Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Suite, North Warehouse, The Docks, Gloucester, GL1 2EP

Contact: Democratic and Electoral Services 

Items
No. Item

97.

Declarations of Interest

To receive from Members, declarations of the existence of any disclosable pecuniary, or non-pecuniary, interests and the nature of those interests in relation to any agenda item. Please see Agenda notes.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

98.

Declaration of Party Whipping

To declare if any issues to be covered in the Agenda are under party whip.

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of party whipping.

99.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 167 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 30th January 2023.

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 30th January were approved and signed as a correct record by the Chair.

100.

Public Question Time (15 minutes)

To receive any questions from members of the public provided that a question does not relate to:

 

·       Matters which are the subject of current or pending legal proceedings or

·       Matters relating to employees or former employees of the Council or comments in respect of individual Council Officers.

 

To ask a question at this meeting, please submit it to democratic.services@gloucester.gov.uk by 12 noon on Wednesday 22nd January 2022 or telephone 01452 396203 for support.

Minutes:

There were no public questions.

101.

Petitions and Deputations (15 minutes)

To receive any petitions and deputations provided that no such petition or deputation is in relation to:

 

·       Matters relating to individual Council Officers, or

·       Matters relating to current or pending legal proceedings

Minutes:

There were no petitions nor deputations.

102.

Action Points Arising from Previous Meetings pdf icon PDF 126 KB

To note the outcomes of action points arising from previous meetings.

Minutes:

102.1  The Director of Policy and Resources provided a verbal update on the latest position on the webcasting of City Council meetings. He advised that the City Council had commenced discussions with Civica and that the preferred option of the council was to facilitate meeting recordings through the Modern Gov application as this had been identified as the best value and most effective option. He further explained that the City Council would be one of a number of pilot councils testing the software over the coming months.

 

102.2  The Chair, Councillor Pullen, asked for an estimated timeframe as to when the webcasting of meetings was likely to be in place. The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources, Councillor Hannah Norman, advised that she had recently discussed the matter with members of the IT team during a Performance Portfolio meeting and had stressed the importance of moving webcasting forward. She confirmed that a provisional timetable would be circulated to Members when available.

 

102.3  Councillor Norman noted that there were challenges with the acoustics of the Civic Suite in North Warehouse which would make installing alternative streaming equipment very expensive. She advised that the Modern Gov option would involve webcasting council meetings through the camera on individual Members’ laptop machines.

 

102.4  Councillor Hilton raised concerns that Members might not be visible through laptop cameras as many Members chose to stand up when making speeches at Council meetings. Councillor Norman responded that options such as laptop stands were being considered.

 

102.5  In response to a further query from Councillor Hilton regarding the webcasting budget, Councillor Norman confirmed that it was likely to be between £25k and £30k. The Director of Policy and Resources further explained that the City Council would be receiving a discount from Civica on the full cost of the streaming software as it was a pilot scheme, and that the package included provision to record 72 meetings. Councillor Norman pointed out that with this package, there would therefore be the potential to webcast other meetings outside of full Council.

 

102.6  Councillor Wilson queried how members of the public would be able to view the meeting recordings. Councillor Norman advised that members of the public would be able to view meetings via a link on the City Council website.

 

102.7  Councillor Wilson commented that the City Council was one of two of the Gloucestershire Councils which did not have webcasting facilities in place and noted that he was pleased that a concept had been identified. Councillor Norman reiterated that she had made it clear to colleagues in the IT Team that webcasting should be a key focus, however recovery from the cyber incident which the City Council experienced in December 2021 had taken priority.

 

102.8  The Chair reiterated his request for a timescale for meeting webcasting which Councillor Norman stated she was not in a position to provide at the moment.

 

102.9  In response to a further query from the Chair, Councillor Norman confirmed that she would be willing to make  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102.

103.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme and Council Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 232 KB

To receive the latest version of the Committee’s work programme and the Council’s Forward Plan.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee NOTE the Work Programme.

104.

Performance Monitoring Quarter 3 Report pdf icon PDF 115 KB

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources informing Members of the Council’s performance against key measures in Quarter 3 of 2022/23.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

104.1  Councillor Norman introduced the Performance Monitoring Quarter 3 Report for 2022/23 and invited questions from Members.

 

104.2  Councillor Wilson referred to the Key Performance Indicator concerning the footfall at the Museum of Gloucester (CD & VE-1) and the narrative in the report noting that the exhibition programme had reached its income target for 2022/23 by the end of December 2022. He queried whether this suggested that the City Council was charging too much and asked how often prices were assessed. The Head of Culture explained that although footfall through the museum was measured, retail income from exhibitions was not necessarily linked to footfall. He noted that footfall at Gloucester Museum was still less than pre-pandemic levels but was increasing. The Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Councillor Andrew Lewis, noted that increased income generated from exhibitions could be partly down to effective online promotion.

