Minutes:
PRE-SCRUTINY
The Committee chose to scrutinise the
following items:
Cabinet Board Proposals
Performance Report Neath
Port Talbot Libraries
The committee received information in relation to the Performance Report Neath Port Talbot Libraries
as contained within the circulated report.
Officers informed the committee that the
budget savings proposals put forward were at a very early stage, and that a
further report including a wider range of criteria and elements would be
brought back to a future meeting.
Members referred to
the proposal to relocate Port Talbot Library, and queried how long was left on the lease of the unit in the Aberavon Shopping Centre. Officers stated that it was a 25
year lease which ran from 1998 to 2023. Officers added that £40,000 was
currently paid in annual rent and there would be a saving by relocating the
library. Members questioned whether a suitable alternative location had been
found yet, and whether this would also be in a central location. Officers
explained that they were currently liaising with the Estates Department
regarding options.
Members commented that the data in the Library
Strategy 2016-2021 was two years out of date, and questioned whether the most
up to date information would be presented at the special budget meeting the
following day. Officers explained that the most up to date information would be
presented to the committee before any final decisions were taken.
Members referred to the lease of mobile
library vehicles, and queried whether the information in the strategy was
correct in stating that one lease had expired in December 2017, and another was
due to expire in December 2018. Officers stated that the lease due to expire in
December 2018 would be extended to February 2019, and would be reviewed next
year. Members queried the cost of the annual lease. Officers confirmed that the
cost was £10,000 a year.
Members referred to page 71, and commented that they hoped that the Council
were still committed to “deliver a high
quality service to their local community.”
Members referred to
page 46, and commented that if Glynneath’s library
was to close that the nearest alternative would be 11 miles away in Neath. Members added that some citizens would have
difficulty accessing these services in this scenario.
Members referred to
page 52, and asked officers to consider various data other than the number of
books issued before determining whether to close a library. Members added that
the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act was a key.
Officers stated that they were currently looking at different models and
ways of working to sustain libraries, and understood the value of libraries in
the communities. Officers explained however, that the Council were under
pressure to secure efficiencies as less money was now available than in
previous years. Officers added that all
the knowledge, data and facts would need to be collated before making any final
decisions in order to understand the impact of any closures on communities.
Members queried whether the long term strategy was to discontinue the
mobile library service. Officers stated that this was not the case; however the
number of mobile vehicles would need to be reviewed, or possibly the Council
would need to use smaller vehicles.
Members questioned whether the strategy aimed to diversify libraries and
offer more to communities in partnership with other organisations.
Officers concurred that one of the aims of the strategy was to work with third
party organisations to share the costs of running the
libraries.
Members referred to Cwmavon Library, and
explained how it had become a community hub and not only a library. Members
added that the community had raised £5,000 at the library for a Christmas tree
for the community, and a trip to Bath had been arranged from the library also.
Members queried why work had not been done in advance to understand the
activities being undertaken in specific libraries before including them in the
budget proposals. Members requested that before any library was proposed for
closure that an extensive consultation be carried out,
and work undertaken by officers to capture data on all services and activities
offered by libraries to understand the impact of their closure. Officers made a
commitment that consultations would take place before any final decisions were
made. Officers re-iterated that the suggestions made for the budget savings
were only proposals at this stage and that detailed work would be undertaken if
it was decided to proceed with a particular proposal. Officers added that in
this situation a report would be brought back to the committee with an
opportunity to discuss the matter ahead of any final decision. Officers
reminded members that their input and knowledge in this process would be
gratefully received before officers decided which proposals to prioritise.
The Chair referred to
an e-mail received from a committee member who was unable to attend the
meeting. The member in question queried how the usage figures for Glynneath Library had been determined. Officers stated that
annual attendance figures were recorded by staff. Members questioned if a library was closed
how would citizens be able to access these services.
Officers explained that WG guidance stated that citizens would be directed to
the nearest library provided that it was within 2.5 miles; however where this
was not possible a mobile library vehicle would need to provide this service
instead.
Members questioned
what was WG’s view on NPT’s library services. Officers
made a commitment to bring back a detailed report at the next meeting on the
performance of Council’s library services for 2017/18 against the Welsh Public
Library Standards via the Annual Assessment Report from WG.
Following scrutiny,
the committee noted the report.
Local
Authority Partnership Agreement Performance Review 2017-18
The committee
received information in relation to the Local
Authority Partnership Agreement Performance Review 2017-18 as contained within
the circulated report.
Members queried whether there was a disability
focus group in being. Officers stated that there was a disability officer for
the district who would address any issues.
Following scrutiny, the committee noted the
report.
Pontardawe Arts Centre Business Plan And Cinema
Development
The committee received
information in relation to the Pontardawe
Arts Centre Business Plan And Cinema Development
as contained within the circulated report.
The committee thanked
officers for their hard work.
Following scrutiny, the
Committee was supportive of the proposals to be considered by the Cabinet
Board.
Expansion of the Childcare Offer in Neath Port
Talbot
The committee received
information in relation to the Expansion
of the Childcare Offer in Neath Port Talbot as contained within the
circulated report.
Following scrutiny, the
Committee was supportive of the proposals to be considered by the Cabinet
Board.
Quarterly Performance
Management Data 2018-2019 –
Quarter 2 Performance (1st
April 2018– 30th September 2018)
The committee received
information in relation to the Quarterly
Performance Management Data 2018-2019 – Quarter 2 Performance (1st April 2018–
30th September 2018) as contained within the circulated report.
Following
scrutiny, the committee noted the report.