games use area at the rear of St Peter’s Village Hall it’s also worth pointing out that um in terms of uh emerging demand um those sites um that have been developed
Or or will or will be developed in the future so I’m thinking about broom hallway at 90 odd units of accommodation there and further land to the south of the A40 um they will be linked to to St Peters and the Baton Hall Ward by the Broomall way foot Bridge so there will
Be further demand that will come um and that will require play play provision what we’ve acknowledged though as offices is that if this was the first pump track location for Worcester um it would very likely become a destination site um in the absence of any other site um and and obviously as a
Destination site um it would be uh more preferable if it came with um support and infrastructure which baton Park doesn’t uh contain um at at the moment um in terms of environmental impact um on the 14th of November 2023 um a preliminary e ecology appraisal was undertaken um from uh
Members of w Wildlife consultancy um and there were no concerns that were that were raised that required any further survey work to be undertaken um there were some minor recommendations for considering should the pum track proceed um and if at some future date um uh that the the
The proposal comes to come to fission um then the findings of that report will be presented to uh to members um in terms of planning uh the most uh recent uh planning advice uh is that um we would need to undertake some further uh survey work on the site um it
Is a site of historical interest um in respect of archaeological monuments um and although that’s not a deal breaker it’s something we would we will need to factor in if we were to move forward with that site so that would add a bit of cost a bit of time
Possibly a bit bit of complication um but something that was brought to our attention um quite lat on in the process um in terms of parking access and Welfare facilities um as I’ve said um the site um is restricted um so there’s no formal uh parking provision
Available um and any uses to the site would probably need to park in one of the the four residential areas um all of which I believe are are CCS um however pedestrian cycle access is good um there are nine pedestrian access points into the park um the park
Is transversed by a City local cycling route um and obviously the national cycling route almost sort of skirts a huge a huge sort of periphery of the site as well um uh the um this in terms of of um emergency emergency service vehicles um there is a sort of formal
Point of entry into the park um Vehicles can come so far but then equipment has to be manually transported for that final leg leg of the journey um as I mentioned um batol Park doesn’t benefit from any public toilet facilities um or or a cafe um and such
Sites don’t require them um but again just just you know just to mention that if this was to become a destination site um and the number of people attending in and perhaps some of the distances they would be coming from um they would be the sorts of things that sort of just
Add value um to to such a site um in terms of the public consultation um it was uh heavily uh heavily uh Ed consultation probably one of the uh the highest turnouts um that we’ve had in terms of the consultations that we tend to run as a council um
65.1% of uh of of respondents um classify themselves as local residents um and 46.9% of of respondents um uh signal that they lived in the immediate vicinity of batol Park um so that provides some strength as to who was who was responding to it and the sort of stake they have in that
Area um 60% of respondents said they would use the facility at various frequencies from uh more stay one to do Tas per week up to a few times a month whilst 40% of uh respondents said they would never use it however 65% of respondents answered that that they felt
The um the the track was in the was in the right location um and although most respondents were supportive of upon track of the loation um it was clear that there was local um opposition opposition to it um and uh the reasons cited range from noise antisocial Behavior litter damage and impact on
Wildlife and and biodiversity um as I mentioned earlier um we’ve undertaken the procurement exercise um and as it stands based on current estimates um the the capital allocation been provided for the project um we believe that can be delivered within within that Capital program um however in terms of where we
Are with a recommendation um officers um are very conscious that if this was to be the first priority project delivered as part of our wor play plan that is meant to be a very very positive project for the council that the majority of people can get
Behind and support um and we feel um with a mixture of the Practical considerations if this site was to become a destination site and that sort of microlocal opposition um being pragmatic is that where we want to be for our first Council play plan project um so the the
Recommendation in front of members um this evening is to defer the decision on batol Park and that would all allow officers to undertake further investigation work um on alternative sites and some of those have been listed within the report this evening enabling an office to bring a report back to
Committee that would that would present an options appraisal on on on a number of sites and that may allow uh members to think about um The Ordering of play sites and that could be one that could be more than one um but it may allow us to think about a destination site first
And then a neighborhood a neighborhood type site um so I think that’s probably enough chair but happy to take any any questions thank you Lloyd uh just two things I’d like to clarify before I open up to the to the committee if the recommendations were to
Go to be agreed this evening that does not mean the end of Wheels based play provision in in St Peters yeah that’s absolutely correct so so the the concept of a pum track within the St peters’s Ward uh is still the focus of officers and and you’ll see
Within the report that one of the other locations within um St peters’s Ward is is p Park thank you for that and then on the survey itself on the consultation or in the consultation responses themselves there are worrying allegations that the consultation system was being gained um
Are we taking any steps to try and reduce that opportunity I think we’ve we’ve certainly noed that uh chair um I think our current uh consultation uh software um is um uh sort of brittle to that um you know type of issue um and we’re now
Looking at um how we can sort of upgrade that or provide a new consultation software that that limits limits the um the potential for for misuse thank you for that so uh opening up debate to members um if I take Jesse first and then Toton and then
Jaa chair I’d like to propose an amendment to the recommendations but I’m not sure of the procedure for me to do that should I propose the amendment now and explain my reasoning or explain my Rec and prop the propose the amendment I guess we need to hear the
Amendment then take a second and then hear your argument for your Amendment and then we’ll make it take a vote on the amendment if that’s right um so I’d like to amend item uh two of The Proposal so um amended to this committee approves um the pump
Track a baton hle on the condition that officers work with with residents um leaving closest to the location to address concerns relating to antisocial behavior and environmental concerns and instructs officers to undertake work to investigate further locations across the city including with inside Peters board just for the sake of clarity would
You mind reading that a second time yes um so a the this committee approves a pump track at Buton uh button hle park on the condition that office work with residents living closest to the location to address concerns relating to antisocial Behavior environmental and environmental concerns and instructs officers to undertake work to
Investigate further locations across the city including within St Peters Ward thank you for that do we have a seconder for that Adrien thank you uh so we now debate the amendment to the recommendations is that that’s the procedure yeah um let J sorry Jesse you must now speak in defense of your
Amend so first of all I want to thank all the speakers that came uh here today I know how hard it is to fit everything you want to say in five minutes and I am very grateful to be in a position of not having that same restrictions but I’ll
Be as brief as I can um I believe that young people in this country are getting a raw deal and if we continue in the current political trajectory most um most of our young people will not will never be able to afford a home will never be able to
Secure a job and I realized that doesn’t seem related but um a lot of the decisions that we made often involve U ignore young people due to political practicalities um I’m aware that many students that I teach will graduate with thousands of pounds worth of student
Debt and yes before anyone says it I am aware of the Liv Den’s role in that Fiasco I was not a livm then and I would have left the party over this issue uh if I hadn’t been able to persuade my party and there are times that politicians have to choose between what
They believe is the right thing and loyalty to their own parties and what the parties might want to do uh no political party is blameless when ignoring the young because it’s easier uh because they don’t often Vote or comp LA and it is not a secret that in the
Local Council we’re often elected by middle-aged golden age people who own their own homes and inevitable that nimes will always have the loudest voices to me this pum track is a very clear symbol that everything that’s wrong with politics we all know it will be great for young people but it is
Obvious to me that the practicalities of winning an election in May will get in the way of this make no mistake whatever War this pump truck goes to it will face loud inform opposition from a handful of people who know how to multiply their voice uh if we do not make on on
Progress on this today none of us none of us can guarantee that it will actually happen um we’re all up for re-election we don’t know who’s going to be in this chamber next time it meets um so we really have to make progress on this I’m now very happy that the data