 

104.3  Councillor Hilton referred to H-25 concerning the number of affordable homes delivered and raised concerns that the City Council appeared to be struggling to meet the current target of 58.5. He asked what the administration intended to do meet this target. Councillor Norman advised that if Overview and Scrutiny Committee Members wanted detailed answers on a particular portfolio area, they needed to invite the relevant Cabinet Member to meetings. The Chair acknowledged that the Committee had had the opportunity to raise this question when the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Strategy attended a previous meeting.

 

104.4  In response to a question from Councillor Wilson concerning PG-24 and the percentage of information governance responses compliant with statutory deadlines, Councillor Norman confirmed that it was possible that if a small number of individuals made a high volume of information requests, this could have an impact on response times.

 

104.5  In response to a follow-up query from Councillor Wilson, Councillor Norman explained that where several complex requests were issued to a particular service area, this could potentially cause a pressure point. She expressed the view that Members were privileged to have good working relationships with Officers and encouraged Members who were looking for information to interact with Officers at first instance before making an information governance request.

 

          RESOLVED – That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee NOTE the report.

105.

Gloucester Covid-19 Memorial Progress Update pdf icon PDF 61 KB

To receive an update on the progress made on creating a lasting Covid-19 Memorial to be sited in a prominent location in the city.

Minutes:

105.1  The Leader of the Council, Coun105.1  The Leader of the Council, Councillor Richard Cook, advised Members that the progress update outlined the current position on the creation of a Covid-19 Memorial in Gloucester city. He stated that a location for the memorial had been agreed and the proposal was to erect the memorial in Gloucester Park opposite the Spa Road entrance gate. Councillor Cook further informed Members that the proposed concept was for a circle of stones and that each stone would represent a group of key workers providing essential services throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Councillor Cook confirmed that the Ecclesiastical Insurance and Financial Services company was involved in the project and it was hoped that local stone and local stone masons would be sourced in the construction of the monument. He added that the provisional title for the monument was ‘We Stood Together’ and that signage would be provided to explain the symbology.

 

105.2  Councillor Dee asked how the memorial would commemorate residents who had lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Open Spaces Strategy Team Leader confirmed that the final design would commemorate individuals who has lost their lives to Covid-19, however the memorial was still in the planning stage and that stone masons at Gloucester Cathedral were still currently working on the design.

 

105.3  Councillor Dee expressed concerns about the provisional title for the monument ‘We Stood Together’, noting that proximity to other people was not permitted under Covid-19 restrictions. Councillor Cook noted that he understood Councillor Dee’s point and that he would be willing to listen to alternative suggestions.

 

105.4  In response to a further question from Councillor Dee regarding involvement from the local community in the scheme, the Open Spaces Strategy Team Leader confirmed that once the design was in place, the council would engage with communities and seek their input. He provided an overview of the proposal at that stage, which consisted of a circle of stones representing each group of key workers as outlined in the progress update.

 

105.5  The Chair expressed the view that the proposed location in Gloucester Park was a good one and noted that he was pleased that Ecclesiastical Insurance and Financial Services were involved in the project. Referring to the proposed wording on the stones, he queried whether this wording would represent individual sectors, noting that it was important that the language could be clearly understood by all members of the public. The Open Spaces Strategy Team Leader reiterated that the monument was still in the planning stage, however there were plans to involve local apprentices in the image design.

 

105.6  In response to further comments from the Chair recognising the huge community effort throughout the pandemic and whether the memorial would pay tribute to volunteers such as those who assisted with food distribution, the Open Spaces Strategy Team Leader confirmed that the voluntary sector would be one of the groups of key workers included in the memorial.

 

105.7  Councillor Dee queried whether the memorial would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 105.

106.

Gloucester Monuments Review Implementation Update pdf icon PDF 229 KB

To receive an update on the progress made by the City Council on the implementation of the recommendations of the Gloucester City Monuments Review. 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

106.1  Councillor Cook introduced the report and explained that it sought to provide an update on progress made by the City Council on implementing the recommendations of the Gloucester City Monuments Review. He stated that the report had been produced in response to the recommendation made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee when the report was initially submitted back in January 2022, that an update on progress be provided to the Committee in 12 months’ time.

 

106.2  Councillor Cook advised Members that a summary of the recommendations made in the main Monuments Review report was provided in section 2 of the report and that an update on progress to date was included in section 4. He further informed Members that section 5 of the report set out the latest conclusions, suggestions and project risks.

