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SKEGNESS TOWN COUNCIL

Minutes of the Council Meeting held via Video Conference

Held at 7 pm on Wednesday, 5th August 2020

PRESENT: Councillor M Dannatt (Town Mayor) in the Chair.

Councillors: M Anderson, P Barry, B Brookes, T Burnham, J Carpenter (Deputy Mayor), S Claxton, S Dennis, D R Edginton, A Findley, D Kirk, S Kirk, G Saxon and T Tye.

Officers: Town Clerk and Deputy Town Clerk.

Absent: Cllr P Sutton

The meeting was live streamed on the Council’s You Tube Channel to public and press.

C35. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING (Agenda Item 1)

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Council meeting held on

Wednesday 1thJuly 2020 be confirmed as a correct record.

C36. APOLOGIES (Agenda Item 2)

An apology for absence was received from Councillors S Blackburn, J Brookes, R Cunnington and S Emsen.

C37. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST (Agenda Item 3)

Cllr S Dennis item 6 – Category A Payee.

C38. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (Agenda Item 4)

No questions received.

C39. THE TOWN MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE (Agenda Item 5)

The Town Mayor thanked the Deputy Mayor for attending an event on his behalf and informed Council that a list of Mayoral events has been posted on the Council website, Facebook and Twitter

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That the Mayor’s announcements be noted.

1.

– 14 –

C40. SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS FOR APPROVAL (Agenda Item 6)

Cllr S Dennis declared a Category A interest and withdrew for this item.

The Town Clerk reported on a schedule of payments made between 25th June 2020 and 27th July 2020 as shown in Appendix A to these minutes.

It was proposed, seconded and

RESOLVED: That the schedule be approved.

C41. COUNCILLORS QUESTIONS TO THE MAYOR (Agenda Item 7)

None received.

C42. QUESTIONS TO/COMMENTS FROM THE LINCOLNSHIRE POLICE REPRESENTATIVE (Agenda Item 8)

19:13 Cllr B Brookes left the meeting.

The following question was submitted by Cllr M Anderson:

What is the latest figures for Hate Crimes 2019/20 in Skegness and the breakdown on BAMEs?

How many arrests have been made?

What support is given to the victims of these disgusting crimes that leave the victims scared for the rest of their lives?

Inspector Barnsley sent apologies for the meeting and provided a written response to the question. The Town Clerk presented the response giving the figures that from July 2019 to June 2020 there were 86 reported Hate Crimes within Skegness and gave the breakdown on ethnicity. Victim Lincs is the service put in place by the Police and Crime Commissioner to provide victims with information, advice and support.

C43. REPORTS FROM COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES TO OUTSIDE BODIES (Agenda Item 9)

Connected Coast reports were by provided by Cllr T Tye, a debate on information sharing and consultation and transparency took place.

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

C44. REPORTS BY DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS (Agenda Item 10)

An LCC Report had been provided by Cllrs C Macey and S Kirk, a discussion took place.

– 15 –

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

C45. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES (Agenda Item 11)

It was proposed, seconded and

RESOLVED: That the minutes from the Management Committee Meeting held on Wednesday 29th July 2020 be approved and the resolutions within be adopted.

C46. REMEMBRANCE PARADE (Agenda Item 12)

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That the recommendation from the working group to

hold a small act of Remembrance in Tower Gardens for 2020 be approved.

C47. NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN (Agenda Item 13) The Town Clerk presented a report to consider the draft Neighbourhood Plan (NDP) and associated documents. A discussion took place.

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That:-

a) The foreword and acknowledgements be approved. b) The draft plan is approved. c) No further sites will be considered for inclusion in the plan.

C48.

COUNCIL MEETING DATES (Agenda Item 14) The Town Clerk presented a report to amend certain Council and Committee meetings.

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That the Management meeting on 26th August 2020 be

cancelled. The Council meeting on the 4th November 2020 move to the 25th November (replacing Management Committee). The Council meeting on 2nd December 2020 move to the 16th December 2020 (replacing Management Committee).

C49. GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS (GDPR) ANNUAL

REVIEW (Agenda Item 15) The Deputy Town Clerk presented the GDPR annual review report.

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That the review be adopted and approved.

– 16 –

C50. LINCOLNSHIRE UNITARY AUTHORITY PROPOSALS (Agenda Item 16) The Town Clerk presented the Lincolnshire Unitary Authority Proposals report to consider whether the Council wishers to make any representations. A lengthy discussion took place. It was felt it was important to have a Town Council representative attend LALC meetings.

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That:-

a) Cllr M Anderson be appointed as the official representative at LALC.

b) The Town Clerk writes to the relevant government minister to set out the Councils position that whilst not against reform any changes need to ensure local democracy and consultation takes place.

C51. GRANT APPLICATION (Agenda Item 17)

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That the grant request from Citizen Advice Skegness for

£100 be approved.

C52. NOTICE OF POSTPONED ELECTION (Agenda Item 18)

It was proposed, seconded and RESOLVED: That the notice of postponed election to fill the casual

Town Councillor vacancy be noted.

