HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

CABINET

MONDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2004 AT 2.00 P.M.

RESPONSE TO THE MOTION CARRIED AT COUNCIL RELATING TO BARTON TURF SAILING CENTRE

Report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families

Author: -Justin Donovan, Deputy Director – Learning & School Effectiveness

Tel: -01992 555764

Executive Member: Robert Gordon

1.Purpose of the report

1.1An interim report on the steps taken to consult with HEF, schools and other organisations about the future of Barton Turf and other Hertfordshire Outdoor Centres was presented to Cabinet on
13September.

1.2This report sets out the progress made in taking forward this work and the conclusions that have been reached.

2.Summary

2.1Discussions have taken place with the Hertfordshire Education Foundation (HEF), the Norfolk Punt Club, Stevenage Leisure Ltd, Groundwork Hertfordshire and National Grid Transco (NGT). In addition a questionnaire was sent to all groups making recent use of Barton Turf and all HCC schools. The results of these discussions are summarised below.

Barton Turf

2.2HEF with the help of CSF officers have produced a business case for maintaining Barton Turf within CSF. Senior officers have met to assess the business case, against the criteria agreed previously with HEF, and have decided that whilst reducing the financial risks to HCC the proposals do not remove or reduce sufficiently the financial uncertainty. The recommendation from the group, therefore, is to look to other options to secure the long term future of the centre.

2.3Stevenage Leisure Ltd has expressed a strong desire to manage Barton Turf as a water based activity centre, accepting all financial risks. The company would wish HCC to retain ownership of the site and to enter into a lease arrangement.

2.4The Norfolk Punt Club (current users of the site) has expressed a desire to purchase the site from HCC at “an enhanced market price” should it be offered for sale. The Club would undertake to maintain the sailing centre and discuss with HCC ways in which Hertfordshire schools could continue to make use of it.

2.5There have been 18 responses from schools and user groups. These responses are summarised in appendix 1.

Other Centres

2.6Groundwork Hertfordshire has expressed a wish to take over the running and associated financial risks of Astonbury and the Grounds Consultancy Service. A member of staff at risk of redundancy from Hertfordshire Outdoors has established his own company and wishes to lease Astonbury from HCC.

2.7NGT, who own Pelham, have decided to offer Essex County Council sole use of the site.

3.Conclusions

The following steps are proposed:

3.1Continue with the current procedures in place to close Barton Turf Sailing Centre.

3.2Adopt appropriate Council procedures to commence detailed negotiations with organisations willing and able to take on the management and financial responsibility for Barton Turf. Seek to establish new management and financial arrangements as soon as possible after 31 December 2004, in order to secure continuity of service.

3.4Hertfordshire Outdoors to continue with its withdrawal from Astonbury, Pelham and the Grounds Consultancy Service with effect from
31 December 2004.

3.5Adopt appropriate council procedures and commence detailed negotiations with organisations willing and able to take on the management of and financial responsibility for Astonbury. Ensure that any arrangement agreed has no financial risk to HCC, and if possible is put in place by 31 December to provide continuity of service.

3.6Co-operate with NGT and Essex to help secure the smooth transition of Pelham to sole control of Essex County Council.

4.Background

4.1At the meeting of the full Council on 20 July the following motion was carried:

“That the Council ask the Cabinet not to go ahead with the closure of Barton Turf Sailing Base until the Herts Educational Foundation and the schools who use the base have had an opportunity to explore ways of keeping the sailing base open”.

4.2An interim report was made to Cabinet on 13 September setting out the steps taken to work with and support HEF and to consult with recent users and other organisations interested in the future of Barton Turf. This report sets out the progress made in taking forward this work.

5.Steps taken to consult with organisations

5.1Senior CSF planning and finance officers have supported HEF to produce a business case for maintaining Barton Turf within HCC control. Two CSF Deputy Directors and a Senior Corporate Finance Officer have met to assess this business case, against the criteria agreed previously with HEF. This group has judged that, whilst reducing the financial risks to HCC, the proposals do not remove or reduce sufficiently the financial uncertainty. The recommendation from the group, therefore, is to look to other options to secure the long term future of the Centre.

5.2The Deputy Director and a Senior Officer from the School Standards and Effectiveness Division have met with representatives of a number of organisations expressing an interest in various Hertfordshire Outdoors Centres, including Barton Turf.

5.3In discussing the future of Hertfordshire Outdoors with interested parties care has been taken to ensure that the future adoption of appropriate Council procedures for dealing with detailed negotiations have not been compromised.

