Recently I have been given the big responsibility of Shadow Portfolio Holder for Mendip District Council’s Governance, Assets and Public Spaces (GAPS) Directorate, as part of the district Lib Dem group’s Shadow Cabinet. This means ‘shadowing’ and working with the Cabinet member responsible for the GAPS team, Philip Ham (Conservative member for Coleford) on these areas of work, and keeping an eye on things like Leisure Centres, open space management and street cleaning, and plans for Council land and buildings, on behalf of local communities across the whole of Mendip District.

The Council’s GAPS team cover three main areas of work – Corporate Services , Operational Assets and Strategic Assets. Corporate Services helps officers and councillors implement projects and initatives, covering Legal and Democratic Services, Elections, HR, Procurement, Access to Information, Member Support, Minor Assets, Monitoring, and the Pheonix project (the Council’s major Accommodation Review at its Shepton Mallet offices, which will see the site transformed into a public sector ‘hub’ bringing in other public service providers onto the site over the next few years). 

The Strategic Assets team works on Corporate Properties, Major Assets, Health & Safety, CCTV and Bereavement. The Major Asset team  manages the transfer, sale or acquisition of land and buildings for the benefit of the Council and the community, and is developing district-wide strategies for future play, sports and Leisure services (including the future Leisure Services contract from 2015, in relation to Leisure Centres in Frome, Wells, Strode swimming pool and the Shepton Lido) over the next few months and years. 

The Operational Assets team manages and monitors the performance of major contracts including Groundcare (management of open spaces), Leisure Centres, Building Maintenance, Street Cleansing, and Public Conveniences. It also deals with the weekly Markets in five towns including Frome, Facilities maintenance, caretaking and security, Asset Maintenance, engineering projects and land drainage.  

I am assisted in this by councillor Adrian Dobinson (Lib Dem, Frome Berkeley Down) in relation to Strategic Assets.

Other Shadow Portfolio Holders are:

• Leader of the Opposition: Claire Hudson (Frome Park), Deputy Leader: Danny Unwin (Wells St. Thomas)
• Finance: Richard Pinnock (Frome Keyford)
• People and Places: Nick Cottrell (Glastonbury St. Edmonds), assisted by Sue Cook (Shepton West)
• Regulatory Services: Helen Sprawson-White (Frome Oakfield)
• Access to Services: Alvin Horsfall (Frome Keyford) assisted by Sam Phripp (Frome Berkley Down) 
• Built Environment: Adrian Dobinson, assisted on Housing by Damon Hooton  (Frome Park)

I shall be keeping an eye on the review of Leisure Centre services, on the new Groundcare contract for council open spaces, as well as future projects for the transfer or development of council land and buildings, in order to stand up for and involve local communities in future decisions.

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