The meeting closed at 8:54pm

Full Signature & Date

– 17 –

Date Payee Ref Amount Detail

25/06/2020 Amazon Payments UK Ltd EB344 64.85 Office Equipment

25/06/2020 JP Smith Heating and Plumbing EB344 1,020.00 Plumbing works - store

25/06/2020 Sid Dennis and Sons Ltd EB344 24.00 Waste Disposal

25/06/2020 Banner World Ltd EB344 763.20 Café Equipment

27/06/2020 Staff Salaries EB342 19,671.85 Staff Salaries

27/06/2020 Argos EB342 287.64 Kitchen Equipment

29/06/2020 British Gas DD 23.66 Electricity

29/06/2020 PWLB DD 22,978.95 Loan Repayment

30/06/2020 Cllr M Anderson EB343 100.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr D Brookes EB343 125.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr J Carpenter EB343 100.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr S Dennis EB343 100.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr D Edginton EB343 100.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr S Kirk EB343 125.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr T Burnham EB343 125.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr D Kirk EB343 125.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr M Dannatt EB343 260.00 Cllr & Mayoral Allowance

30/06/2020 Cllr S Blackburn EB343 125.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr J Brookes EB343 125.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr R Cunnington EB343 100.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr S Claxton EB343 125.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr A Findley EB343 125.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr P Barry EB343 100.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr S Emsen EB343 124.60 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr G Saxon EB343 125.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr B Brookes EB343 124.60 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr P Sutton EB343 125.00 Cllr Allowances

30/06/2020 Cllr T Tye EB343 100.00 Cllr Allowances

01/07/2020 Ark IT Solutions DD 108.00 IT Upgrade

02/07/2020 Amazon Payments UK Ltd EB345 352.86 Café Equipment

02/07/2020 Burdens Group Ltd EB345 944.97 Equipment Lease & Repairs

02/07/2020 CRS Business Systems EB345 280.80 Café Equipment

02/07/2020 HMRC EB345 5,024.48 PAYE Month 3

02/07/2020 LCC Pension Fund EB345 6,108.23 Pension contributions

02/07/2020 Parker Motor Services EB345 10.94 Equipment repairs

06/07/2020 Ark IT Solutions DD 42.84 IP Seats

08/07/2020 BT DD 68.39 Telephone

08/07/2020 Lloyds Bank DD 22.22 Bank Charges

13/07/2020 Opus Energy DD 47.87 Units Electricity

14/07/2020 Fuelgenie DD 765.41 Petrol and Diesel

14/07/2020 Amazon Payments UK Ltd EB346 217.43 Café Equipment

14/07/2020 Bray Design EB346 81.00 COVID Signage

14/07/2020 Burdens Group Ltd EB346 92.11 Mower repair

14/07/2020 Charles H Hill Ltd EB346 211.89 Equipment parts

14/07/2020 Community Resource Planning Ltd EB346 9,712.32 NDP Stage 4 fees

14/07/2020 CRS Business Systems EB346 2,698.98 Café Equipment

14/07/2020 E-on EB346 32.68 Electricity

14/07/2020 ESPO EB346 146.65 Office Stationery & Cleaning Products

14/07/2020 G F Tomlinsons EB346 1,953.91 Construction works

14/07/2020 Nisbets PLC EB346 373.75 Café stock & consumables

14/07/2020 Parker Motor Services EB346 17.66 Equipment repairs

14/07/2020 Pure Clean EB346 30.00 Window Cleaning

14/07/2020 Sid Dennis and Sons Ltd EB346 764.43 Cemetery & Tower Gardens Waste

14/07/2020 Travis Perkins EB346 29.48 Public Property Materials

14/07/2020 Tudor Environmental EB346 169.90 Public Property Materials

14/07/2020 Viking Direct EB346 249.38 Postage and Cleaning

14/07/2020 B A Bush and Son Ltd EB346 169.90 Vehicle Repairs

14/07/2020 Lingard & Brown EB346 357.40 Café Stock

14/07/2020 Leisure Lines EB346 216.00 Workwear

14/07/2020 Pilgrim Foodservice Ltd EB346 340.58 Café Stock

14/07/2020 Turner Price EB346 551.98 Café Stock

Skegness Town Council

Current Account

List of Payments made from 25/06/2020 to 27/07/2020

Appendix A

– 18 –

15/07/2020 Petty Cash chq005289 150.00 Petty Cash

20/07/2020 O2 DD 57.79 Mobile phones

22/07/2020 Turner Price EB347 260.45 Café Stock

22/07/2020 Travis Perkins EB347 11.74 Public Property Materials

22/07/2020 R W Stokes and Sons Ltd EB347 430.85 Café Stock

22/07/2020 Sid Dennis and Sons Ltd EB347 69.55 Waste Disposal

22/07/2020 Screwfix EB347 29.99 Workwear

22/07/2020 Pilgrim Foodservice Ltd EB347 245.41 Café Stock

22/07/2020 Parker Motor Services EB347 10.94 Equipment repairs

22/07/2020 Nisbets PLC EB347 131.44 Café Cleaning & Consumables

22/07/2020 GRS Signs EB347 84.48 Park signage

22/07/2020 Burdens Group Ltd EB347 96.08 Equipment repairs

22/07/2020 British Gas EB347 65.70 Building Gas

22/07/2020 Amazon Payments UK Ltd EB347 132.50 Cleaning, PPE & Public Property Mats

