Issue - meetings

This is an examination of officer time spent supporting Barham Park Trust and its activities. It is intended for memorandum purposes only.

RESOLVED: that the amount of officer time spent on Barham Park Trust and its activities as set out in the report from the Head of Finance be noted.

Gareth Robinson (Head of Finance) presented a report examining officer time spent supporting Barham Park Trust and its activities. Members’ attention was drawn to the methodology employed and the key findings identified, including financial implications for the Trust if the costs were to be recharged. It was highlighted that the majority of officer time had been spent in relation to leases for the Barham Park buildings complex, though producing reports and dealing with Freedom of Information requests were also common themes in the work undertaken. The total costs of the officer time spent in support of the trust were calculated as £59,055 for 2016/2017 and £14,269 for the 2017/2018 year to date. If these costs were to be charged to the Trust annually, they would equate to approximately 60 per cent of the income generated by the Trust. 

The committee welcomed the report, noted that the council provided a large financial subsidy to the Trust by funding officer support, and sought comparative information for other parks maintained by the council.  Councillor Miller noted his level of concern with the unusual amount of officer time spent on activities not directly related to the running of the park and how much more usefully it could be employed.  Gareth Robinson emphasised that with the exception of costs relating to the physical maintenance of a park, much of the other work undertaken by officers would not be required for other parks.  Chris Whyte confirmed that work was currently underway to analyse the spend on parks to support a further comparative analysis and this would be provided for the next meeting of the committee.

RESOLVED: that the amount of officer time spent on Barham Park Trust and its activities as set out in the report from the Head of Finance be noted.