Following the publication of the Big Community Survey results, an Extraordinary Full Council meeting was held on the evening of Wednesday 14 April 2021.
The meeting discussed the results of the consultation. Options for the future direction of the Pavilion Bar and the library were then discussed and voted on.
Summary of the Big Community Survey results
Community Centre
The results of the Big Community Survey showed that 85% of respondents agreed with the Community Centre being a Community Hub. This includes the continued provision of room hire, changing rooms and toilets for our local sports teams. The provision of changing rooms is in-line with the Council’s health and well-being objective. Hot Desking is an option that may be revisited in the future.
Following a presentation of the survey results by the Assistant Clerk and the Communications Lead, the Council came to the following decisions:
The Pavilion Bar
The Pavilion Bar has been the most contentious facility the Council runs. The Big Community Survey showed that a majority (60%) of respondents thought the provision of the Pavilion Bar was ‘important’ or ‘very important’. Of those who responded on the Pavilion Bar section of the Big Community Survey, 71% of respondents showed a preference for a ‘family friendly bar’. 42% of respondents (the most frequent response for the question) showed a preference for the Pavilion Bar being open weekday afternoons, evenings, and weekends. This would represent a reduction in opening hours for the bar, from its previous offering of morning until evening, seven days a week.
At a previous Full Council meeting in July 2020, it was agreed that should the Big Community Survey point to the restoration of the Pavilion Bar, then a plan would be put in place to look to outsource the bar, to alleviate risks that the bar currently places on council finances (a cost allocation document showing the profit and loss figures for each area of the Council can be found here: https://bit.ly/2RyWRM8 ).
After considering an all-options report for the operation of the bar, and given that the Big Community Survey showed that a majority of respondents want the Pavilion Bar to remain open, it was agreed at the Extraordinary Full Council meeting that the Council will now move to outsource the Pavilion Bar. A team of councillors and officers has been selected to create a project brief for outsourcing which will then be bought back to the May Full Council meeting.
The outsourcing process will take time, please bear with us so we can make sure we get the Pavilion Bar outsourced to the right group/business to meet the needs identified by the community. We will keep the community informed as the process proceeds, and it will be communicated by the Council along the usual channels.
The Library
The Big Community Survey showed that there is support for the provision of a community library in a Community Hub with 70% of respondents saying the library was ‘very important’ or ‘important’ to them, but with a reduction in hours from when the Community Centre was open before Covid-19 and the fire; 50% of respondents preferred that the Library be open 12-15hrs per week with library volunteers present.
Given these findings, it was agreed by Council that they would look to open the library for 12-15hrs a week with volunteers present.
In Summary
Following discussion, the Council agreed to seek outsource the Pavilion Bar and this process will now begin, following the required procedures associated with this process. The Library will re-open when conditions allow, seeking to move to a 12-15hrs per week model.
The Council would like to thank everyone who completed the Big Community Survey, which helped us to listen to and understand your views. With your feedback, the Council is in a stronger position to make decisions in-line with the community’s needs and preferences.
The full Big Community Survey results report can be found here: https://bit.ly/3e7SJdB