Agenda item

To update members of the Performance Monitoring Panel on the South Holland Centre action plan (report of the Assistant Director – Leisure and Culture enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Leisure and Culture which provided an update to members of the Performance Monitoring Panel on the South Holland Centre action plan.

The report was introduced by the South Holland Centre Manager and the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Operational Housing.

The Portfolio Holder stated that she had recently taken on responsibility for the South Holland Centre and that she was dedicated to implementing the action plan attached at Appendix 1. The South Holland Centre Manager had already completed some good work in regard to the business plan that would be shortly forthcoming.

The South Holland Centre Manager highlighted the following key areas of the report:

• Update on the action plan
• Financial update on the budget for SHC.
• Programming and Events
• Building and maintenance
• Marketing Plan

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

• In reference to point 5.13.1, members queried whether there were other types of events that could be held in the South Holland Centre that could benefit resident’s health and wellbeing.
  • The South Holland Centre Manager confirmed that other types of events were slowly being introduced within the opening hours the Centre currently operated. She confirmed that she was happy to discuss any suggestions members have for other types of events outside of the meeting.
• Members asked why there was no reference to engagement with Parish Councils as part of the marketing plan. They felt that this engagement could assist with increasing number of visitors to the South Holland Centre.
  • The South Holland Centre Manager confirmed that she would make a note of this and take it back for consideration.
  • The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Operational Housing added that the mailing list for the South Holland Centre was made up of 12,000 residents from all areas of the district and beyond the South Holland area. Newspaper advertising was also district wide. She suggested that Parish Council’s could be added to the mailing list.
• Members were pleased to see that most of the Task Group’s recommendations had been progressed and complimented the South Holland Centre Manager for her work in helping the Centre head in the right direction.
• Members queried why the Centre’s budget included a £4,000 charge for support services per week and requested clarification as to whether this figure was correct.
  • The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Operational Housing confirmed that the support services recharge figure had been raised and expected that this would be adjusted. She believed that the figure was based on the number of employees the Centre had and as this employee number had been reduced, the support services recharge should be reduced accordingly.
• Members stated that the Task Group had been anxious for a business plan to be created in a short space of time, but this had unfortunately not happened. They had also been insistent that a mission statement needed to be developed to raise the profile of the Centre and more work needed to take place for this aspect of the Task Group’s recommendations.
• Members were encouraged by the new Portfolio Holder’s enthusiasm for the Centre and were eager to see how the business plan would be implemented.
• Members expressed their support for the South Holland Centre Manager and felt that the work she had already done was fantastic.
  • The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Operational Housing echoed these sentiments and stated that she had a lot of confidence in the South Holland Centre Manager to move forwards with the action plan.

The Chairman advised that it may be useful to re-convene the South Holland Centre Task Group once the business plan was implemental.

AGREED:

That the contents of the report be noted.