5.4The discussions with Stevenage Leisure Ltd are summarised below:

  • The company has previous experience of field and water based activities through its current management of Fairlands Valley Centre in Stevenage.
  • The company aims to maintain Barton Turf as a water based activities centre, giving priority to current users, but developing the centre by offering a wider range of additional activities.
  • A representative of Stevenage Leisure Ltd has visited Barton Turf so that the company is aware of the current condition of the site.
  • The company would alter the centre’s pricing structure, modify the level and nature of the current staffing arrangements and seek to offer services and activities on a much more flexible basis. The company would accept the financial risks associated within any partnership established with HCC.
  • Stevenage Leisure understands that it will not be possible for HCC to enter directly into arrangements with any one company without inviting responses to tender.

5.5The Norfolk Punt club is a specialist sailing club that operates from the site at Barton Turf. The Club currently has a lease arrangement with HCC that has two more years to run. Club representatives have met with the Deputy Director and a Senior Officer from the SSE Division. The principal interest of the Club is to ensure the future availability to them of the site. Subsequently the Club has written to officers expressing an interest in purchasing the site from HCC. The Club has also confirmed that it would wish to continue to work with any other new management arrangement put in place.

5.6Groundwork Hertfordshire (GH) is a charitable organisation that is part of the national groundwork organisation. Two senior managers from GH met with SSE Officers to discuss their interest in Hertfordshire Outdoor sites. In particular, GH has produced a paper setting out their interest in running Astonbury and the Grounds Consultancy Service.

5.7A member of staff, at risk of redundancy from Hertfordshire Outdoors, has established his own company and wishes to lease Astonbury from HCC. He has produced a business plan to run Astonbury as an environmental centre and also to use it as the base for his company that will offer a grounds consultancy service to schools.

5.8NGT, who own the site at Pelham, have offered Essex the opportunity to run the centre on a full time basis. Discussions between NGT and Essex officers are continuing. Groundwork Hertfordshire has also contacted NGT expressing an interest in running Pelham as an outdoor activity centre. NGT will enter into discussion with Groundwork Hertfordshire if their discussions with Essex do not develop as hoped.

6.Steps taken to consult with schools making use of Barton Turf

6.1A number of the schools and groups making use of Barton Turf had already taken the opportunity to make their views known to officers. However, all users over the last two years were invited to respond to a questionnaire asking for ideas about the future development of Barton Turf. A summary of responses is included as appendix 1.

6.2Subsequent to the last cabinet meeting, the views of all HCC schools on the future of Barton Turf were sought. A similar questionnaire was sent out via e-mail. Only 10 responses were received which are also summarised in appendix 1.

7.Financial Implications

7.1The Hertfordshire Outdoors Service currently costs CSF around £200,000 per annum. For a number of years this sum was met through an SLA, but this subsidy was removed two years ago and since then the deficit has been met from the surplus trading balances of the SSC division. This surplus was exhausted at the end of 2003/04.

7.2The impact of these proposals on staff will mean that three teachers, a caretaker, two cleaners, an administrative assistant and a fieldworker will be at risk of redundancy if they cannot be redeployed. They were notified of the closure proposals and the risk of redundancy on 1 June 2004. Meetings for them with members of CSF Human Resources have taken place. The Unions have been issued with section 188 notices. The cost of redundancy and/or retirement entitlements is expected to be £67,215 in the current financial year with an ongoing pension commitment of £8,696.

Appendix 1

Summary of Responses to Consultations over Barton Turf

Views of users from the last two years

Number of questionnaires distributed: 22

Number of responses: 8

Summary of responses:

  • All 8 respondents strongly expressed the view that HCC should not allow Barton to close.
  • The majority of respondents supported the idea of a 50% price rise.
  • Many spoke about the contribution that the Barton experience makes to pupils’ PSHE development.
  • Broadening the range of activities was seen as essential. Suggestions made included cycling, orienteering, kayaking, canoeing, walking and raft building.
  • Employing staff with a wider range of “instructor” level skills was suggested.
  • Respondents agreed that in order to extend the season, the current facilities would need to be developed.

Views of all schools

Number of questionnaires distributed: All schools

Number of responses: 10

Summary of responses:

  • Most respondents had not heard of Barton Turf and hence felt that better publicity was essential.
  • Day visits would be welcomed for environmental studies work.
  • One school said it did not use Barton because it could not take sufficient numbers.
  • Several spoke of the need to offer a wider range of activities if the centre was to be attractive to schools.

041108 - response to the motion carried at council relating to barton turf sailing centre.doc

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