22/07/2020 ELDC EB350 6,536.90 Business Rates - Car Park & Units

22/07/2020 R A Hackett EB350 2,700.00 Tree Works

22/07/2020 Lumalite EB350 7,243.20 Xmas Illuminations

22/07/2020 HC Solutions Ltd EB350 840.00 Legal Fees

22/07/2020 Japenesse Knotweed Solutions EB350 330.00 Survey

23/07/2020 Anglian Water DD 8.00 Water Rates Units

23/07/2020 Anglian Water DD 14.00 Water Rates Units

24/07/2020 Total Gas & Power DD 180.42 Park Electric

27/07/2020 Cllr M Dannatt EB348 160.00 Mayoral Allowance

27/07/2020 Staff Salaries EB349 22,131.58 Staff Salaries

Total Payments 121,408.81

Date Payee Ref Amount Detail

30/07/2020 Petty Cash 5291 150.00 Petty cash

04/08/2020 Land registry CCJUL 6.00 Plans

04/08/2020 Lloyds Bank CCJUL 32.00 Annual fee

04/08/2020 Amazon CCJUL 4.99 Café Equipment

04/08/2020 Amazon CCJUL 359.99 Café Equipment

04/08/2020 Cater 4 you CCJUL 111.49 Café Equipment

04/08/2020 Amazon CCJUL 18.89 Café Consumables

04/08/2020 Amazon CCJUL 24.97 Café Equipment

04/08/2020 Amazon CCJUL 18.95 Café Equipment

04/08/2020 NAMESCO CCJUL 10.79 Web domain

04/08/2020 NAMESCO CCJUL 39.59 Web domain

04/08/2020 Amazon CCJUL 20.55 Café Consumables

04/08/2020 Biopac UK CCJUL 54.48 Café Consumables

04/08/2020 Biopac UK CCJUL 108.01 Café Consumables

04/08/2020 Davpac CCJUL 38.92 Café Equipment

04/08/2020 Banana Print CCJUL 33.90 Café Consumables

05/08/2020 DVLA DD 265.00 Vehicle tax - YD10

05/08/2020 Burdetts Garage 5292 164.00 Service and MOT YD10

05/08/2020 Ark ICT Solutions DD 46.99 IP phone seats

06/08/2020 Amazon Payments UK Limited EB351-1 65.59 Cafe Equipment

06/08/2020 Burdens Group EB351-2 5,502.00 Public property equipment

06/08/2020 Flowbird Smart City UK Ltd EB351-3 347.46 Car park machine contract

06/08/2020 Nisbets Plc EB351-4 35.54 Cafe equipment

06/08/2020 Pilgrim Foodservice Ltd EB351-5 153.01 Cafe Stock purchases

06/08/2020 Trade UK EB351-6 29.99 Workwear

06/08/2020 Sid Dennis & Sons Ltd EB351-7 25.61 Waste disposal

06/08/2020 Travis Perkins Trading Co Ltd EB351-8 119.39 Public property materials

06/08/2020 Turner and Price Ltd EB351-9 125.10 Cafe stock purchases

06/08/2020 Viking Direct EB351-10 37.98 Office stationery

06/08/2020 Amazon Payments UK Limited EB352-1 117.34 cafe equipment

06/08/2020 Burdens Group EB352-2 1,599.32 Machinery lease

06/08/2020 HMRC EB352 5,531.72 PAYE contributions

06/08/2020 Lincolnshire County Council EB352-4 6,233.64 Pension contributions

06/08/2020 Impact (Boston) Ltd EB352-5 84.96 Car park consumables

06/08/2020 Pilgrim Foodservice Ltd EB352-6 148.80 cafe stock purchases

06/08/2020 Trade UK EB352-7 49.98 Public property materials

06/08/2020 TRJ Electric & PV Solar EB352-8 7,782.60 Electrical works Tower Gardens

06/08/2020 Travis Perkins Trading Co Ltd EB352-9 50.34 Public property materials

06/08/2020 Turner and Price Ltd EB352-10 134.97 cafe stock purchases

06/08/2020 Sid Dennis & Sons Ltd EB353-1 1,621.43 Tower Gardens Bins

06/08/2020 Charles H Hill Ltd EB353-2 206.78 Equipment repairs

06/08/2020 Nisbets Plc EB353-3 88.06 cafe consumables

06/08/2020 Travis Perkins Trading Co Ltd EB353-4 57.79 public property materials

06/08/2020 Zurich Municipal EB353-5 99.31 Insurance additional premium

06/08/2020 Workwear Express ltd EB353-6 775.68 Workwear

06/08/2020 BT DD 68.39 Broadband

07/08/2020 BT DD 68.39 Broadband

07/08/2020 Lloyds Bank DD 50.53 Service charges

10/08/2020 Staff Expenses EB355 60.92 Cafe Stock Purchases

10/08/2020 Petty Cash 5294 150.00 Petty cash

Skegness Town Council

Current Account

List of Payments made from 28/07/2020 to 27/08/2020

6.