That we are using Anonymous surveys to be considered um in the this proposal um particularly with the allegations of multiple submissions I’ve tried the system myself and found that it’s not just very easy to submit multiple submiss it’s not just possible it is extremely easy to do so but one thing
That I’m very happy to consider is the play plan in my view that’s one of the best pieces of research this Council has produced uh it talked about the need in this particular area and he made a valiant effort to engage young people in that discussion that was one of the best
Pieces of research trying to engage young people um and we should not um consider that um effort in vain um a I am not Clairvoyant but if nothing happens in this project and we keep kicking it down the road eventually the money that we have with inflation and
Political changes won’t be enough to cover the cost like we have seen with other projects if we leave it at after the election the political will might just disappear so maybe councelors we just need to be a bit Brave and encourage uh and we have to vote for
What we believe um and I encourage every counselor in here to represent all their constituents not just their voters and for this reason I think it’s important that we consider this amendment thank you Jesse and just to continue on this amendment does anybody else want to speak for the amendment
Adrian thanks chair in in supporting that amendment I I’ve got a few questions of my own about some of the items in the report which I I I would like to raise um but I think the um the the central sort of message that we’re been getting from the speakers before the
Meeting uh and through the report is that there’s a lot of support for a pump track um but the opposition is um focused on um not wanting a pump track in this place at this time so when the corporate director talks about the fear of this first one being the
Destination um and uh and what that what the impacts of that are I would have to say that that’s going to be the case wherever you buildt the first one um so uh as councelor Jagger says you know the the actual reaction from each different
Place is you know is going to be um uh some people will support it and some people won’t and we have to take a decision one way or another what I didn’t fully understand from where the corporate director was um who’s going to pay for the second
One um because the first one you know if we’ve got the indicative cost of 60,000 which is the envelope within which this one can be built um then there may we haven’t got the money for a second one anyway there’s nothing lined up into Capital uh spend for that um so if we
Don’t do one um uh then you know we we’re not going to get underway with any of them I think that um therefore that we need to make a start somewhere and the work has been you know considerably Advanced on this particular area and and so that’s a very good reason to proceed
On this I think there’s another thing that comes through the um consultation which is some concerns um that the site is somewhat secluded uh and um so uh there were concerns about what the impact of of having a a lot of young people there um together in an open space with with with
No great oversight um this could be a problem the other half of the consultation says we don’t want we want the place to be overlooked but they’re complaining about the noise that it’s going to create so there’s a lot of inconsistencies throughout the consultation on what it is that people actually
Want I think the the I was interested to see that the planners um suddenly discovered that it’s in the middle of a battlefield site um I I hope that they knew that it was already in the battlefield site before they offered your initial advice um but the in paragraph 2.21 there’s nothing there
That screams out to me what are these archaeological monuments and concerns that are going to prevent a track being built and you know the given the nature of the build of the track I don’t know what the foundation levels are going to be like not entirely sure what it
Requires to build a pump track that’s not evident from this report but um I I would be interested to know what the precise details of that archaeological concern are um because I would no doubt share some of them but also the mitigating factors around it um and so I
I think that that’s you know surely that’s something we can work through what the what the the overall um concern I’ve got is um that this needs to be this needs to be part of an overall Citywide piece of work um so I do think it’s important
That the element of the paragraph 1.2 which talks about instructing officers to undertake work in other locations and we’ve already seen from the consultation responses and our own minds perhaps that those are the locations need not be restricted to the four or five listed in the report um and there are others um
That that work continues but it Al it needs to continue in association and in in conjunction with work developing this one because uh I think our experience in other areas is if we we stop something happening in one place and we pick it up and try and trans translocate it
Somewhere else then it simply doesn’t work it stops um full stop uh and we do need to progress this thank you aan um I’ve just received some advice about how we can proceed with the rest of this topic so I think what we can do is talk to the amendment
And the content of the report so if you don’t mind um I’ll revert back to the original running order so I’m I’m just getting to that point um so I’ll take Tom Tom jabber and then councelor Stanley if that’s all right and then councelor garison over to you Tom thank thank you
Very much uh chair thank you very much uh Lloyd for sharing the um report and and also big thanks to uh the members of the public for turning up and and speaking um about the feelings within the community about this so um I I think what I would like to say and perhaps
I’ll might have a chance to speak about um the report and and the recommendations a little bit more further further down the line is that as as much as I would like to give credit to uh colleagues speaking uh immediately before me um they they seem to be in full election earring swing
Themselves um and whereas they admit that there are issues isues with consultation um young people not being consulted so on and so forth they’re quite happy to uh progress with something which clearly needs more work when it comes to consultation um so I I I genuinely do not understand unless they have some
Kind of political motives by any chance um so as as as far as I’m concerned I’m I was happy to see this report when it was published because it basically reiterated what what I said in public in in this meeting last time we met as as as the as the committee here uh
Which essentially was that it’s a great idea um we should have an ambition to build more than than one and and in terms of the money it’s the case of us prioritizing uh how the money is spent uh but for all kinds of reasons
And and i’ I’ve got a big big old long list of of those reasons it’s not the right place uh and I’m speaking as a former Buton H uh seven years living in the W um someone who takes kids to uh someone who represents the adjacent
Award in in in Buton Hall uh but also someone who takes kids to the only existing pump truck uh very close to the to the vicinity of the uh City boundaries in uh in rushwick so um I’ll take my son there he he loves it so um I I’m I’m feeling really really
Disappointed that whereas we acknowledge um issues with the consultation process you know people clicking all kinds of answers God knows how many times when we say that young people were not heard well what what what what does it you know let’s let’s get them hurt right um and and also
Indication that the that the cost of doing it somewhere else accessibility the real issues of accessibility are being sort of disregarded we should really really carefully and and and goodness knows and Lloyd and other officers know that I’m not not uh shy to speak against recommendations of the of
The senior officers in this case I think it’s the right thing I said it last time I’m saying again uh we need to rethink it um when it comes to young people one one one quick um uh sort of observation um a knife attack on a young person the
Vicinity of the place which took place last year hasn’t been resolved so or or you know I’m just I’m I’m not not comfortable with downplaying this how how serious it is uh and and therefore it requires further consideration so I I do applaud um well let’s put it this way I do not
End the officers I do not end the US quite frankly because it’s a bit of a brexit issue it it it looks like uh but I’m really really ask asking and reminding colleagues that this is not about the politics what looks good on your leaflet it’s about the kids and
What they have or what they don’t have and I’m speaking as a doubt as well as a counselor thank you thank you so ja thank you chair um it’s difficult to sum up what I need to say here this evening because there’s clearly there’s a range of uh emotions
That have been expressed this evening regard ing um um views from from from from the public from from from all sides but I I’ll try to Sumit as best of as a can chair I mean I think the decision tonight I mean we’ve only seen a recent
Survey in um in the won news and the national headlines that wer is the one of the best places to live in in in the UK in terms of quality life but in according to who according you know to middle-aged men middle-aged women is it is it the best place to live according
To Young people have we ever done that survey we haven’t done that survey we we don’t know what uh uh and our own consultations and on our our own um internal aists have revealed that there is a considerable lack of facilities and play provision for uh youth for youth
Provision between the ages of 12 and and 16 and 17 so we’ve identified that need we’ve identified a need that we have consistently overlooked the need to um address these issues that you uh for for youth provision I as a local counselor and a running of a youth group know that
That the direct link between increase in Social uh antisocial behavior and lack of facilities as soon as a youth Club closes or a facility isn’t provided antisocial Behavior increases and that you can say that that is a level uh what ital a consistent picture in all Wards
Ac across the city wherever there’s a lack of facilities antisocial we Behavior increases one of the speakers earlier spoke really really eloquently regarding that link that people need a provision to uh to play to exercise to release those energies that they can develop into well-rounded individuals when when they grow up this this
