Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors C Anderson, P Lloyd, P B Smith, C Thomas, Andrew McTaggart and Jacki Rees-Thomas.

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City & County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

The Chair provided an update following discussions with the Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Healthy City, who had clarified his requirements in relation to the Open Spaces Strategy.  The Committee were required to draft the Open Spaces Strategy prior to any action plan being considered.

As a result, action 3) of the meeting held on 24 February 2016 in relation to the Bonymaen Electoral Division Councillors being invited to the meeting had been withdrawn.

The Development and Outreach Manager circulated an initial draft of the Strategy that he had produced.  It included the definition of Open Space, the vision, objective and key priorities of the Strategy.  The Committee would utilise the draft as a starting point to progress the Strategy.

In addition the Park Services Manager would provide the necessary information from the Parks Strategy and the Children’s Play Officer would provide information from the Play Strategy to be incorporated within the over-arching Strategy.

Further discussions centred on:

·                 Highlighting how the various services within the Authority are working in partnership to develop the Strategy;

·                 Fields In Trust designations;

·                 Consultation with children in relation to the “Rights of the Child”;

·                 An officer from Nature Conservation being involved;

·                 Whether the Fields in Trust standard would be used in the Open Spaces Strategy or whether a local standard could be adopted.

Further to action 1) of the meeting held on 24 February 2016, the Development and Outreach Manager had obtained the information in relation to the list of grants available to the Local Authority and Community / “Friends of” groups which he would circulate once finalised.

RESOLVED that

1)       A special meeting of the Development Cabinet Advisory Committee is arranged on 11 May 2016 at 10.00 am;

2)       The Development and Outreach Manager circulate the Draft Open Spaces Strategy;

3)       The Parks Services Manager to circulate the necessary information from the Parks Strategy to be included in the Open Spaces Strategy;

4)       The Children’s Play Worker to circulate information from the Play Strategy to be included in the Open Spaces Strategy;