2

Date Payee Ref Amount Detail

Skegness Town Council

Current Account

List of Payments made from 28/07/2020 to 27/08/2020

11/08/2020 Ark ICT Solutions DD 268.60 Microsoft 365 licence

12/08/2020 Opus Energy DD 56.95 Units - Energy

13/08/2020 Fuelgenie DD 700.06 Petrol and Diesel

17/08/2020 Brelsford Tyre & Exhaust 5293 15.00 Vehicle repairs

18/08/2020 Staff Expenses EB357 87.12 cafe stock purchases

19/08/2020 O2 DD 57.79 Mobile phones

21/08/2020 British Gas DD 14.48 Gas - Tower Gardens

21/08/2020 British Gas DD 890.65 Electric - Tower Pavilion

24/08/2020 Turner and Price Ltd EB354-1 142.76 Cafe stock purchases

24/08/2020 Sid Dennis & Sons Ltd EB354-2 191.84 Waste disposal

24/08/2020 Trade UK EB354-3 39.55 Equipment repairs

24/08/2020 Pilgrim Foodservice Ltd EB354-4 166.88 Cafe stock purchases

24/08/2020 Parker Motor Services Ltd EB354-5 40.82 Equipment repairs

24/08/2020 P & R Decorator Centre EB354-6 95.55 Public property materials

24/08/2020 Konica Minolta EB354-7 143.46 Photocopier lease

24/08/2020 G F Tomlinson Building Ltd EB354-8 4,256.18 Construction costs

24/08/2020 Eastern Shires Purchasing Orga EB354-9 60.13 Office stationery

24/08/2020 B A Bush & Son Ltd EB354-10 15.95 Vehicle repairs

24/08/2020 Amazon Payments UK Limited EB354-11 101.74 Office stationery

24/08/2020 East Lindsey District Council EB356 3,053.99 Rent- Units April

24/08/2020 Turner and Price Ltd EB356-2 231.96 cafe stock purchases

24/08/2020 Tudor (UK) Ltd EB356-3 187.20 Public property materials

24/08/2020 Pilgrim Foodservice Ltd EB356-4 223.52 Cafe stock purchases

24/08/2020 Eastern Shires Purchasing Orga EB356-5 27.00 Office equipment

24/08/2020 Amazon Payments UK Limited EB356-6 48.57 cafe equipment

24/08/2020 Staff Expenses EB360 47.10 Cafe stock purchases

24/08/2020 Staff Expenses EB362 23.18 Cafe Stock Purchases

25/08/2020 Anglian Water DD 14.00 Water rates

25/08/2020 Anglian Water DD 29.00 Water Rates

27/08/2020 Staff Salaries EB359A/B 23,888.88 Staff Salaries mth 5

27/08/2020 Cllr M Dannatt EB359A/B 160.00 Mayors Allowance

Total Payments 68,212.04

Pg. 1 of 19

Environmental Assessment

Tower Gardens, Skegness and the Interchange

[DRAFT - subject to consultation]

Date

Late morning, 16th Jul 2020

Attendees

• Richard Cunnington (Skegness Town Councillor and East Lindsey District Councillor)

• Steve Larner (Town Clerk)

• Martin Borrill (Senior ROVI)

Brief

1. Provide general information and advice with regard to disability inclusion inside and

outside the existing Tower Gardens, with particular attention to entrances; immediate

surrounding roads and independent access from the Transport Interchange by foot

2. Innovation for the Childrens’ Playground area to increase disability inclusion

3. Advise on potential for a new area – The Sensory Garden

Rather than separate these items, the project will be written holistically, highlighting those

items that require immediate action. It would be advantageous for AoHL to be continuously

involved in consultation, to provide on-going advice and avoid costly errors.

Accuracy

This report is open and honest and, to the best of my knowledge, factually correct. It was

collated from: questioning people; online maps; website research; professional experience;

observation on the day and straw-pole discussion with people using the area. Any errors are

the result of omissions related to a lack of knowledge rather than deliberate misinformation.

Examples given (e.g. Appendix F and elsewhere) are not an endorsement. They were found

using an internet search engine to illustrate available products. The same or similar products

will be available through various companies. I further advise requesting a site visit from

companies prior to order of equipment, in cooperation with professional advisors such as

Lincolnshire Sensory Services; an Occupational Therapist and/or Physiotherapist; gardening

design and plant experts (e.g. R.H.S.) and your contractor, as necessary.

9.

Pg. 2 of 19

Background

Tower Gardens originated from the 1870s to provide green space recreation for the general

public. In common with all parks, general neglect lead to ‘no go’ areas of anti-social

behaviour, particularly becoming the haunt of illegal drug users. In recent years it has been

renovated to reverse the degradation. Now in constant use by the local public, tourists and

day-trippers, several public events are held throughout the year, utilising three areas of

grassland. These include live music gigs and classic vehicle displays.

The park currently consists of: three public display areas for events; central pond with

pumped, recirculating water & waterfall with a single footbridge over; open grassed areas for

walking and picnics; various bench seats in traditional materials; enclosed children’s play

area; a new build cafeteria, office and community room; a bandstand; flora laid mainly to

shrubs and trees; CCTV coverage and basic street lighting (not observed working).

Entrances remain open 24 hours, 365 days a year.

COVID-19

The risk assessment carried out prior to the meeting and agreed by the management of

AoHL, is available on request. Appropriate precautions were taken during the day including

use of PPE; hand washing; sanitiser gel & social distancing, with those attending advised in

advance, of the precautions that would be taken. Whilst using the café, a ‘track and trace’

form was completed for notification in the case of a localised coronavirus outbreak.

Hoping to arrive by train using the same public transport upon which so many disabled

people are reliant, it was not sanctioned so I travelled by car.

Interchange

Visiting the interchange on foot, I asked a gentleman in the train station (around retirement

age using a powered wheelchair) how he was finding the situation. He said he travelled by

train on a frequent basis and was a day-tripper to Skegness on this occasion. His belief was

that the trains were running well and he had no stated issues. He was equipped with a

facemask. I believe he fits the ‘vulnerable’ category by virtue of his age; weight and removal

of one leg above the knee.

As a Customer Panel participant (specialising in advising on disability) for Abellio, the T.O.C.

that recently took over the E.M.R. franchise, I have been offered the opportunity to give

feedback on potential improvements to the line terminating at Skegness, in the future. James

Agar (a Customer Services manager at Abellio) has given me contact names to this end.