Location here I mean I mean we’ve SE we’ve heard consistently here that there’s been a floor and some somehow there’s been a flaw in our public consultations well I mean it wouldn’t have got to this stage if our public cons ation weren’t as thorough as as possible and there’s also you know
Noises coming from the floor that the the previous counselors chose chose this location uh literally just you know putting this drop on the pin this has been considered by the the parish council this has been considered by previous counselors and they’ve come up with a location that is deemed deemed
Deemed suitable this is a juncture this uh location is a juncture between a high school two local um uh what’s it called primary schools and and it’s a key location in terms of um um kids using uh the track it will benefit not only what’s it called St Peter’s residence
It’ll benefit baton Hall residents it’ll uh benefit Cathedral residents and it’ll baton n uh residents it is a key location that hundreds and hundreds of kids uh what’s it called U uh use on a daily basis to commute from from their homes to their schools and use as a play
Facility now the decision being made here this evening I is just is much bigger than you know a few votes at at the local election the vote here tonight is about whether we back young people and the facilities that we that that we back young people and that we believe in
Young people and we’re going to invest in young people that’s the decision here tonight not you know the local elections that you know however many votes that you might miss out because some local residents complain the bigger picture is our faith being tested in young people
Here tonight and I believe and and and I’ll give you an example the uh uh last year um we propos sorry we’ve got some funding for a cricket pitch we got funding for a cricket pitch and the original location was in CLS if you don’t mind me asking local people kicked
Up a fuss oh a cricket pitch in our Lo in our local park that that’s supposed to benefit the whole city a free Cricket pitch the first Municipal Cricket pitch in this city was battered away thankfully found a better place to put put it in that it’s you hundreds and
Hundreds of kids are now being able to use it but this is the local uh opport position that we’re getting for facilities that we’re trying to provide for young people and for support enthusiasts that encourage play that incre encourage uh cohesion yet get batted back because we’re too afraid to
Make those Brave decisions so the brave decision today here is actually standing up for young people and supporting this uh uh uh Amendment here today thank you sorry could you could you not interrupt members and the proceedings of the committee comme please uh councilor Stanley Chair thanks very much I I’ve
Heard some extremely compelling powerful arguments both from uh the people who are in the public spaces and also from around this table um the question for me is this I’ve been on this Council for a number of years and the we periodically not often enough go
Back to the level of provision that we have for young people truth of the matter is yeah it’s not enough now I’m not suggesting that any one of the locations suggested are perfect they’re not we don’t live in a perfect world and I totally understand the the the depth of feeling that that
Some people have about developments of this sort but nevertheless it is it is still something that is will be of enormous value to young people in in the area I think there will be scope as time goes on for Alternatives and and additional uh facilities to emerge in other areas
Of the city so that not one particular area doesn’t become the the destination area it simply provides a facility for young people in it not necessarily strictly in St Peters or baton Hall but within that particular part of the city clearly ultimately there are there are
Tough choices to be made and uh this particular project was was something that former councelor McKay was uh extremely passionate about um we’ve spoken about this on number of occasions I do not want to see this lost in a a new Civic year new members coming to the
Table uh uh many many different priorities that will occupy their minds as we go forward uh and I absolutely applaud the idea that Council offices now should should open up a dialogue with with those people who are you know clearly have got some concerns about this we can work together uh to allay
Those fears I am sure uh and for that for that reason and for for many others I will support the amendment thank you councilor Stanley uh Simon thank you chair I’ve listened to the debate so far and obviously continue to listen to it until we to vote um I
Think I’d summarize My Views as the perfect is often the enemy of the good because I think if we’re looking for a perfect site we’re going to take uh what we’re not going to find one I would suggest colleagues we from looking at the report we’ve been working this for
Over three years now it was put in the budget which would have had to go in the draft budget uh back in 2020 for proposals 2122 to so over three years we’ve been developing as an authority proposals for for this particular area and of course it is important to engage
And consult with the community and we would expect differences of opinion and I think I am persuaded on balanced by by Jess’s Amendment because I think the key aspect there is whilst in principle moving ahead we must continue to engage with local people in the area about how
We can mitigate any impact that’s the important bit I think having listened to to Jesse’s proposal and so I am persuaded on that BAS is that we need to make a clear decision I’m not persuaded on deferment simply to uh make further investigations because I think we won’t
Find a perfect site in the city that will accommodate that and I’m not persuaded that one site in the future of the city the size and growing nature of the city uh would also be suitable so one destination pump track for the entire city of Worcester is probably not
What I would think uh is best en envisaged this should be the first pump track uh to to serve this locality but we should continue to examine as Jesse has said other other facilities other suitable sites but I would say to colleagues if we spent over three years
Getting to this proposition we are likely in any other uh area of the city to have to undertake very similar engagement consultation and come across again mixed views which will have to be mitigated we’ll have to look at how we can deal with those conflicting issues in a community which will won’t be
Perfect so in summary chair I think that I am persuaded to support the amendment because I think the perfect site perhaps will will uh will not be found and therefore we won’t move forward with any facilities for a size and scale of Worcester City with its expansion areas which I don’t think is
Right for the future of the city I think we do need to make a decision as a committee in terms of budget as well costs are not going to go down you know we’ve seen the the quite extraordinary inflation and build costs and developments in any other the site there
Will have to be the kind of Engagement in community um work that would be done and there would know about the issues about ecology um Heritage and history accessibility transport Etc which will all have to be overcome and I think what would be really awful is to exhaust uh a
Future provision in this budget and actually not build anything for the city uh and the future residents whether they be uh are existing young people or future Generations so I think on balanced whilst hearing very loud and clearly some of the local concern in the area and fully understanding that I do
Think we should seek to move ahead uh and therefore B I am persuaded this moment to support the amendment thank you very much Simon uh so uh the the next part of the running order is ky Jill Ellena and then you H thank you thank you chair um I’m so heartened
To hear the child advocacy that just been shared in the um in however long this debate is going on that makes me um so positive and so happy um a week ago I sat here in health and well-being committee and we heard from a public health consultant and we all rung our
Hands over um the quite worrying level of health and the indicators across the city and we all said what can we do about cardiovascular disease and what can we do about loneliness and and what can we do about air pollution all those sorts of things um and then you open the
Paper and you read about the Mental Health crisis that’s occurring for children around now and you’re hearing about children with weakened bones because they’ve not had chance to exercise and get outside um and it’s it’s quite obvious that what our children need is the opportunity to be
Able to get outside in their own City and independently which is why the council’s work with a play strategy is so so very very positive um and I continue to urge the council to be bold to be ambitious to make sure we’re doing the very best things for children it’s um notable that
As a society anti-child sentiment is actually incredibly acceptable and we really must challenge that because that is not good enough um I have a couple of points because um frankly none of this is good enough none of it is good enough because we’re still too far from having
Good enough play provision in this city and that is what uh has ended up with me being in this position is that uh our provision in Worcester is pathetic for young people and I’m so glad that we’re going forward with with the strategy and
Plans for that now um I have I dispute a couple of the claims that have that have been brought up already so to offer some reassurances so I’m not sure there’s a lot of talk about this site becoming a destination site and I wonder if we’ve worried ourselves with that because we
Already have um a destination site if you’d like to call it that with rushwick you can drive to we already have a BMX skateboarding track um up p as well so perhaps those are the ones we can drive to if we have to um and also don’t forget it’s the government’s Target that
By 20 30 50% of Journeys are made on foot or wield so hopefully those parking problems won’t be an issue by the time the P tracks built anyway but my two concerns and this is why I really appreciate um how Council Jager spoken and and the amendment but I’m I’m still
