Agenda and draft minutes

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Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1AU. View directions

Contact: Committee Section 

Items
No. Item

7.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

No apologies for absence.

 

8.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 145 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the Operational Services Cabinet Committee held on Monday, 3 June 2024 were signed by the Chair.

 

9.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

No declarations of interests were made.

 

10.

Cemetery Update Report pdf icon PDF 6 MB

Minutes:

The Committee was provided with a presentation that gave an update on Gravesham’s Cemeteries, plot availability and future plans. 

 

The presentation has been published and can be accessed through the below link:

 

 

The Cemeteries & Allotment Manager fielded questions from Members and explained that:

 

·         Members of the public were able to purchase spaces within Gravesham’s cemeteries if there was availability which gave them ownership rights for sixty years. If a gravestone fell into disrepair, it was the responsibility of the grave space owner however if the gravestone was in a state where it was a health and safety issue then Council officers would make it safe either by lying the stone down or sitting it upright, whilst maintaining visibility of any inscription. Only in the most extreme cases of health and safety would a gravestone be taken to a Council site and stored until the grave space owners could be contacted

·         As of today, none of the space owners had come close to end of the sixty year periods. The most likely course of action once sixty year period expired was that relatives of the grave site owner would be contacted by council officers and given the option to purchase the site for an extended amount of time, typically another twenty years. Under current legislation, grave site spaces could only be purchased for a maximum of ninety nine years

·         There was legislation in place which meant that war graves were maintained, in perpetuity, by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission. The Cemeteries & Allotment Manager had contacted the Commission several times in the past when a war grave in Gravesham had fallen into disrepair and within twenty four hours, they had sent someone to repair the graves

·         Members raised concern about negative feedback received previously concerning the rewilding of Gravesham cemeteries; the Cemeteries & Allotment Manager advised that the team had received very few negative comments this year and, on many occasions, had received positive comments once the work had been explained and before and after photos of the site shown. Some residents only visited sparsely and hadn’t seen the positive impact of the rewilding scheme; the council officers who were regularly on the site were well informed and were also able to discuss and allay residents’ concerns in person. Additionally, having schools and other community groups use the cemeteries recreationally had produced positive word of mouth which improved resident views on the rewilding schemes and its associated benefits

·         With regards to the possibility of being buried in churchyards, if the churchyard was classified as ‘closed’ then burials were not happening on site anymore, even if there was space available. Applications could be made to reopen the cemetery, but it was unlikely as it was an expensive process for churches to follow. The only stipulation the Cemeteries & Allotment Manager was aware of for being buried in a churchyard, if available, was that the deceased had to be a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Parks and Open Spaces Update pdf icon PDF 823 KB

Minutes:

The Committee was provided with a report that updated them on the current work undertaken by the Parks & Open Spaces Team.

 

The Parks & Open Spaces Manager took Members through the report and highlighted key points regarding:

 

·         Open Space Management

·         Play parks, gym areas and tennis courts

·         Football pitches

·         Monuments

·         Waterfront safety

·         Volunteering

·         Green Hubs Community Funding

·         Future Works

 

The Parks & Open Spaces Manager fielded questions from Members on each section of the report in turn and explained that:

 

Open Space Management

 

  • There had been changes in attitudes culturally with regards to improving open space developments; residents had seen other the works that had been carried out in neighbouring Boroughs in order to increase biodiversity or save money which had been more openly accepted. The team had worked closely with local people and organisations in order to make the best effort to improve the opens spaces offered in Gravesham whist adhering to guidelines
  • English Heritage did not contribute any funds to maintain Fort Gardens grounds however being a member of English Heritage meant that funding for maintenance of the structural integrity of the Fort could be applied for. The team had moved away from having seasonal bedding in the gardens and instead planted perennials which reduced the overall cost and were a significant improvement to the area. Some staff who were permanently based at Fort Gardens has also been relocated to other areas which would benefit from their assistance more and no overall negative impact had been seen in Fort Gardens
  • The new build scheme at the bottom of Coldharbour Road was a new development and the parks within the development were maintained through the ground fees charged to residents of the development. Maintenance of the parks could be transitioned to the responsibility of the Council in the future, but it would come with a negotiated fee