Pg. 3 of 19

Geographic Situation

Tower Gardens is bordered by four roads - Lumley Road to the south; Rutland Road to the

west; Scarborough Avenue to the north and Grand Parade (B1451) to the east. It has

footpath entrances to three of these sides. Using Lumley Rd entrance, it is approximately a

quarter mile walk from the Interchange.

On two visits, the wind appeared to be Northerly however this may vary significantly due to

the proximity of the North Sea shoreline, within a few hundred metres.

Entrances

There are four pedestrian entrances - the ‘main’ entrance is from Grand Parade along with

three smaller entrances: Lumley Road and two from Rutland Road.

Grand Parade entrance consists of a grand archway (with indistinct bollards inbetween)

leading to three distinct paths which all reduce the internal elevation by several metres,

down to open areas of grass bordered by shrubs.

The central path leads to a grand stairway with fanned-out stone steps and wide wooden

handrail on either side. It is bordered on the outer extremities of the entrance, by two further

paths.

The second path is fairly straight with relatively steep elevation usable by people with

suitable fitness levels plus those using powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

On the opposing side, is the third path. A winding path that helps reduce the elevation for a

person using a self-propelled wheelchair or someone on foot with reduced mobility or fitness.

It is unsure whether it meets the standards set-out in Appendix G but given the topography,

this path has some adaptation in terms of access for anyone with a temporary or permanent

disability. Consideration should be given to future changes by zig-zagging the path more, to

achieve no more than 1:15 rise in the path, suitable for long runs for a self-propelled

wheelchair user. People using self-propelled wheelchairs were observed using a different

entrance.

The central staircase consists of nine steps with even treads of 0.6M bordered either side by

wide wooden handrails, leveling off at the correct point for the first and last steps. The step

riser is consistent and reasonable, at 19cm. The steps have no overhang (known as

‘Nosings’). There is no apparent anti-slip surface and observing on dry days, it was not

possible to ascertain if this is a potential problem.

I was asked as to whether the introduction of white lines to these steps might assist people

with sight difficulties. I would suggest that this is rarely the case for the following reasons:

1. It only helps:

a. those with sufficient sight

b. when weather and lighting conditions permit

Pg. 4 of 19

c. when not concealed under dirt or worn away through high footfall

2. There are more suitable adapted pathways into the park that reduce the risk of a trip

or fall for anyone with a disability or frailty

3. People may be tempted to peer down at their feet to observe the lines, leaning

dangerously forward (when they may already be frail or have hearing loss affecting

their balance) increasing the potential to topple down (or even up) the steps

4. Introduction of white lines on heavy footfall areas will inevitably lead to loss of the

indicator as the edging line wears away, introducing several difficulties which don’t

currently exist. Once introduced, constant maintenance becomes a Health & Safety

requirement, causing an added danger and inconvenience when reapplying the paint

5. When a person has unsteady balance they would be advised for their own safety, to

only use steps or stairs whilst holding a handrail and maintaining posture to avoid falls

6. Someone with sight difficulties should contact their mobility instructor through Action

on Hearing Loss - 0333 320 2667. This will help reduce risk whilst increasing

independence

Urgent renovation is required to these hardwood handrails. They have been painted and

this is now peeling, precluding usage due to pain and potential damage to a person’s skin,

when it is essential to those who require it. I would suggest thorough removal of the paint on

all sides, by sanding. A joiner will advise on longevity of the wood if the paint is removed and

no preservation applied.

Hardwood preservation can be improved by the use of oil (e.g. high quality Danish; Tung or

Teak oils, without petroleum distillates). These items often need special storage facilities due

to flammability. They may also have an irritant effect on skin whilst still wet – please take

expert advice and be guided by instructions from the oil manufacturer. Oil reduces the

likelihood of splintering of the wood through drying-out. It enhances the grain and beauty of

the wood whilst ensuring the problems associated with peeling paint, do not recur. Once

reapplied (during a dry period, annually) the handrail could be returned to use by the public

more quickly than if waiting for paint to dry. Hardwood may last longer if oiled and kept free

of paint, as a punctured paint surface will allow water in but reduce evaporation out,

increasing the speed of rotting.

The Bollards that reduce the width access underneath the archway, have insufficient

contrast. There are more of these bollards in various locations within the park. Some

consideration should be made to increase the contrast (see Appendix E) with more vibrant

colours. This would potentially lead to a redesigned park colour scheme. As a student I was

involved with such a project in a college and also ran a competition locally (using Art College

Design students) to find a new logo. The winning design (which could assist the winner on

their CV) may be sufficient incentive to participate however presentation of a small gratuity

(e.g. a £10 voucher to be used in one sitting at Café Dansant) is a much-appreciated

gesture. It can also create media interest.

Rutland Road has three entrances - a gated footpath entrance (varying width of 1.18M to

1.3M) bordered by metal handrails for a length of roughly 10M. It appears to be quite steep

and may not comply with Building Regs. Next to it is a vehicular access that, I’m informed,

emergency service vehicles can use to access the entire park. There is a removable access

Pg. 5 of 19

post in this road entrance, with increased visibility striped tape wrapped around it. A third

footpath entrance, is a hundred metres or so from these two, consisting of a gated entrance

at 1.25M width, widening to 1.8M nearest the pond. The shallow level of this path appears to

be within elevation tolerance. It would not be possible for two wheelchairs (or a wheelchair

and pushchair/pram) to simultaneously use the path in opposite directions, at either of these

pedestrian entrances. I would suggest that when changes to either entrance are envisaged

for the future, Best Practice would suggest widening the railings and tarmac path, to

accommodate a consistent 1.8M width of pedestrian entry.