Not convinced because my two issues are speed of delivery I’m motivated by what gets us a pump track quickest or more play provision quickest and I’m really concerned by uh point 2.21 and 2.22 and and the archaological um issues that may be presented because I’m worried that
Pushing forward uh with baton Hall Park doesn’t result in more play provision in the quickest way possible so I’m I need further assurances about time frames in this um because as we sit around and talk children’s childhoods are dripping away my son was four when we first started talking about pump tracks he’s
Um possibly going to be on this time scale 10 before we maybe get one already had heard another example here it’s not good enough um and then also I have another question that led me to go all the way back and watch the Youtube video of the uh ped committee meeting of the
24th of January 2022 um which was about why these projects two projects that we talk about today actually uh pump track and cwal way why they’ve managed to sort of Leap Frog and come out of place with um the play strategy and I found there was a
There was a vote on that and in fact um I listened to a really brilliant Point by because it’s not my original point so I can’t claim it uh councelor Joe Hodges made the point that we should not be agreeing to projects before the Strategic plan was in place because
Where does it fit is this for the best interest of young people um committee disagreed with her and it was agreed that things should go through but this actually is a strategic failure we should have waited we should have assess the needs across the city we should have
Thought about where things needed to go for the best interest of young people so at the moment I still don’t know chair um and that’s where we are because none of it is quite what I want thank you Katie um and I’m not sure it will take till 2030 to build a contract
Please do Lord can I can I just invite Alan to clarify the sort of development timeline um on the basis if a decision was taken tonight to proceed with it um and I think as well um perhaps Allen can offer some reassurance around the um the potential survey work for archaeological
Monuments because for a similar project at the moment U the pur as well artificial pitch and we’ve had to do something similar there so I’m sure Alan can can provide some clarity thank you chair um yes from the point of view of the existing timeline um the the kind of current um tenders
That are available um are kind of expire after 120 days so we are still within um the the period at the moment um we would have to go back obviously and and kind of update those with the companies but from the point of view of the archaeological
Work um the the process that we’ve just currently undergone with regards to purwell Leisure Center has been quite a uh a kind of quite short time period so we’ve got the written scheme of Investigation back very very quickly um ironically enough we’ve got the archaeological survey at Pur as well
Taking place tomorrow and the following day so they’ll be digging forward trial pits so we’ll be in a quite a similar situation obviously the one element that we don’t have Clarity on at this stage if the vote tonight is to is to go ahead is the consultation with historic
England on what the implications of that may be so I kind of pre see what I’ve said on on that basis um but yeah I mean in terms of the archaeological work through the county service um it shouldn’t be time intensive at all in that respect thank
You thank you Alan so I’ve got Jill next thank you chair um I’ve got a sort of general question um there’s been uh questions raised about the consultation and how valid how genuine each of the responses is has there been an opportunity for anybody technical to go and investigate how many are questionable
Should we say how many dodgy responses have we got because there is you know a fair bit of feeling in the room about the amount of opposition from the online survey and other places how much of that is still valid in this context a feel we we’ve not got um sophisticated
Analysis software or we’ve not had the capacity to go through um in any great detail so um I think you only have to spend a little time um perhaps seeing duplicate duplicate efforts um um but to put a number on it I’ll give you a feel
Coun Des Z Would we just we’ve not got there we’ve not got to that point thank you Jill Elena thank you chair and I also would like to thank those who came members of the public who came tonight it’s very refreshing to see members of the public participating in local
Democracy um just to for the record I’m not anti-bike I’m not anti- pump track I’m not anti play in fact our my passion for outdoor facilities for children is and older children is you know in Worcester we are woefully inadequate with what we offer our children particularly those in the 11 plus age
Range fact we need more skateboard parks more pump tracks um the more the better however I do have great concerns about the consultation that has taken place and also the location and I know that’s going against the room but I can only expl Express as a ward counselor my work
That I’ve done in the ward and just to give you an Insight um since I was elected i’ there’s because there was been no consultation with children directly in the ward none at all absolutely none so when this scheme was announced many years ago no consultation was done with residents and none with
Children so I’ve spoken to 56 children so far um and had various responses but but just to give you a flavor of just a couple of children Jack is 10 years of age and he’s in a motorized wheelchair he would like to be able to use a pump
Track but he says that he won’t be able to use the one in Baton hall because his parents will need to drive him there in his specially adapted car and he needs a ramp for access to get out of the car because there is no disabled car parking
Space he’s worried that he will be blocked in will not be able to use the park you might say he’s only one child but one child not being able to access a play area is pretty daming really Katie and Emily are 11 and 12 they don’t like to go into Baton Hall
Park and will not go in Baton Hall Park because it’s not safe there is not enough lighting and their question is why do boys always get things to do and girls don’t why doesn’t anybody ever ask us Sim l two residents Alan and Peter in
St Peters I asked them our age and they said they’re the wrong side of 70 um they live in St Peters and they have grandchildren and great-grandchildren who come to stay they will need to use their car in order to access baton Hall Park to take their children sorry their
Grandchildren and great grandchildren because they are not able to walk there themselves with them so they will be using their car the issue with baton Hall Park is it is the first one in Worcester and you know we have to be concerned about the accessability of that because it’s easy to say that
Everyone can cycle there and that’s great in a perfect world but there are many people who are going to travel from the St John’s for example are we saying that all those people have got to cycle in order to use a pump track that is the only pup track in Worcester what about
Those elderly grandparents who need to take their grandchildren to play in the pump track how are they going to do that there are going to be lots of cars parked in residential streets which are already rammed full of parents picking their children up from schools and so on
It’s going to be very very difficult for them I also have concerns about um the Emergency Services if we have cars parked in two res itial C disects and God forbid an accident happens how will an ambulance have access to the streets in order to get to those
Children that have been hurt because accidents happen they’re rare but they happen and how will an accident in the emergency services get there I’m concerned that the E ecological report we’re not able to see that and that has been one of my biggest concerns about the environmental impact we’re not able
To see that report I know we have off officers reassurance that that will be made available to us why can’t we have it now again there’s no transparency about the costings we’re saying that it comes in on budget which is fine how much of that budget is dead money to
Access the site to build the pump track because the only way that that pump track can be buil and accessed is from Baton Hall Road which is about 400 m now I know that when I met with the officer there was talk well we’ll have to close
Baton Hall Park because of health and safety and what have you and an sizable amount of the budget allocated will be spent on paying for transportation costs to get those the equipment from Baton Hall Road right down to the location which is inaccessible by car it’s a long
Way so isn’t it better to spend the money that’s dead money on using it to go into a a pump track that’s in a accessible location and we’re not wasting money isn’t it better to spend it wisely it’s taxpayers money at the end of the day and I’m also concerned
About flooding in the area that part of baton Hall Park floods all the time every time we have rainfall it floods so how much of the costs of building the pump track are going to be spent on flood defenses or making it so that it
Can be usable I’d like to just know that information and I think so at the moment I don’t support the amendment that goes straight away and we be brave and put it in Baton Hall Park because I think a lot more work needs to be done it’s no good
Saying now that we need to consult with residents we should have consulted with residents right at the very beginning the horse has already bolted out the stable now because of the lack of consultation right at the very beginning of this project has left a vacuum which has been filled by
Misinformation and God knows what unfortunately the damage has now been done and I think we need need to defer and we need to look at other locations I’m not saying that we take baton Hall Park out of the equation completely I would just like to have more information and to see more work
Done thank you alen do you want to address the accessibility costs and other points raised I’ll ask Alan to clarify the um the cost issue and then I’ll I’ll pick up a couple of points as well chair if if you don’t mind thank you chair yeah I I think I I
