Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Communities

The Committee received an update on the outcomes from the first phase of the Countryside Estate Review. 

To effectively and sustainably manage the countryside sites going forward the County Council had agreed four alternative delivery models, as follows:

·       Maintain council ownership and seek opportunities to increase income from existing sites by working with volunteers, communities, third sector organisations and private parties.

·       Transfer management on a site-by-site basis to local community or voluntary sector groups such as parish councils.

·       Establish a partnership to manage countryside sites in a particular area.

·       Establish a not-for-profit trading company or trust to run and develop parts of the estate.

Members were informed that the first phase of the Review covered the management and maintenance of the 18 countryside sites that comprised the County Council’s countryside estate.  It did not include any other council-owned land, eg County Farms or the management of public rights of way (PRoW).   Between December 2016 and March 2017 organisations interested in managing and delivering all or some of the countryside sites were invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI).  In total, fourteen EoIs were received.

Proposed next steps under Phase 2 included a review of the current operating model, and a range of efficiencies and income generating measures which would be introduced in the short to medium term to ensure that the MTFS saving of £0.6m was met by 2018/19.  These included:

• A car parking strategy for all appropriate countryside sites would be developed and implemented to ensure that income generating opportunities were maximised.
• Exploration of the “offers” at Marquis Drive Visitor Centre and at Chasewater Innovation Centre to improve the current offer and maximise income generating opportunities.
• Evaluation of existing contracts to identify savings (eg deer management, property care, vehicle management, etc.)
• A review of the operation of new Countryside Stewardship Schemes going forward.
• Development and implementation of a new operating model for the management and maintenance activity on country parks and PRoW.

Members were informed that other steps were being taken in the interim to offset operating costs, including the introduction of car parking charges on larger sites.  Members questioned what was being done to mitigate the impact of inconsiderate parking at Chasewater.  They were informed that a number of regulatory measures were being introduced and would be monitored.  The Car Parking Strategy which was being developed would also help to address this issue.

Members expressed the view that they would like to see a more radical and ambitious vision for both Chasewater and Marquis Drive.  They referred to the site visits that they had undertaken in 2015 and expressed disappointment that nothing had been done to address the issue of the exclusivity of the catering contracts with Entrust and the impact that this was having on innovation.  The Cabinet Member responded that this matter was being reviewed as part of an overall review of the wider Entrust contract.  A management solution was being explored for the countryside estate and proposals for the procurement of this may be brought back to the Committee as part of the third phase of the Review.

RESOLVED – That:

a)    The Committee’s comments on the outcomes from the first phase of the Countryside Estate Review and proposed next steps be noted by the Cabinet Member for Communities; and

A further report be brought to the Committee for scrutiny in April 2018 on recommendations for the final phase of the Countryside Estate Review.