PITSTONE PARISH COUNCIL PAVILION COMMITTEE
Minutes of the Pavilion Committee Meeting 
held on 31 March 2014 at the pavilion, starting at 7.30pm

PRESENT:	Cllr Saintey (Chairman), Cllr Blunt, Cllr Ginda, John Groom (Ground Keeper), Robert Culley (I&PUCC), David Frankum (I&PUCC), Kirk Rogers (JFC), Matthew List (JFC) and 
Laurie Eagling (clerk).

APOLOGIES:	Daryl Masters (JFC)

ABSENT:	Bob Beasley (P&IU Snr), Stuart Plenty (P&IU Snr) and Jay Adlem (P&IU Snr)

P26/13	ATTENDANCE AND APOLOGIES - See above.  

P27/13	QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC – None present.

P28/13	DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None declared.

P29/13	APPROVE MINUTES OF LAST MEETING 
	
The minutes of the previous meeting held on 23 September 2013 were approved as a true and correct record.  The Chairman was duly authorised to sign them.

P30/13	CLERKS REPORT

The contents of the report were noted, see attached.   Cllr Saintey provided an update from the South Central Ambulance Service presentation regarding AEDs and Community First Responders.  The parish council would encourage anyone with an interest in first aid within the sports clubs to consider volunteering as a First Responder, as this is the option with the highest likely level of success.   The parish council will continue to investigate AED units.

P31/13	GROUND KEEPERS REPORT

Following an update on the pitch condition, it was RESOLVED to renovate a 20 yard central strip down the length of each pitch this summer.  This will still bring the total expenditure within that previously budgeted.   

It was noted that all the matches had now finished for the larger pitch, so the groundkeeper can commence work as early in May as possible (the weather is too unpredictable in April).  The smaller pitch will remain open until after 18 May to allow for all the scheduled junior football club matches.

P32/13	POTENTIAL SITE DEVELOPMENT

The junior football club and the cricket club said that it was with regret that they were unable to attain/finance a joint venture situation for an extended site at the pavilion.  The business case has been worked through to reflect a number of scenarios and it simply isn’t feasible for the clubs to take on that level of commitment.  A joint approach would see a need for 5 acres of charity land to be leased, at a quoted cost of approximately £400 per acre per year = £2,000 per annum.    

Neither had it been determined possible for the junior football club to take over and extend the site.   To extend the site to accommodate all the junior football club requirement would require approximately 2 acres at £400 per acre per year = £800 per annum.

The investigation had shown that the best options to help make the site more profitable would be to consider the installation of a 3G or 4G pitch (size to be determined) or the addition of a bar.

Cricket Club

•	Therefore likely to stay on the recreation ground
•	Would like to re-open the investigation into water provision on the recreation ground, as this will be vital for the upkeep of the cricket square, revisit quotes
•	Investigate/obtain quotes (could be £30k)/determine timescales to relocate the cricket square further towards the play equipment and further away from Vicarage Road to improve safety, plus turn 90 degrees
•	PPC to investigate possibility of ‘lease’ on actual cricket square as most grant providers would require a secure tenure of land
•	Investigate impact/options for Senior Football Club – could either move pitch 1.5m towards play space (PPC to also investigate potential impact on play space / skate park) or relocate to pavilion site
•	Would ideally like a dedicated wooden pavilion on the recreation ground with toilets / changing / kitchen
•	Alternatively investigate options/impact on Memorial Hall extension to become dedicated sports area when required.  

Junior Football Club

Provided proposals for PPC to consider:
•	Could locate all their club to the site if 2 more acres available from Town Lands Charity.   PPC to consider/investigate if willing or able to utilise S106 to fund purchase of land.
•	Would like to see installation of smaller floodlit 3G pitch, 35m x 50m, for training.  Not keen for all matches to be played on it.  Estimate capital cost £150-250k.  JFC would provide the £7k they already hold in grant funding from Youth Bank towards cost.
•	JFC identified a potential cost saving if only juniors used site as wouldn’t need a building.
•	JFC wish PPC to review the VAT position and consider partial exemption by permitting block bookings.  This would eliminate need for PPC to charge / JFC to pay VAT.  Could generate downside in reclaiming VAT from capital & other expenditure, so would need careful investigation.
•	JFC would be willing to pay an increased premium to block book the whole site on Sunday mornings and asked PPC to consider this from Sept 2014.  This would mean that Envirologistics would not be able to play at the site at all.

Other Considerations
•	The groundkeeper considers a full sized 4G pitch may be a better long term option.  
•	PPC need to consult with the Senior Football Club.
•	PPC need to carefully reconsider all potential plans for both sites, in light of the fact that they will now both remain in PPC ownership in the long term, and determine the most appropriate way to proceed.

P32/13	SITE USAGE / HIRE RATES

1.	Site Usage
The information in the clerks report was noted.

2.	Rates
A rate review meeting is being held by the parish council.   JFC petitioned for the council to consider their proposal for block bookings detailed above.   JFC petitioned for the council to review the ‘local club’ discount for senior teams.

P33/13	PORTABLE GOALS

1.	Maintenance/repair
Replacement stay bar now fitted by PPC, along with net clips and replacement hand wheels.   All PPC free standing goals to be dismantled and stored in the container during the summer renovation period to avoid misuse and discourage use of the pitches.    
JFC will leave their smaller goals padlocked together.

2.	Wheels
PPC and JFC have agreed to jointly fund a set of easy-lift wheels for the free standing junior goals.  The order will now be placed and delivery should occur this week.

3.	Free standing goal post safety
Further information has been circulated to all clubs about the use of the goals that are not self-weighted.   Anchors are provided by the parish council and signage has been erected to say they must be anchored before use.   It is the responsibility of the individual hirer to ensure that this occurs.

P34/13	REPORTS

The issues surrounding pavilion hiring policy and fee structure were discussed.   It was felt that these issues will be considered more fully at the annual rent review but for the present, the discount policy should remain as at present, with village based teams receiving a discount and an advisory seat on the committee so that they can influence development at the site.

P35/13	REPORTS

The reports in the Clerks Report were noted and discussed.

It was noted that Safran have hired the car park from 7am-7pm whilst their IT systems are replaced to help alleviate parking problems down Westfield Road.  The income from this hire will be utilised towards the running of the pavilion site.

The Cricket Club advised that they are looking to hold a sports quiz on 16 May to fundraise for the cricket club.

It was noted that all funds supplied by the parish council to the cricket club for work carried out on the cricket square at the recreation ground were put towards the necessary equipment and maintenance supplies, rather than labour.

P36/13	DATE OF NEXT MEETING

	The next pavilion committee meeting was set for Monday 29 September at 7.30pm in the pavilion.

P37/13	CLOSURE OF THE MEETING 

	There being no further business to be transacted, the chairman closed the meeting at 9.30pm.

Signed:    ________________________________________		Date: ______________________

                Chairman