Would just at this stage just want to offer some reassurance that in terms of the overall costs of the scheme um the preliminaries and kind of Transportation of materials costs involved in that are very very low as a proportion of the overall um project cost um yeah just just just two points
Um for me chair just on the point of um Consulting early it’s a bit chicken an egg isn’t it you you need to have something meaningful to consult on point of order three um sorry I was in a similar situation in a planning committee which I wasn’t
Allowed to speak to again can I have a some clarification or whether I was allowed to speak again chair if you don’t mind I’ll be Alan new for a moment um so um under the under the committee procedure rules part five of The Constitution um any member
Of the council is entitled to join a committee and speak at that meeting with the exceptional planning committee where we operate a slightly different procedure if those who are coming to speak at the table are effectively speaking either in support or in opposition of a planning application so
That would been the distinction in that case thank you Jaa if I hand back to Lloyd and then it’s Hannah and then Steve sorry Hann yout Sor thank you chair just on the point of consultation as I say it’s it’s a little bit chicken and eggs and I think where where we were
Is having some meaningful to consult on um was probably a better option in order to draw out comments about a specific location um than Consulting on something which perhaps is a bit more is a bit is a bit more vague um and what we’ve done um having uh done some uh preliminary
Investigation we going identify the location and what we feel we have done is put a consultation in front of local residents and a number of uh wider stakeholders so that they could then actually comment on a on a more precise uh precise project um and just in terms
Of the um the environmental um survey as we’ve said um this project the advice is that it doesn’t require um planning approval so therefore it doesn’t require a planning application to be submitted we were very conscious of um the area and the nature of the site so that’s why
We end took the the environmental survey um and I think one of the points made earlier was around perhaps the impact on on biodiversity as we’ve done with the the P well project if we were to proceed with this site and we would want as a council to ensure that there was 10%
Biodiversity net gain so you know we build that build that into the project but just to reassure members the reason we haven’t included it within the report tonight is because the recommendation was was to defer or is to defer um but we can provide that report to members um
You know uh you know following the committee but just to reassure it um there was no nothing significant that was raised within within that report thank you Lloyd uh hello thank you chair um so again I have another question about um 2.1 two uh 2.21 and 2.22 um I’m I just feel this
Consultation is um this report is underdeveloped and I feel that that’s disappointing given that it’s been three years I would have liked to have seen it historic England consulted beforehand we know it’s on a battlefield and the work going on with the 3G pitch in purd as
Well and the playground already on the site are quite different because this will be an extra layer of landscaping so really my question is what’s the quickest way to get a pump track built in Worcester that would really help me with my vote I am still undecided thank you thank you Hannah
Steve thank you chair and thank you for the question um Hannah because it nicely leads into my point which um you would think that we’d actually been communicating we haven’t um the the the proposed amendment I think in in on many respects on face value is fantastic wonderful I I totally agree
With the the sentiment behind it um however I have spoken with and I have met with and I have heard from residents who you have also heard from today um and they will absolutely not take this lineing down and they will absolutely not consider mitigate mitigation
Um um of a pump track being built in Baton Hall Park um and I know that they will be looking at the uh uh their options legally in terms of how they can prevent this from happening um and my even to the extent of judicial review so in terms of getting a pump
Track built quickest my opinion is that going down this route will actually prevent a pump track from being built in in batall park and I think that the deferment and looking at other locations will be the quickest way to actually have a fantastic facility for kids which is what we all want thank
You Jaa yeah thank you chair I mean I think we heard from I mean I don’t know if I’ve misconstrued um the comments there but I I I I took it as a bit of a threat I think I mean what the threat that our consultation wasn’t sound or
Satisfactory or uh to standard and that we weren’t following procedures so some can somebody bring some light on that because if there’s a potential judicial review being instigated by that can I’d like to understand from the the the our legal team where we stand on our
Consultation um and the other part um of my question is that we’ve highlight the officers highlighted Lloyd’s highlighted that 70% of consules responded that they would like a um uh what’s called pump Rack in in this location so are we saying now all of a sudden 7 75% of for
A pum trct in favor in this location that we’re saying that we’re going to ignore all those people that have said yes because it doesn’t suit us or it doesn’t suit um certain members I mean I don’t know how else to interpretate a a a consultation that we’ve gone out to
Ask the general public and 70% of those respondents have said they want it that location how else would you interpret it yes please Sean thank you chair uh so the decision to um identify new play provision in the city is of course a discretionary function of the city council the city
Council has therefore quite a high degree of discretion about the procedure that it follows in deciding whether to invest its resources it must always do so prudently and having regard to all relevant considerations that that often does mean cond conducting a consultation exercise but it also means taking
Information from a range of sources and the report does not uh funnel the reader into thinking that the consultation is the only form of information that members should take into account when making their decision so the committee should have regard to all matters that it considers relevant and disregard any
Irrelevant ones we’ve clearly not been put on any notice of a judicial review so I cannot comment any further on that at this point chair I appreciate that emotions are running high on this topic so um if I can if we’ll hear from Jesse then from Tom and then from
Hel um I’d like to clarify some of the points regarding the online survey um my personal view is that I attribute no weight whatsoever to the online server good or bad because in my view the whole survey was flawed um online surveys Anonymous surveys are at best um self-re
Reported biased um in the added notion that you have um an issue of People submitting multiple answers is a problem so for me it’s not an issue of how many people supported it on that online survey and I think that we have some discretion as to whether we decide uh on
Based on the need in the area my understanding and reading on the play plan is that one of the reasons that button hole was selected was because it was need in the area so there was no representations of what residents wanted or not with regards with residents not
You know taking and lying down or complaining that will happen in every single War every single War you will have a loud resident threatening to sue saying that they don’t want it in their area we will have this battle whether we go everywhere in the city we will have
This battle and at some point we are selected by the residents not just by the people who vote we represent all of them and yes I I realize that sometimes we accuse politicians of being political and as if you know it’s it there are political decisions to be made but the
Reality is we we don’t have a choice of one pump track over a better pump track we have one pump track or potentially no pump track because we don’t know what’s going to happen in may we have no idea who’s going to be in this chamber we
Don’t know if the money is going to be enough and I realize that there are problems with the location and I realize that it’s easy for me to say say oh be brave in the area that I’m is not the area of the residents coming to me I get
That uh but at the same time if we put it off no kids will have a pump track anywhere because we’re just going to have this conversation over and over and over again um so sometimes we have to use our Discretions as elected officials um we are representative democracy not
Everything has to be a referendum um and so we have to choose and my view is that we have have to make progress on that pending on certain conditions so looking at how we might mitigate it and some people are going to be upset some people
Are not going to come along with that that is always going to happen but if we are going to always going to make some try to make everybody happy we will never get anything done that’s it Tom um I I just want to speak to uh the couple of points made about the
Involvement of young people in in in the in the consultation process so if you look into appendix one page uh 23 question two you will note that uh considering the age groups the age uh 13 between 17 is relatively relatively small um I’ve also raised not not
Talking about the pump track about a different conation I think I think we talked about the play um play Council sorry play play strategy uh that um it’s not only about the surveys it’s also about uh trying to get intelligence by engaging with the relevant Partners so yes environmental
Groups but also groups that represent people with disabilities um on on the basis of the local knowledge and I’ll be very very happy whether whether we can do this before the vote or whatever to show you what the area looks like it’s suitable for water sports not for not
For not for cycling on a pump track it really is 30 40 meters from from the proposed location um so it’s not it’s not about nimis it’s not about it’s about what’s best for the city i’ I’ve I’ve heard all kinds of sort of uh hypothetical things
