Agenda item

Motions paper attached.

A.   LEISURE CENTRES

Amendment by the Conservative Group CARRIED by 36 votes to 6 and AGREED as substantive motion without division.

B.   PARKING CHARGES IN PARKS

Motion withdrawn and resubmitted to next appropriate Council meeting.

C.   INGREBOURNE HILL LANDFILL APPEAL

Amendment by the Conservative Group CARRIED by 32 votes to 3 and AGREED as substantive motion without division. 

D.   EUROPEAN UNION

Procedural motion that this motion be taken prior to agenda item 11 AGREED by 31 votes to 20.

Amendment by the Independent Residents’ Group NOT CARRIED by 42 votes to 4; amendment by the East Havering Residents’ Group NOT CARRIED by 27 votes to 21; motion by the United Kingdom Independence Party Group AGREED as substantive motion by 30 votes to 15.

Motion on behalf of the Independent Residents’ Group

As we await the promised new Romford Leisure Centre it is still vital to maintain and enhance the existing borough wide provision of leisure facilities that serve all our residents. Presently the borough wide leisure centre contract is held by “Sports and leisure Management Limited” and operates at a loss requiring a council subsidy. To cut costs there has been a contractual variation to reduce hours and presumably improvements at Chafford, Rainham and no doubt the Central Park, Romford and Hornchurch Leisure Centres face potential cutbacks too!

Following Academy status and a Land Tribunal Adjudication the Chafford Leisure Centre will be owned by the school when the council contract ends in Oct 1^st 2016 and without financial help will close, because their priority is educational rather than leisure spending. The existing facility needs significant investment and if it were to close there is planning permission in place for a new swimming pool at Chafford when funding becomes available. But will the Council allow an existing Leisure Centre, as well as an Ice Rink, to close as we await a second and ‘state of the art’ leisure centre in Romford that includes a promised £2 million funding from reserves?

Thus this Council calls on the Administration to maintain and enhance the existing borough wide provision of leisure facilities at Rainham, Romford and Hornchurch Leisure Centres in the healthy interests of all Havering residents.

            Amendment by the Conservative Group:

Amend motion to read:

Noting with approval the imminent commencement of the construction of the Romford Leisure Centre in Romford Town Ward, the letting of the contract for the first phase of the £3 million Broxhill Sports Park in Heaton Ward, the recent opening of the Visitors Centre at Hornchurch Country Park in Elm Park Ward, the recent opening of the new library and establishment of a new park in Rainham Ward, the current construction of a new library in Gooshays Ward, the achievement of Green Flags in parks across the borough and noting that the Council’s Leisure Management Contract, the negotiation of which is currently in progress, is likely to provide an enhancement of leisure facilities rather than cutbacks, this Council welcomes the Administration’s intention to continue to maintain and enhance the existing borough wide provision of leisure facilities in the healthy interests of Havering residents.

The amendment by the Conservative Group was CARRIED by 36 votes to 6 and AGREED as the substantive motion without division.

RESOLVED:

Noting with approval the imminent commencement of the construction of the Romford Leisure Centre in Romford Town Ward, the letting of the contract for the first phase of the £3 million Broxhill Sports Park in Heaton Ward, the recent opening of the Visitors Centre at Hornchurch Country Park in Elm Park Ward, the recent opening of the new library and establishment of a new park in Rainham Ward, the current construction of a new library in Gooshays Ward, the achievement of Green Flags in parks across the borough and noting that the Council’s Leisure Management Contract, the negotiation of which is currently in progress, is likely to provide an enhancement of leisure facilities rather than cutbacks, this Council welcomes the Administration’s intention to continue to maintain and enhance the existing borough wide provision of leisure facilities in the healthy interests of Havering residents.