 

106.3  The City Archaeologist advised the Overview and Scrutiny Committee of some additional updates which had taken place since the report was written in January 2023. He confirmed that a temporary exhibition exploring the life of George Whitefield was due to open at the Museum of Gloucester on 7th March 2023. The City Archaeologist further noted that the City Council was holding an exhibition in partnership with the University of Gloucestershire around June or July 2023. He also referenced the Blue Plaque on St Mary De Crypt School Room which he confirmed had now been edited in line with the recommendation of the Monuments Review.

 

106.4  Councillor Wilson referred to the narrative in the report at 5.1 stating that ‘the first year of the implementation has seen mixed results.’ He expressed the view that the initial results were very positive and reflected on the challenges of implementing changes where the monuments were not in the ownership of the City Council, such as the United Reformed Church. Councillor Wilson noted that he was impressed with the progress to date and thanked the City Archaeologist for his work in attempting to implement the recommendations.

 

106.5  Councillor Wilson queried whether the Monuments Review implementation was putting pressure on the City Archaeologist’s workload. The City Archaeologist advised Members that the City Council had recently succeeded in obtaining some additional funding and it was hoped that this funding would be used to fund additional support from the Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology team.

 

106.6 In response to an additional question from Councillor Wilson regarding the artefacts pertaining to George Whitefield, the City Archaeologist explained that the creation of the permanent display at the Museum of Gloucester had been delayed as a result of the cyber incident however Museum of Gloucester staff had obtained the relevant artefacts. He noted that he was grateful to colleagues at the Museum of Gloucester for their assistance.

 

106.7  In response to a further query from Councillor Wilson, the City Archaeologist explained that the University of Gloucestershire had already funded some research and that he was cautiously optimistic that they would agree to funding the consultation exercise for education or interpretation projects.

 

106.8  The Chair referred to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 106.

107.

Cultural Strategy Update pdf icon PDF 147 KB

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure providing an overview of progress made against the Cultural Strategy for the period between April 2022 and March 2023.

 

Report to follow.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

107.1  Councillor Lewis introduced the report and explained that the Cultural Strategy was a strategy for the whole city of Gloucester and delivered in partnership with the Gloucester Culture Trust (GCT). He reflected on some of the achievements which had been made against the Cultural Strategy, such as Gloucester Guildhall obtaining National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) Status and the completion of the Kings Square redevelopment which he felt had made the city centre more vibrant and had embedded culture in the city.

 

107.2  Councillor Lewis further noted that the latest residents’ survey had shown a 9% increase in the level of pride in the city and felt this illustrated increased customer satisfaction. He advised Members that the strategy aimed to focus on increasing participation in the cultural life from the city from a diverse range of communities, including a focus on young people in particular.

 

107.3  Councillor Wilson referred to cultural events which had taken place at Kings Square and asked whether there were plans to repeat successful events from 2022, such as Polish Heritage Day, and whether there were plans for any new events in 2023. Councillor Lewis explained that event bookings at Kings Square were commissioned outside of the City Council however it was his understanding that events such as Polish Heritage Day would be repeated in 2023. He noted that the Kings Square event space was a public space to be used and that the Culture team welcomed ideas on new events. The Head of Culture further added that the City Council was assisting with the development of funding bids which would help develop the cultural event programme for Kings Square.

 

107.4  Councillor Campbell thanked Councillor Lewis and his team for improving the display of culture in Gloucester. She referred to the Mecca Bingo hall building which was currently vacant following the hall closure in 2022 and asked whether the City Council might have any interest in assisting with the development of the building into a cultural venue. Councillor Lewis confirmed that the team were aware of the closure of Mecca Bingo and confirmed that they would be very willing to support any organisation interested in developing the venue by assisting with funding applications.

 

107.5  Councillor Durdey noted that it was good to see the development of culture in the heart of Gloucester city and queried whether there was enough understanding of the views of residents across all council wards. Councillor Lewis noted that there was always more to be done and agreed to take away the point on considering more targeted consultation. The Head of Culture explained that as part of Gloucester Guildhall’s new NPO status, there was a requirement to provide accurate and detailed reporting into audience demographic. He stated that this would help provide more detailed reporting which would assist with targeted consultation.

 

107.6  Councillor Ackroyd asked for an update on how the 2023 Retro Festival was progressing. Councillor Lewis responded that the City Council was in dialogue with the late Councillor Organ’s family  ...  view the full minutes text for item 107.

108.

Date of Next Meeting

Monday 13th March 2023 at 6.30pm in Civic Suite, North Warehouse.

Minutes:

Monday 13th March 2023.