Being said but I I so as far as I can say the officers are not saying that the options proposed for consideration are U mutually exclusive so it’s not that we are saying no to to to Buton hle we are simply asking asking to take a very
Serious look at other areas my personal preference would be for a site on the south of um a44 uh because it’s it’s under um um it’s under provided I I suppose when it comes to the provision that would be my personal uh perspective um it’s very difficult to to to get to uh
There are all kinds of lovely good things which will preserve that that area of of of the city from uh developers and coaching on it including Cricket it really really is is you know one one of the things that potentially the city council could do something about or some some kind of you
Know use of the green spaces for for play activities uh but once again and and and if you want to we can share the photos before or after it’s not suitable location it’s a simple as that I said it last time and it’s not about me being
Right or not it it’s just not the idea is great it’s not the right place for it and I’m saying as a as a as somebody who lived there for seven years I’m saying somebody who knows what it’s like to take a four-year-old um waiting through
You know um where and all that it’s not the right place it’s as simple as that thank you thank you Tom um chair if I may there’s some I thought I’d heard councelor Jagger sum up can we not move to the vote instead of keep repeating the same arguments thank you Adrian I
Was just about to make the same point thank you if we have anything new to add to the debate sorry Hannah which one so I asked about what’s the quickest way to get a pump track and I I didn’t I didn’t um hear that answer so that would really
Help me in my voting thank you I think taking everything into into account where we are sat right now um that the the practically quickest way to achieve a p track would be to proceed with the Baton Hall Park um proposal I I just wanted to address something as
Well if I may um the December the January meeting that you referred to I was a member of the committee at that point and I voted with my group and I uh as a nice loyal politician I would be but that was under the understanding that baton Hall Park and cwal cwal white
Would only be considered after the play strategy had been agreed and after a clear demand had been identified so I just wanted to make that point so Elena on the basis that week do you have anything new to add to the debate or are we going to just rehash
Something all I wanted to say is we are asking for a deferment of just five months which would just give officers time to consult with um is it rural England and you know it’s just five months so that we can make sure we just get getting it right and it would give
Them time to do the consultation that they need to do anyway with external stakeholders that’s all I’ve got to say thank you this is because I just need it spelled out for me okay I’m the newest one here right so if I vote with the original recommendation we’re halting work with baton
Hall the tender will expire so that will have expired is that correct 120 days um during that time officers will investigate other sites um report back in June with the locations presented and that’s at that point still aiming for just one pump track that’s is that correct can I just
Add one thing Chair by the point we bring a report back um to um the next committee um for us to perhaps progress on from there there there may be a period of consultation required so it may not be an approval to to to move straight to development there may be a
You if there’s a preferred site that members wish to to indicate we would then need to go and do the consultation exercise which we already carried out as part as part of this whereas if I vote with the amendment we continue to progress with the Baton Hall Park
Location and at the same time investigate other sites still thank you still with the idea that this will only result in one pump track or is that a second pump track emerging that’s potentially a second pump track okay and it’s okay that that might have officer time and budget implications
That’s so the point on budget was raised earlier as part of the 2023 report £400,000 has been approved um through Community infrastructure Levy for for ple project right thank you um so I’d like to take a vote on the amendment by Jesse if I may so all those in favor of Jesse’s
Amendment please uh indicate um on the basis that we’ve got a lot of items ahead of us uh for the remainder of this meeting and it’s only only 5 to9 folks um we’ll take all the following items as read um and we’ll allow and we’ll allow members of the
Committee to ask officers their questions and make their points during debate but please um bear in mind officers time and your own time uh so the next item on the agenda is agenda item seven it’s cotswald way public open space improvements um who wants to start the ball
Rolling thank you chair um so I do have an amendment to this uh motion which I can read the amendment first Like Jesse did then then explain my reasoning second it’s not as big as it looks I need big print because I’m old um I just wanted to put a a further
A further point between points 1.3 and 1.4 and otherwise nothing would change so additionally then at that point I want to say all future development planning of this site will include full consultation with both or all w members and other interested and advisory bodies such as but not limited
To city council youth team S&T Wen cranon primary school at every stage and with local residents at appropriate stages with this amendment and spirit in place the project has my wholehearted support I will commit my time and effort to it I hope this committee will feel able to support my
Suggestion um so the reason I’m putting this forward is because because um I I do wholeheartedly support the idea of play being provided in Wen uh access to play is vital to child’s development I think we all recognize that but provision varies widely across the city as I think we all
Know in particular waren F badly compared to other Wards and local families deserve better so the addition of play facilities on cotor way gets my support recognizing that the plans are still to be fully scoped and designed designed I am ke for us to make sure that we work through the details that
These plans match the needs of local residents and have their approval a particular issue for residents I’ve spoken to and one highlighted in the Worcester play plan is the lack of provision for youths as opposed to smaller children I think this proposal must include more provision for teenagers anxieties about antisocial
Behavior must be factored in local residents remember why platform’s old Adventure Park park at the other end of cotal way was dismantled and they will point to regular drug dealing in the area residents are worried that any new play provision will become magnet for ASB and is our responsibility to make sure these
Concerns are addressed overall for this project to work the new facilities must be what is wanted by those who will use it and not what we think they want it concerns me that among responses to consultation only 38% were from people living in the immediate vicinity of this new play area
Area as in within a f minute walk I don’t think enough has been done here and the reason I say that is trying to consult with people in Wen does take more efforts than um perhaps you might think just online cons consultation doesn’t elicit the level of response
That would be useful more effort needs to be done I think it’s essential that the city council Council youth team should be consulted in the planning process I also want to involve s Wen Evangelical Church and the Crum Primary School while continuing to reach out to local residents directly there is a lot
Of evidence that when children and youths are involved in the design of play facilities they have more respect for it and it’s better used let’s make sure we involve them that’s why I’m proposing the additional recommendation thank you so just for clarity then Jill would you mind reading
Out the amendment a second time and then could I ask for a seconder but not limited to the city council youth team SNT Wen and kenam primary school at every stage and with local residents at all appropriate stages thank you do we have a second thank you Jesse Tom and then
Ja thank thank you very much chair I’d like I’d like to make a point about um the content of the amendment I I I think it’s I mean it’s quite ironic to be to be speaking about um the views of the um of the councilors and WS in involved
After the debate we just had but what what that’s that’s an observation however the serious point is I would like to seek some reassurances from the officers and um I’m I’m sure J will understand if I if I disclose that uh one of the members of the public uh
Admitted that she was able to vote 50 times uh using the software used for the consultation on the previous project I um if we don’t have those assurances I’m afraid have to absent myself uh from voting on this and any other uh report involving um the use of for software I’m
Really sorry I can’t vote yes or no on something which is clearly flawed thank you so thank you for that clarification and I think we do need to take the the point of the consultation software up is it within the scope of this committee uh i’
Look for somebody to to give me some guidance on that sorry chair can you just clarify what the question is what’s been asked of offices what I said in summary is that uh I personally would seek reassurances that the software the method of Consulting people online residents online is
Sound as otherwise based on what I heard from the member of the public and and she’s not the only not the only one person speaking about about that that kind of issue uh I’m afraid I won’t be able to uh say yes no vote against or for anything that involves faulty uh
Software that we use in in in in essence it’s it’s basically it sounds like it’s allowing one IP to make lots and lots of votes for or against it doesn’t make sense what we are seeing in front of us is is is flawed thank you so my understanding of the gaming
And I’m quite happy to be corrected on this is that it wasn’t multiple submissions from the same IP it was multiple submissions from the same device using different IPS using software to mask the IP now how easy that is and I’m a technical person