 

Play parks, gym areas, pitches and tennis courts

 

  • The statistics for over eighteen year olds actively active was low in Gravesham whilst child obesity rates were high; efforts were being made, in conjunction with the Gr@nd and the Leisure Team, to make open spaces more accessible, more widely known and provide exciting activities outside of the summer season in order to increase borough fitness
  • There were only two Park Rangers and when one was off sick or on annual leave then it was expected that the other Park Ranger would step up and manage the additional workload however some of the routine check-ups wouldn’t need to be as in depth. Members were assured that all play parks were checked regularly, and any issues identified were dealt with swifty. Additionally, when one Park Ranger was off, the Parks & Open Space Manager asked other teams in his department to pay closer attention to the sites during their day to day work

 

Monuments

 

  • The Horse Trough at Echo Square had been taken away during a road closure. During a recent procurement exercise PAYE, who had conducted renovations work on Cobham Mausoleum and leased one of the Councils  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

Corporate Register of Partnerships - July 2024 pdf icon PDF 339 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee was provided with information on the Councils involvement in partnerships that were within the remit of this Committee.

 

The Assistant Director (Operations) and the Head of Community Protection gave a brief overview of the current partnerships and joint working arrangements that most directly related to the work of the Operational Services Cabinet Committee:

 

  • Kent Resource Partnership
  • Licensing Shared Service
  • Kent & Medway Air Quality Partnership

 

Appendix one provided a detailed breakdown of the partnership entries specifically in relation to the Operational Services Cabinet Committee.

 

Members noted the report.

 

13.

Corporate Performance Report: Q1 2024-25 pdf icon PDF 149 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee was provided with a report that updated them against the Performance Management Framework, as introduced within the council’s Corporate Plan, for Quarter One 2024-25 (April to June 2024).

 

Appendix One to the report provides Members with a complete overview of the council’s performance against the Corporate Plan for Quarter One 2024-25, covering the period April to June 2024.

 

The Committee considered each performance indicator in turn and highlighted the following:-

 

  • In relation to PI 6 - % of household waste recycled – the Assistant Director (Operations) was made aware of the electrical goods bins being full at Cascades when a Member tried to deposit some electrical goods this morning; it was suggested that it be checked on more frequently. In addition, the Committee inquired about the promotion of the new glass collection service to residents. The Assistant Director (Operations) advised that the electrical bank at Cascades was emptied that  afternoon. With regards to the glass service, it had been promoted widely on all of the Councils social media accounts, a page on the service would be included in the next ‘Your Borough’, and a leaflet would be sent to all households with one side focused on electrical collection and the other side focused on glass collection. The leaflet would be funded though external funding. Following concern raised by the Committee over safety for officers collecting glass, the Assistant Director (Operations) explained that a thorough review was conducted, and it was determined that residents placing the glass in the wheelie bins was the most effective and safest method as it meant the crew never had to touch the glass or bend down to pick up additional bags/boxes. In addition, using the current wheelie bins meant residents did not have to store any additional containers/bins which wasn’t possible for a number of properties in Gravesham 
  • In relation to PI 8 - % of cleanliness reports completed within 5 working days – The Committee inquired about the progress of the community payback project which started in July 2024. The Assistant Director (Operations) explained that two projects were ongoing: one with a group of people from the Probation Service working twice a week around the Community and another group of conditional cautions where the uptake was slower but should increase in time. The groups would be deployed to targeted areas in the future
  • In relation to PI 43 – Total council parks meeting Green Flag criteria – The Assistant Director (Operations) confirmed to the Committee that cemeteries could also be included as ‘Green Flag’ areas      

 

Members noted the report.