Lumley Road entrance passes between two shops that have movable displays. The entry is

indistinct and passers-by would likely walk past without noticing it as an entry point to the

park. The land is council property up to the rear access cul-de-sac that bisects the footpath

and entry point to the garden, effectively creating a crossroad. From my observation, this

access road appears little used by vehicles but Best Practice would suggest some

demarcation. Buff tactile paving designating an uncontrolled crossing on either side of the

road, is a nationally accepted ‘norm’. Whilst I am willing to consider alternatives, these could

be confusing for someone who is not familiar with the area.

The Lumley Rd entrance has a 5.2M wide, translucent canopy offering protection from the

rain. It extends 7.4M across the pavement to the building line with additional 15.6M long run

between the buildings - a total of 23.0M. This ‘modern’ construction appears to be a poor

design both aesthetically and practically. The struts/girders holding the transparent roof in

place, are ideal roosting areas for pigeons. The current spike measures only work for a short

period, then the roosting pigeons cause profuse guano on the floor. This causes deep

concern as both a slip hazard and potential for transmittable diseases to humans (e.g.

histoplasmosis; cryptococcosis; salmonella and psittacosis - source: BBC News)

The floor covering underneath the canopy consisted of a black coloured, small block tile. The

appearance was that of a smooth, hard rubber material that had cross markings to increase

grip but being a dry day it was not possible to test how slippery the surface becomes in wet

weather.

Passing the crossroad, there are indistinct bollards set 1.24M apart, across the entrance. In

keeping with my suggestion on the new colour scheme for the park, the bollards would be

replaced with a more distinctive; more reflective; wider; less injurious design

Urgent renovation - options for the Canopy include:

• Urgent cleansing – Biocide cleansing & placing anti-bird ‘Fire Gel’ on roosting areas (in

line with manufacturer instructions). My experience is that it’s effective for more than five

years in a sheltered area, ‘buying’ time for redesign

• Subsequent re-design of the roof structure to preclude roosting space for the pigeons

• Least useful option - removal of the canopy structure, though this will increase the slip

hazard to the current floor covering, which may therefore also require removal – an

expensive venture. It will remove the only rain shelter in the vicinity, for people who may

be unable to move quickly

Pg. 6 of 19

Park Areas

Area 1 – Pond

A waterfall feeds into the lower pool, which is then circulated by a pump to the upper pool.

I’m told this is only topped-up by rainwater with no connection to an external water supply.

Any excess is drained-off to the sewers. It was observed during a dry-spell on 11 August.

The waterfall had stopped through lack of water and surrounding pools had low levels of

water. This was creating stagnation and could lead to unpleasant smells.

A footbridge wide enough for one wheelchair user, goes over the pond, roughly East/West.

Improvements

• Urgent renovation to the current ramp on the west side of the pond, leading to the

bridge. I believe this exceeds the limits set in the Building Regulations and has an

uneven, broken surface mix of concrete and tarmacadam. Relocation of the pathway

further to the south, will avoid the large tree roots that are currently breaking the

concrete footpath. The elevation should be changed to meet Building Regulation

Standards – see Appendix G. Direct elevation from the lower path may not be

possible within the 1:15 rise required of a five metre long path so I suggest a raised

mezzanine ramp (identical to a traffic calming ‘speed table’ on roads) roughly four

metres long and two metres either side of the intersection with the new path leading

to the bridge, would overcome this problem. This elevated speed table should itself,

meet or exceed the regulation in Appendix G and be a totally level ‘table’ in all

directions. It must also be raised enough to meet or exceed the correct elevation from

the speed table to the pond bridge. I would suggest construction in tarmacadam

rather than concrete as this is more ‘forgiving’ of root invasion and will therefore

withstand it for longer, with reduced risk.

Area 2 - Zip wire and circular ‘nest’ swing

The swing allows multiple users to access the ring at one time, including a disabled person

who can transfer or a lighter weight person who may be assisted to get on and off of it.

The Zip Wire currently has a straddle seat for an able-bodied person who takes hold of the

rope. The access platform at the top end, is very narrow and I believe, constructed of some

form of marine plywood.

Improvements

• The Zip Wire needs investigation as to whether it can be fitted with a bucket seat and

locking harness. If so, the base size would also need to be significantly increased in

area, to accommodate someone who transfers from a wheelchair, or indeed removed

if level access would be possible, making it more inclusive. A site visit by companies

that sell these items, will provide the required information

Pg. 7 of 19

Area 3 – Bandstand & Circular Canopy

The Bandstand is currently being used by customers of the café, with four tables and chairs

using the space due to social distancing within the café building.

Improvements

• No suggestions for the Bandstand

• I believe the circular canopy, toward the Lumley Road entrance, has about six double

seats arranged around the inside. There is potential for removal of sufficient seating to

provide space wide enough to accommodate two wheelchairs. This will make it an

inclusive space

Area 4 - Community Building

This houses an administrative office; ‘Café Dansant’; a community meeting room (for hire);

and ‘Changing Places’ – a state-of-the-art disabled-friendly toilet/shower/baby-changing

facility with some internal fixtures that have good colour contrast.

To the left side of the building, there are steps leading to the public entrance. To the right of

the entrance is the current COVID-19 exit, consisting of fold-back doors. The pleasant

design aesthetic means the only delineation for the steps is a 50mm black coated steel

corner, screwed to the tread and riser. A row of three advertising banners with bright

polished stainless steel barrier bases provides a physical barrier to the top step, for roughly

755 of the run. The lack of barrier at the top of the ramp could cause a fall hazard for a

person on foot or with a mobility scooter, if they have sight difficulties.