Myself how easy it is to do that I don’t know see sorry I I can I can say that it wasn’t multiply piece CU I tried it myself and it was simply changing the browser or changing the the username within a browser so actually was very very easy you don’t need any technical
Expertise to do it and I I’m going to take points of order in a second which I think are going to come up but that isn’t the topic of this item and I I’m sorry for distracting members from that I don’t want you to absent yourself from democracy Tom but
If you feel that that’s what you must do then that is what you must do CH chair um correct me if I’m wrong the point the is there any evidence to suggest that this particular survey for cold way has been interfered resp so if the cor if that hasn’t been the case
Then why should we not take the evidence in this presented in this survey as read thank you chair yeah I mean I I would just point out that you know we’ we’ve got a comparison there between Baton Hall uh project which was 934 responses and4 responses in this
Instance for cotwall way um so you know the the the clearly isn’t hasn’t been um the fabrication that there may have been on the Baton Hall one um and certainly from the community engagement work that we did when we were door knocking um we went extensively through the area um to
Quite quite area Beyond C 12 way um and engage with those local residents and there was there was no um no reference to that at all in this instance thank you Alan brief please Jesse if it’s on this point yes uh may I suggest that perhaps this it I think there’s a broader
Conversation about research methods and consultation that we perhaps take that to a different committee like auditing um governance and auditing committee because that that would be a better place to talk about research methods in general but I don’t think that necessarily affects the the discussion on this amendment thank you um and I’ll
Take so thank you for all those points can we get back to the substance of the matter which is the cots walway play report thank you all uh Hannah I’d be delighted to support this play on the way system I think it’s much needed in the area
Thank you Hannah and apologies James I did see you no problem at all um firstly part of the explanation why we’ve had fewer responses in this than in the previous item under discussion I think it’s largely because too many people sadly have become disengaged from the
Process in in parts of this city now that’s Way Beyond the question that we’ve got before us tonight but it I I think it’s a point needs to be made that said uh I will happily should the good people of what will then be Al Park and
Wen seek to make this uh judgment in May I’ll happily engage with councelor desera and I’m sure councelor clear will make a similar commitment going forward many of those people actually that she refers to were actually engaged during the course of the the process and for whatever reason and that’s entirely
Their choice simply didn’t respond but that said um you know the the the outcome is is what it is I think the journey that we’ve been on since this be became uh first of all just a matter of discussion and then it’s uh you know it’s begun to become you know something
That becomes in real life uh is something we should be proud of and uh you know I think the environmental enhancements and the uh play as you go principle is absolutely spoton for the the the area that we’re discussing there um obviously we’ll continue to have conversations with all the residents of
The area going forward but I I I applaud the work that Council and clearly did on this and I’m happy to um you know be part of it hopefully going forward thank you for that James uh cha yeah thank you chair happy to um support this uh proposal and and it just
Goes to show uh as a as a city council how we’ve responded really really quickly to youth provision across the city this previous item that we obviously just uh just uh agreed um shows a level of commitment that um towards youth provision this item shows a level of Youth provision the item at
Planning committee last week uh around Horizon play park and the resurfacing of that shows the commitment towards the level of play commitment it shows that we are responding um to a need and a need in in our areas of highest needs also uh and War
Uh uh and uh elbury mount with the new area that’s going to be formed shows their level of commitment to that so happy to support that with the amendments in terms of greater greater involvement with the local community groups and local Ward members thank you so any further comment on the
Content of the report casy I will say just because I like to talk about Play It’s really lovely to see the move away from the off the shelf play equipment into the more natural use of natural materials as outlined in the play strategy so I think that’s brilliant well done all
Involved thank you all um so can we take a vote then please on adding Jill’s Amendment to the overall recommendations so all those in favor of adding Jill’s Amendment okay I do apologize for preempting the decision of this committee so those against and then those abstaining thank you
Tom I was vote blind there for a moment so do forgive me matter I am in such a hurry to get this meeting over and done with and beat councelor Stanley’s record but I’m going to fail miserably uh shortest short meetings James that that chip is [Laughter] s
Yeah so we’ll move swiftly on then we’re voting on the amended recommendations everybody sorry about that uh all those in favor of the recommendations including the amendment uh so yeah those against and then those abstaining thank you Tom am I in safe territory to move on to the next item then thank you
Brilliant um shrub Hill quarter supplementary planning document again I think we can take this as red members um if you’re happy with that um and then we can move on to discussion about the content of the report and the SPD itself I see no one wanting to ask questions
Hannah um I would like to thank officers for the member briefing I found it extremely useful I think lots of um me and the green group would like to pass their thanks on thank you uh and I think we’ve expressed thanks as well across other um sources so Adrian thank you
Um the no I’m I’m quite happy with the uh the document as it stands um I think the only thing I’d say is is that that given that we’ve um when the document was put together there have been some uh headline uh changes um in the fact that there’s a
There was a live application in for the lmore development which was which is highlighted in the document that’s now we understand been withdrawn that doesn’t mean there won’t be another one but but it does indicate that the it’s an organic beast and and I think that
You know we we there are plans in there for different elements of that whole site it’s a big site um so we just need to be um we just need to be nimble I think in dealing with those things as they arise uh but making sure that they
Fit within the um within the the guidance that we’re that we’re agreeing uh so I’m more than comfortable with with that I think it’s very exciting project thank you Adrian Jaba yeah thank you um chair I mean this is a really really significant development for the city it’ll change the face of
The city um for for for eternity in terms of what we we’ve known come um to come sorry come to know what wer is in terms of the shrub Hill area and in that there’s a significant significant amount of investment that’s going to be going on will which will change the shape of
You know the local community and and the local area in the new you know in the ward that uh of for oil that will will be developed as a result my my only fear as a result of it is how much proportion of with the amount of development going
On how that will affect the neighboring neighborhood communities in the area and how will they be priced out of their own homes because it naturally um with my planning haton the the effect of gentrification within the area is very very real uh how much of it is it going
To be affordable how much of it you know people are of this city are going to be able to afford to live in these in in these properties it’s a beautiful design it’s a you know great welcome amount of investment but that threat is really really there in terms of how affordable
Is it going to be for local people to be able to move into these rare properties thank you TR try and answer that it’s it’s not really a question that can be answered at this stage this is obviously a planning document and the questions of affordability will arise as the
Development comes forward but obviously there’s nothing in here to suggest that you know the council would want to relax any of its affordable housing policies and um yeah we will do our best to work with land owners and developers as they come forward to to make sure that’s the
Case and and if memory serves there there are affordability considerations taken into the sdpr um which we believe are still current and affordable and manage achievable anything further on this particular item marvelous thank you everybody um can I take the recommendation on block then please and take a vote on those
Recommendations sorry the next item on the agenda item nine is the infrastructure funding statement for the monitoring period 1st of April 22 to the 31st of March 23 again can we take this report as red and uh raise any questions concerns with Duncan please I see no questions so thanks
Again colleagues um I’ll take the recommendation um and can we take a vote on that please thank you next item on the doc on the agenda is um South Ware housing land Supply report um for December so over to I again report has read uh and raise any questions with
Dunk uh so no questions on those then can we just take a vote on the recommendations please Again Margaret I think yeah thank you item 11 on the agenda is the community infrastructure Levy draft charging schedule review again can we take the report as read um and raise any questions concerns with
Duncan I should have done this earlier shouldn’t I can we um sorry a very brief Point chair thank you very much um in under 3.4 we’ve we’ve got the paragraph one two three employability skills delivered by wer Community Trust supporting individuals 25 and and 25 plus in communities to
Equip them so so on and so forth um Tom before you carry on I think you’re looking at the wrong agenda item so we’re still on I do I do beg your that’s still land Supply is it we’re still housing land Supply just taking the recommendations on that so can we take a
