Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed Members, officers and guests to the meeting.

Apologies were received from Cllr Graham, Cllr Gittins, Cllr Golds CBE and Cllr Lewis. Cllr Jeffels and Cllr Dey served as substitutes.

No declarations of interest were made.

Please refer to the confidential agenda pack.

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 February 2023 were agreed as an accurate record.

The Chair invited Ian Leete, Senior Adviser, to introduce the 2023 Spring Budget, which outlines the Government’s spending plans by setting budgets for each central government department.

Key points included the following:

·       There were two items of particular interest from the budget: one was tax relief for museums, galleries, and historic buildings; the other was the additional £63 million for public leisure facilities with swimming pools.

·       The LGA is working with Sport England to look at the distribution of extra funding: £23 million of revenue costs to support with direct pressures from energy prices and £40 million, which will be a capital investment looking at energy efficiency.

·       It will be a bidding process. Ian stressed that the bidding process should be as simple to bid for as possible because those councils that need it most tend to have the fewest resources.

·       The Minister has acknowledged that while the funding isn’t the full amount that is needed for the sector, he is keen that capital investment is used to test and trial new ways of doing things which can then form part of future spending reviews.

Members made the following points:

·       The Chair noted his pleasure and surprise in the additional funding and thanked the LGA for its ongoing work and engagement with the Minister at the meeting on the 27^th of February.

·       A Member believed that thanks should also go to Stuart Andrew, Minister for Sport, who met with the Board in February.

·       A Member highlighted the challenges of basing funding decisions on usage data, which might unfairly penalise pools with low footfall.

·       A Member said that the Board needs to continue to lobby relevant APPGs, Shadow Ministers and the Minster for Sport on the pressures facing the sector in the next year.

·       A Member questioned the dissemination of the fund given complex governance structures when it comes to delivery models, asking if there was any indication which organisations would be able put in bids. Ian Leete replied that all current governance arrangements are eligible to receive the funding but it is not yet clear who will put the bid in.

·       A Member asked if the funding was just for energy efficiency measures or if maintenance was in scope. Ian Leete confirmed that energy efficiency is the focus, not essential maintenance.

·       The Chair believed that formal thanks should also be sent to UKActive. Ian Leete believed DLUHC representatives should also be thanked by the Board.

Recommendation:

Members noted the paper.

The Chair invited Rebecca Cox, Principal Policy Adviser, to introduce the fan led review of football governance and the key elements of the government’s response to the review conducted by Tracey Crouch MP in 2021. It should be noted that local clubs are a significant asset and influencer in communities, so the LGA has maintained a watching brief on the review. Several LGA members have also committed to the Fair Game initiative and have asked the LGA to support reforms.

Key points included:

·       Football’s importance to communities is of interest to the Board.

·       She drew Members’ attention also to Annex A, which concerned work stemming from a joint piece of work on securing the future of public sport and leisure services that helps councils understand how they can support community ownership of leisure and sports assets.

·       Members were asked to share their views and comments on that paper before its publication.

The Chair then invited David Pennington from the Football Supporters’ Association to address the Board about the review. Key points included the following:

·       The review will have a particular focus on financial regulation, so that the regulator will be able to monitor the financial performance of clubs.

·       The White Paper has confirmed that any future sale or move of football stadiums will have to be approved in advance by the regulator.

·       He noted that there is broad political consensus for this work across parties.

Key points from Members included the following:

·       The Chair asked if there were any methods to allow fans to see the real financial position of the clubs. Mr Pennington replied that there will be advisory boards set up with supporters. While this will give them access to more information, it would not be the same as full access to financial particulars.

·       Members gave examples of governance issues in football in their own localities.

·       A Member expressed concern about owners changing names, badges, home shirts and colours without consulting fans.

·       Supporting the interests of local clubs’ fanbases was noted as paramount.

·       Dave Pennington reminded Members that the crux of the White Paper will be about the sustainability of football.

·       A Member queried if there was a way that local government could be more involved on local advisory boards. Dave Pennington replied that it was unlikely given current arrangements.

·       Views on football’s impact on local communities and the involvement of councils in many clubs to deliver better health and economic outcomes were expressed by Members.

·       A member asked for clarity on point 12 in the paper which says “there are no direct implications for councils”. It was agreed that this would be amended.

·       A Member believed that the government response did not go far enough but welcomed the report.

·       David Pennington was asked how women’s football would be promoted. He replied that there was a review currently ongoing by the FA with government support. The Member then asked that the Board review issues concerning women’s football at a future meeting. The Chair agreed to this.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Rebecca Cox, Principal Policy Adviser, updated Members on the impact of the CTS Conference 2023, inviting them to feedback on their experience as delegates and facilitators and provide an early steer to inform thinking about the 2024 conference.

Key points included the following:

·       The conference benefited from taking place at the same time as the budget announcement.

·       Against previous years, there was learning for the LGA about running hybrid events and the paper also looks ahead to next year.

·       She asked if Members would be happy with an in-person event next year.

·       She reminded Members of the tour around the country with the conference, informing them that the LGA had been approached by Knowsley Council for next year’s event.

Members made the following points:

·       A Member commented that in future it would be useful to see who is attending conferences in advance, though appreciated GDPR considerations.

·       It was noted that as it was a hybrid event, it would have been useful to have a sense of how many people were attending online as well as in person.

·       It was noted that the Underground strike had caused problems. A Member asked for advance notifications to go to delegates if such occurrences happen on the day of events in future, as had happened this year.

Recommendations:

The Board:

·       provided thoughts and reflections on the day

·       agreed that the 2024 conference takes place in March 2024

·       agreed that the LGA events team explore Knowsley as the preferred location.

Cllr Jemima Laing updated Members on arrangements for the Board meeting in Plymouth. Key points included the following:

·       The draft itinerary includes meeting at Devonport Market Hall.

·       The Board will meet with leaders from the city’s cultural sector.

Comments from Members included the following:

·       The Chair reminded Members that the 21st would be his last meeting as chair of the board. He also informed them he would not be in attendance.

·       A Member queried if hybrid options will be available. Cllr Laing replied that a hybrid option would be available.

·       It was requested that a list of recommended local hotels be provided to Members.

Actions:

LGA officers will confirm arrangements for the meeting.

Cllr Laing will ask the organisers to provide a list of recommended local hotels to share with Members.

This item was not addressed at the meeting, but a written update concerning the work of the Chiles, Webster, Batson Working Group had been provided to the Chair ahead of the working group’s first meeting.