BOROUGH OF POOLE
MINUTES
CANFORD CLIFFS AND PENN HILL AREA COMMITTEE
27 SEPTEMBER 2006
ST ALDHELMS CHURCH HALL, LINDSAY ROAD, POOLE
The meeting commences at 7.00 pm and concluded at 8.45pm
Present:
Councillor Smith (Chairman)
Councillors Mrs Deas, Mrs Dion and Parker
Also attending Councillor Collier, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Areas (including Leisure and Recreation).
Officers Attending:
Steve Cattle (Legal and Democratic Services), Richard Nicholson (Leisure Services), Steve Tite (Transportation Services)
Members of the public present: 45
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ms Atkinson and Sorton.
2. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
There were none.
3. MINUTES
RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 14 June 2006, having been previously circulated, be taken as read, confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
4. SANDBANKS IMPROVEMENTS
(At the suggestion of the Chairman this item was taken out of order).
Richard Nicholson, Leisure Services presented a report and proposals to improve Sandbanks Recreation Ground. He stated that Leisure Services had for some time been interested in improving play facilities, including wet play at Sandbanks Recreation Ground. Historically this had been a vibrant recreation facility which had suffered from unplanned, piece meal development since the 1960’s. Leisure Services had requested expressions of interest from landscape design firms from its approved list to produce a Visioning Exercise for Sandbanks. Atkins Ltd had been awarded the contract and their work was funding from Planning Obligations money. The objectives of the exercise were:
- To create a sense of arrival on destination that Sandbanks Recreation Ground once had and which had been lost with the haphazard development of the car park and other facilities.
- To incorporate new recreational activities especially a wet play area against the backdrop of the historical architecture layout.
The result was a detailed, imaginative, outcome which brought forward some interesting ideas for developing Sandbanks Recreation Ground into a high quality destination. The design concept and master plan made recommendations to improve individual parts of the site within the context of a wider, cohesive vision for the site generally.
With the use of PowerPoint presentation Richard Nicholson explained the design details and recommendations which have been made by Atkins Ltd.
The Visioning Exercise proposed an ambitious scheme to improve Sandbanks; Phase one of the improvements included:
- Installing an equipped play area in the preferred location identified in the Visioning Exercise.
- Improving access by widening the access to the beach adjacent to the beach office and toilets
- Alterations to the putting green
- Creating the path network in the play area/putting green area
- Begin the tree planting scheme
He stated that Phase one of the scheme would cost approximately £400,000.
Councillor Collier, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Areas (including Leisure and Recreation) hoped that this presentation would clear up some of the confusion over these proposals. Atkins Ltd had produced a really exciting Vision and he looked forward to receiving feedback from members of the public on the ideas which had come forward. Some of the items had already been discussed by the Area Committee in the past. It was important to provide a wet play area at Sandbanks and that this would lead to other items being provided to enhance and improve this neglected site. Here was an opportunity to be strategic and to collect Planning Obligations money towards a specific goal. In the past money collected from developers had been seldom spent but more recently the process had been changed and the Planning Obligation Working Party had approved approximately £1,0000.000 to be spent across the Borough to benefit residents.
He emphasised that in the future the recommendations contained in the Visioning Exercise might need to be changed or tempered but Phase one could be achieved in the short term and the rest of the ideas would then follow on at a later time.
The Chairman asked for comments from those present at the meeting:
· Mr Morrison stated that the car park was full during the summer months and on many occasions there were not enough spaces to cater for all those wishing to visit Sandbanks. He asked whether any of the ideas would reduce the number of parking spaces available.
Richard Nicholson stated there were currently 550 spaces and that in Phase one the motor cycle area would be moved to a better location and four normal parking spaces would be moved, but not removed.
· Mr Sanson stated that the Sandbanks Resident Association had considered this matter in detail and had already submitted written comments. The request for a play area had originated from the Sandbanks Resident Association and he felt that this seedling idea had now developed dramatically and was concerned about the money which was to be spent.
· Mr Stewart asked whether there would be funds available for other schemes in the area such as at the Chines?
Councillor Collier responded by stating that other schemes were being developed in the area such as Beach Road Car Park and agreed that there was a need to look at the whole area strategically to help both residents and visitors. There was an opportunity to do this with Planning Obligations Funding. He asked Leisure Services to email Mr Stewart with details of the budget. There was no problem with money being available in this area unlike other wards of the Borough where no money had come forward due to the fact that development was not taking place. He welcomed comments from residents and stated that individual schemes within the Visioning concept would come forward further discussions in the future.
The Chairman pointed out that if Planning Obligations Funding was not spent within a certain period this would have to be returned to developers.
· Mrs Sieve hoped that the Council would safeguard and improve disabled parking and hoped that Officers would consider the difference between winter and summer usage. Many local disabled residents enjoyed the facilities at Sandbanks during the winter months and had used the parking close to the beach.
Council Collier stated that the rock groynes which were in place at Sandbanks gave better access to people with disabilities and he recognised that people with disabilities had specific needs and hoped that the improvements would be to their benefit. He agreed that there was no reason to reduce disabled parking spaces.
