Issue - meetings

The Board received a presentation from the Operational Director of Community and Greenspace, on developments that had taken place within that Department over the past two years and how they were contributing to the Council’s strategic aims.

The Community and Greenspace Department comprised 4 areas:

·         Environmental Services;

·         Leisure Services;

·         Community Safety and Protection; and

·         Stadium and Catering Services.

The presentation covered several areas of interest within each of the above services, including how the structural changes that had been made had aligned services to the various Member Portfolios and streamlined management arrangements to create a more focused service delivery.

The following highlights were discussed:

·         An additional stage had been built for the Stadium, to accommodate smaller events such as tribute and comedy nights; this was also portable so could be used indoors and outdoors;

·         The cessation of the schools meals service by 31 March 2025 was discussed;

·         A restructure of the Stadium and Catering services to form a new division was currently underway.  Although staff would be put at risk, there were enough job vacancies for those staff who wanted them;

·         Widnes Cemetery was now full – an opening ceremony for the one in Peel House Lane would take place in Spring 2024;

·         Further work around increasing the amount of recycling in the Borough was being undertaken, as well as looking at reducing contamination;

·         The importance of the Borough’s libraries to Halton’s communities; and

·         An Enforcement Team of 4 staff is being put into place who would patrol open spaces and parks and would issue fines for littering and dog mess/control offences.

RESOLVED:  That the presentation be received and information noted.