A dog bowl filled with water in the centre of the café veranda, was tripped over by myself (a

serious and needless trip hazard) leading to a potentially dangerous slip hazard of water

spillage, as well as the wet feet.

Improvements

• Move the dog bowl to a viewable area e.g. next to the advertising ‘A’ board at ground

level. Hard up against the board will reduce the trip hazard. The visible bowl may

attract dog owners and consequently, more patronage to the café

• The exposed areas of steps can be improved by extending the barriers to four

sections along the top. An extra section at the top of the ramp, on the right hand side

as you go down, would be subject to the base allowing sufficient space to get past

without hindrance or danger, for a patron in wheelchair or on a mobility scooter

Area 5 – Event Areas

I am informed there are three areas of open grass currently used for public events including

classic vehicle displays and live music. The gardens were not observed during an event so I

am currently unable to comment.

One area, at the base of the steep path from Grand Parade are a group of boulders set into

the ground at the corner of two intersecting paths. These have no colour contrast and

Pg. 8 of 19

therefore create a severe trip hazard to both disabled people and children playing around the

area. They are in the vicinity of the playground entrance. These should be highlighted or

removed.

Area 6 - Enclosed Playground for Children

The disability inclusive equipment appears to consist of a wheelchair-friendly, level access

roundabout.

Improvements

• There is potential for the inclusion of a specialist swing with bucket seat and overhead

harness (as per a modern-day rollercoaster) to the RHS of the current swings as you

look at them, in a gap of roughly 2.4M between installations

• Raised stainless steel strip inserted in front of all the swings at the point where a

person (potentially 2M tall) who uses a long cane, would make contact with it. This will

reduce the risk of someone being hit by the feet of someone on a swing

• Whilst researching equipment for the Sensory Garden, several websites have been

found that may provide further choices, once the companies have done a site visit

(could be virtual, by video link such as FaceTime) and advised on their products

Area 7 – Bench Seats

Twenty-four wooden bench seats were seen, well spaced at various points around the park.

They have what are presumed to be, 19th Century cast iron bench ends in very dark colours.

All the wood seating slats were badly weathered and not very inviting. Despite this fact,

roughly 75% appeared to be in use at any one time.

Improvements

• Urgent renovation - cleaning-off the seat slats. Once fully sanded, application of oil

preservation should take place in the late summer each year, to allow for the wood

being at it’s most absorbent. Given the amount of usage observed, I would suggest

five seats be re-oiled at any one time and cordoned-off for two days, allowing

uninterrupted use of eighty percent of the seating. Oil has distinct advantages and

virtually nil preparation time (except the initial sanding to remove all paint) and can

allow return to use more quickly and safely than paint

• I suggest a renewed colour scheme for the original castings to reflect the best

practice within the Building Regulations. This new colour scheme would be used for

the benches; entrances and bollards. It could include a corporate look around the

town, with all street furniture reflecting this new and improved image

Area 8 – Sensory Garden

Richard Cunnington (Councillor) requested a feasibility study for such a facility inside Tower

Gardens, Skegness. I have been planning the ‘Best’ Sensory Garden for two decades. It is

hoped that Richard’s invitation will lead to Skegness achieving a real accolade for tourism.

Pg. 9 of 19

Given the proximity to the sea and coastline, coastal tolerant plants would be advisable. Due

to lack of an external watering supply (unless introduced as a pumped mechanical or

electrical system) will also require thought toward drought tolerant pants. Two grass areas

were identified as the best options, without influencing or detracting from those areas

currently used (according to the advisors present) for social events.

Area ‘A’

Runs close to Lumley Road entrance - 36M (north/south) x 20M (to 34M max.

east/west). It is currently bordered by paths with a steep edge to two sides, leading

down to the flat, grassed area. There is currently a waste bin within that area

Area ‘B’

Runs north/south about 15M (north/south) x 20M (east/west) bordered by the path on

two sides; open grass and a mature Horse Chestnut tree to the third side with shrub

border and the pond beyond, to the rear. There appears to be a CCTV camer on a

pole within the area. It is my preferred setting and roughly half the size of Area ‘A’

Area 9 – Community Garden

East Suffolk Norse have been highly successful in supporting two community groups that

maintain the parks at Kensington Garden, Lowestoft and Nicholas Everitt Park, Oulton

Broad. A new ‘Community Garden’ (bordering at least two sides of the Sensory Garden) is

an ideal opportunity to involve community groups. This encourages voluntary workers to

have regular input on time-hungry aspects of gardening and weeding, reducing the cost of

maintenance.

Organisations representing the community of Skegness (see Appendix A) would be

encouraged to attend on designated days of the month, to visit and tend ‘their patch’. It only

requires a small amount of administration (and signposting) to avoid one group pulling up the

recently set plants of another group or several groups arriving on a single day.

Tiered and raised beds suitable for all, would be provided. Some to provide lower height

access for people who require it and higher access points for people unable to bend or

kneel. Some would be set at wheelchair height. Given the high cost of purchasing specialist

planters; 5 year lifespan replacement; need for flexibility, I would suggest fabricating thee

from recycled heat-treated wooden pallets. These are affordable for the material and flexible

in that they can constructed as required rather than a commercial off-the-peg version. A local

college/university woodworking department or learning difficulties commissioning charities

(e.g. SOLD, Lowestoft) could be utilized in their construction.