Councillor Parker Portfolio Holder for the Local Economy (including Transportation) stated that regular monitoring was carried out on the availability of disabled parking spaces and the number had been increased to cater for disabled beach hut owners.
· Mr Steer was concerned at the location of the play area adjacent to a busy road which was not close to the beach.
Richard Nicholson responded by stating that the idea was for access to be provided to the play area from the car park which would be fenced and a bank provided which would be hard to climb. A Safety Audit had been carried out which confirmed that the sitting was satisfactory.
Councillor Collier stated that this was a well screened area and wherever the play area was located meant that parents could not see their children from the beach. He felt that the Council would be criticised if the play area was not located at the preferred site.
· Mrs Benyon was supportive of the ideas which had been put forward but hoped that the Council was not providing a paddling pool?
Richard Nicholson confirmed that no paddling pool would be installed at Sandbanks Recreation Ground.
The Chairman thanked Residents for their comments on the ideas which had been put forward for improving Sandbanks Recreation Ground.
5. BEACH ROAD CAR PARK ENHANCEMENTS
Richard Nicholson reported that Leisure Services intended to improve the usage of Beach Road car park by making it feel safer through alterations to the vehicular access by improving pedestrian access and by the use of better signage.
Beach Road car park had been designed for beach users. It could accommodate 352 vehicles on several levels and was located within mainly mature woodland. This provided the car park with a natural setting and screening from nearby homes. Unfortunately, the car park’s setting was also one of its drawbacks.
The car park was surrounded by vegetation and only one road access existed into the site. There were no pathways into the site, only the single roadway which must accommodated the vehicular and pedestrian use. Use at the car park had consequently suffered with potential users being put off by what they perceived as an unsafe environment in which to leave their car. There was a notable disparity between the usage, and therefore the income received, from Sandbanks car park (550 spaces) and Beach Road car park (352 spaces).
The proposal was to make the following enhancements:
· Creation of a new vehicle entrance off Western Road to facilitate access and surveillance
· Creation of two surface pathways linking the car park to Pinecliff Road.
· Creation of a pedestrian refuge linking the car park with Pinecliff Open Space, with its alternative route to the beach via the zigzag path.
· Improved signage to raise awareness and confidence in using the car park.
· Information/interpretative boards alerting car park users to the open spaces and pathways in the area. The budget for this scheme was £30,000 from the Beaches Fund.
The Chairman welcomed comments from the public on the ideas which had been put forward:-
· Mr Lewis asked where the new access would be installed He drew attention to the difficulties in getting across Pinecliff Road and felt that a pelican crossing was needed.
Richard Nicholson stated that the access was to be approximately 40 yards from the junction with Western Road. He undertook to discuss this aspect further with Transportation Services.
Councillor Collier stated that in the area there was already a crossing near the beach but vehicular movements needed to be investigated further. He felt that the use of the pelican crossing near the beach should be encouraged and the pedestrian refuge could then be removed.
· Mr Stewart stated that the Local Neighbourhood Watch Committee was concerned about the usage of the car park and the antisocial behaviour which had taken place in the past. He also mentioned that the car park had been locked in the past and asked what the situation would be once these improvements had been carried out.
Councillor Collier responded by stating that taking away the large amount of rhododendrons had also removed some of the problems, which would make it safer and stop the antisocial behaviour.
Steve Tite, Transportation Services stated that the Council was trying not to lock its car parks at night and experience had shown that locking them brought other problems.
Councillor Parker stated that he wished to promote the use of the car park and drew attention to half price parking which was available.
· Mr Sprackling stated that the Branksome Park and Canford Cliffs Residents Association had endorsed the proposal.
· Mr Morrison felt that the current entrance was discouraging and felt that this could be made a pedestrian way only and that a new vehicular access could be provided elsewhere.
The Chairman thanked residents for their useful comments on the proposals.
6. IMPROVEMENTS TO WHITECLIFF RECREATION GROUND PLAY AREA
Richard Nicholson presented a report and stated that Leisure Services intended to improve the ageing play facility at Whiteciff Recreation Ground using funds generated by developer funding. The children’s play area at Whitecliff Recreation Ground catered primarily for the 5 –14 year old age group. It was a popular play area largely because of nearby car parking and the pleasant setting. It attracted children from a wider catchments area than the immediate neighbourhood.
The existing play equipment dated from 1990 except the roundabout (2000) and the playhouse (1995). The slide needed replacing due to corrosion. The large swing-a-bout unit was not in use due to the lack of availability of spare parts. The other equipment was reaching the end of its design life and this, coupled with the heavy use the site experienced gave cause for concern over ongoing maintenance. It was a priority to maintain a safe and sustainable play facility in this location. He also stated that the site was not Disability Discrimination Act compliant because there was no hard surface leading to the play area nor were the play items linked by hard surface within the site.
Richard Nicholson stated that the Whitecliff play area would be the subject of a design competition with play equipment manufacturers to establish not just the most competitive price but also the best quality and value of play experience.
Finally, he stated that one idea which he welcomed residents views was to move the play area further down the path towards the promenade which would be nearer the front of the Recreation Ground and nearer the footpath network. This would also mean that the existing play area could be kept open while the new one was installed. He stated that a bid of £180,000 would be made to the Planning Obligations Working Party to fund this scheme.