Vote on the recommendations if there’s nothing else MERS um we’re on item 11 now which is the community infrastructure Levy draft challenging schedule review again one more time can we take the report as R and raise any questions concerns with Duncan Duncan thank you chair if I may really
Really quickly it probably would be helpful if I just explained that some of you may be wondering why this particular matter was taken to the uh policy and resources Committee just before Christmas uh yet it’s been brought to place in Economic Development Committee now if I can explain briefly in so far
As before Christmas the recommendation to P&R committee was to uh consult on the draft charging schedule um this is a matter that needs to be reported to all three South westshire councils and that hasn’t happened happened quite as quickly as we had ident as we had anticipated so we’ve taken the
Opportunity to bring this matter to you this evening to complete the circle if you like and that’s why the additional two uh elements to the recommendation before you this evening which are to allow for any minor modifications post public consultation which would be for six weeks in consultation with the
Corporate director for planning and governance and in consultation with the chair and vice chair of this committee and then to actually submit this draft charging schedule for examination to be examined by a planning inspector and just for completeness to request that the examiner for examiner read planning inspector um to approve
The charging schedule subject to any modifications that the examiner thinks may be necessary to make the charging schedule uh compliant with the relevant regulations so with the two recommendations that were approved with the by the policy and resources committee plus the two recomendations that you are being asked to consider
This evening that allows us to proceed to consult submit and then all being well adopt the uh charging schedule in line with the timetable for the review of the Southwest year development plan because the two things are intended to run in parallel thank you chair thank you Duncan anything to raise
With that Adrian thanks chair just to clarify then this is about the charging schedule this is it’s not about what we would be using the sill money for through you chair that’s absolutely right so this is a review of the charging schedule to all intents and purposes increase the rates the
Viability Specialists that we’ve been working with have identified that there is some Headroom so certain types of development can actually uh afford to pay more in community infrastructure Levy so that is a clear benefit for our communities that we can bring in more Community infrastructure Levy as part of
Those development ments that come forward under the new development plan so once the swdp review has been adopted thank you chair uh anything else members uh can we then vote on the recommendations please all those in favor of the recommendations I think that’s great thank you uh on to your favorite report then
Tom uh the ukp F final year allocations good evening Zoe thank you for joining us good evening Zoe we got our mic on sorry no I don’t think she can hear us I’m on mute I’m on mute good evening Zoe can you hear us No can you actually hear me we can hear you can you hear us not really no I can go ahead I can go ahead we’re we’re we’re we’ve taken the report as red yeah um and we’re just going to allow members to ask and pose questions no problem I believe Tom
You’ve got a a point thank thank you chair and thank you Zoe it’s just a quick observation and I I think a simple clarification might suffice so I know that we are due to hear um from W TR coming over to do the annual um report uh share this in in
The commun committee in today’s time um uh is um is the um the sum quoted here uh so basic uh where are we business SK program um on on page two of the report and the tailor support for the employed uh to uh to access training and basic life and career
Skills these are the new items that we are uh approving for wct to deliver rather than um we’re not going to hear about um that bit in the in the presentation in two days time is that right so I didn’t quite catch the question so I’m
Sorry is this is this is the the new allocation of the money it’s not right okay that that that was all I was just getting the timing right of wct coming to do the annual report thank you so over to you David on that one this is the UK SPF money which is
The revenue funding to go against these particular projects here there is there are two other separate reports one is P&R regarding Town Fund allocation which is a capital funding for uh the building block uh and then there was a separate report as you say which is going to
Communities which is the annual report of wct I hope that helps it it does thank you very much and I think personally from from my perspective it would it would have helped me to get the annual update from wct and then see this but it is what it is that’s life thank you
Hannah thank you chair um I would like to know um in the green skills um green jobs you won’t be surprised as a green counselor I’m asking about this um I’d just like to make reference to the LinkedIn green skills Global green skills jobs report of 2023 which really highlighted the
Gender imbalance within um green skills and I just hope that that would be something that would be looked at please thank you yes we can we yes we can definitely do that when we write the briefs here uh anything else from colleagues marvelous should have done
This sooner right so we’ll take a vote on the recommendations then um all those in favor the recommendations please give indication thank you all those against the recommendations no one and those abstaining just you Tom you didn’t vote did you I S I didn’t see you right right quarter three performance report
Again can we please take this um agenda item as read and could members raise questions concerns with David Adrian yes um work stream one demolition of number 56 forgate Street how’s that going through chair we have um reached a point where we’ve uh appointed a a demolition contractor who has worked extensively
With network rail so knows what they need to do um we’ve got all of the documentation that’s required in place uh we need to uh submit uh make that request Network rail for the opportunity to get the line closed and U knock the building down so what we anti
Participate is that will be one or two days where we get a we get a couple of hours to do that and that’s mainly the top bit above the parapet once that’s done then the rest will come down pretty quickly so we’re just about there we’re just now waiting on those line closures
Essentially thank you Shane Jill thank you chair um look page 30 yes um the CW way piece probably is out of date I think that’s all page 38 talks about the survey finishing in December that’s fine then coming to P meeting scheduled for the 11th of March
This year but we’ve just had this meeting haven’t we so it’s just or is something else coming and we don’t need any money from platform I don’t think anymore I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that check we can check whether the narrative needs to be there’s no
Platform car par being bought okay thank you David um so any further questions Tom um I must have raised this point a number of times before I’ll raise it tonight it’ll be very brief I think it would be useful to have this agenda item at the beginning of the meeting and if
You consider uh um that we had quite a sizable uh group of members of the public here it probably once in a lifetime opportunity for them to hear about the overall performance of the council um I think it’s a decent idea i’ would like officers to carry on
Considering at least thank you thank you um I’ll also ask officers to consider it and um perhaps just write to us to say why or why not that’s all right chair if I may um apologies um the agenda management process obviously there’s a discretion for the chair and
Vice chair to agree they’re running order in the runup to a particular meeting um and you’ll recall in the agenda planning session we we discussed the fact that a number of public speakers were anticipated on the first play related items um and then we considered the scheduling of those other
Items related to um people’s availability to present them and so forth so there was thought given we don’t operate a particularly rigid Arrangement around the location of the performance scorecard on any particular agenda but we take advice from the chair and vice chair of that particular meeting about the best
Location you it’s it’s all my fault can I can I please just say that in in all seriousness and I completely get uh the the explanation provided by the monitor officer uh from time to time we do have meetings which are quite uh quite busy and Lively and so on I think
For the sake of Engagement and and how people feel about the council it’s in in the spirit of transparency I think and overall understanding it would be quite useful to have a to have a you know a bird’s eye view of how we are doing at
The beginning rather than at the end U and it’s simply because not many people will go online and um try to find out what what the and other col me I think tonight we’ve seen a perfect example of public engagement with a committee so I I will take your point and in future
Meetings Hannah and I will discuss um the order of the agenda Jabba I do remember a similar um suggestion being made at a communities committee meeting where we did change the agenda and had the performance scorecard at the start and uh we didn’t have one comment on it Mr thank you uh
But it is down to Hannah and myself uh to agree with officers the order of the agenda and we will um you know bear these comments in mind thank you so that’s the end of the formal agenda I haven’t been made aware of any other business oh sorry again I’m jumping
Ahead of myself I do apologize can we just note the comments the the report is that all right with everybody thank you I haven’t been notified of any other business so I’m not going to talk about any other business I just want to welcome Hannah as Vice chair of the
Committee welcome Hannah and also thank councelor clear for all his help over the last year could I just welcome councelor Katie Kia to this committee and thank you for her contributions thank you most remiss of me um yes welcome Katie um and that’s the end of the meeting thank you very much everybody