Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Otumunye for whom Councillor Weston attended as a substitute and from Councillor Marsh for whom Councillor Nix attended as a substitute.

An apology for absence was also received from Councillor Holloway.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 24^th July 2024 (previously circulated).

The minutes of the meeting held on 24^th July 2024  were approved as a correct record.

No notification of urgent business was received.

No members declared an interest.

Up to thirty minutes will be made available for questions from members of the public on issues relating to the work of the Committee and to receive any petitions.

No questions or petitions were received.

To Receive a report from the Assistant Director of Leisure, Community and Cultural Services.

The Committee received a report from the Community Centre Manager James Tiplady.

The following points were raised during the discussion:

·        The Chair referred to film releases and asked that attendance be tracked, noting there had previously been a large spike when Frozen 2 had been released.

·        A Councillor raised a question regarding clarifying what the heading of transport referred to on page 7 of the agenda pack, this was referring to travel expenses for employees.

POST MEETING NOTE

After the meeting officers confirmed that The Campus West slide on page 7 included Transport Related Costs of £1k to Quarter 2, with a forecast of £2k for the full year.

The detailed figures within the £1k are:

Car allowance (this is an entitlement paid to certain staff through the payroll) £437

Mileage claims £525

Total to Quarter 2 £962  

The mileage claims are for several journeys made by Campus West staff in relation to visiting sites to look at ticketing platforms and operations as part of the procurement process for the new booking system. These are unusual and are not expected to be required in the future as the new booking and ticketing system procurement is complete.

·       It was queried whether the income figures of £917k (2024/25) against £821k (2023/24) were accurate; it was clarified this was due to the increase in income in 2024/25 compared to 2023/24

·       A Councillor asked about Zebra Card usage and its benefits, it was agreed a report would be produced in future.

·       It was asked if graphs could be reviewed so that current year was always shown in the same colour for easier viewability, officers agreed to review this.

·       A Councillor asked about catering issues. Officers said Campus West can learn from previous events to better prepare in terms of income prediction.

·       A Councillor felt there needs to be an assurance that there will be a balance between service and staffing costs which was noted.

·       A councillor raised a question about whether the opening of a new facility in Hertford will affect numbers at Campus West. Officers felt it is too soon to tell and noted the differences in services provided and the target audience for both venues.

·       The Chair advised nominations for the Community Awards had opened and encouraged members to hold the date (26 February 2025) for the awards.

RESOLVED:

The Panel noted the report