Pg. 10 of 19

Works Completion

I suggest the improvements are completed in two stages:

A. Urgent

I. Sand down the handrails to the step access to the Grand Parade entrance and

clean with white spirit (routine maintenance). Dry for a week then apply four coats

of Tung oil onto the bare, dry wood

II. Sand down the bench seat & back slats, four benches at a time. Once dried out,

four coats of Tung oil (or equivalent) applied on every slat side,

III. Change ramp elevation to bridge over the pond – as identified

IV. New Oak double handrail to the same profile as the side handrails (or easier-grip

profile suitable for people with arthritis) running down the centre of the stairway at

Grand Parade (roughly 14M total wood). Handrail would run in an ovoid with

brushed finish 316 stainless steel (or alternative) centre uprights at top and bottom

with additional ones in the middle (to allow cleaning) of every second stair tread

(12 in total). Handrail hangers (ten either side = twenty total). Flat at top and

bottom for a run of 35cm, completed with four 90 degree corner pieces to achieve

the oval shape. The hardwood should not be dressed in any way so as to allow

the use of preserving oil in line with other rails

V. Clean Lumley Rd canopy with biocide and affix Anti-bird Fire Gel

https://www.insight-security.com/bird-free-fire-gel

VI. Installation of a new swing into the Playground area (as detailed above)

VII. Installation of a marginally-raised, 50mm wide steel barrier line (e.g. as used for

carpet changes in a doorway) in front of the swings or alternatively, a different

colour and/or texture to flooring (e.g. introduce a row of rubberised tiles – also

safer for anyone accidentally dismounting the swing) so that a person is advised

when using a long cane, that they will breach the safe area if they cross the line

VIII. Addition of two banners at Café Dansant, extending the three on the top step by a

fourth and a separate fifth one being at the top of the ramp to avoid direct travel

down the stairs (space permitting)

IX. Removal of the dog bowl to the ground level outside the entrance, next to the A

Board advertising the café

X. Highlight the boulders in fluorescent colours, currently inserted in the grass at the

base of the Grand Parade entrance or remove them

B. All other changes

o All other recommendations should be re-visited as soon as finances are available.

This report can then be updated with new ideas as new information, situations or

recommendations become apparent, prior to execution

Pg. 11 of 19

Completion

It is envisaged these works will be carried out as soon as finances allow, subject to

agreement from the Councillors to Skegness Town Council; East Lindsey District Council

and Lincolnshire County Council, as appropriate. Funding is from central government, once

pans are approved.

Grand Opening

I propose a ceremony for the Sensory Garden on World Sight Day (Thu 14th Oct 2021).

Given Royal patronage of several related charities, it would be fitting to request the presence

of HRH the Duchess of Cambridge to do the honours of cutting the ribbon. In order to fulfill

royal obligations, a request would have to be made as a matter of some urgency.

These recommendations may be improved by further consultation however the points of

urgency remain the same.

Submitted for consideration.

Martin Borrill

Senior Rehabilitation Officer Vision Impairment (ROVI)

Action on Hearing Loss (under contract to Lincolnshire Adult Social Care)

25 Aug 2020 E&OE

Pg. 12 of 19

Appendices

Index: Page

A Potential ‘Community Garden’ groups 12

B Additional Consultation 13

C Disability 14

D UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 14

E Designing for People with Vision Impairment 15

F Inclusive Playground Equipment 16

G Wheelchair Ramps – Building Regulations 2016 16

H Finance - figures 17 & 18

- example websites, for costings 19

Appendix A

Potential ‘Community Garden’ groups

• Thrive – STH (social and therapeutic horticulture) - 0118 988 5688

• Local people with learning difficulties (e.g. Linkage Trust, Spilsby & Lincoln)

• MIND – Mental Health charity (West Norfolk, Kings Lynn - 01553 776966

• Local charities: Witham Lodge Lifehouse, Salvation Army; ACTion Lincs; Alcoholics

Anonymous (The Storehouse, North Parade. Skegness); Addaction (Boston &

Lincoln)

• Social Exclusion (‘P3’ charity)

• Brownies/Cubs/Guides/Scouts/Skegness Air Training Corps/Skegness Army Cadet

Force/Skegness Sea Cadet Corps

Pg. 13 of 19

Appendix B

Consultation Possible people/organisations to approach, to incorporate further advice:

• Grant Donald – Landscape Architect

• Richard Cunnington (Town Councillor; East Lindsey District Councillor; Service User)

• Sarah Saunders (Social Prescriber; Occupational Therapist; dementia & autism)

• THRIVE

• R.H.S.

• Deafblind UK

• PAACT Autistic Spectrum group

• CANadda, Lincoln

• Headway Lincolnshire

• Lincolnshire Downs Syndrome Support Group

• Lincolnshire Sensory Services

Websites

• https://www.greatbritishgardens.co.uk

• www.playlsi.com

• https://www.rhs.org.uk

• https://www.building.co.uk/cpd/cpd-6-2018-colour-considered-design-for-the-visually-

impaired/5093217.article

• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-and-use-of-buildings-

approved-document-m

• https://www.yell.com/s/wholesale+horticultural+nurseries-lincolnshire.html

• https://darrenhawkeslandscapes.co.uk/project/rhs-chelsea-13-seeability/

• https://www.cube1994.com/portfolio/bali-award-winning-sensory-dementia-garden/

• https://www.conica.com/en/playgrounds/coniplay-outdoor/

• https://stairpartsdirect.co.uk/range/handrail-with-infill-70-x-

50mm/?attribute_pa_timber=Oak&attribute_pa_sd_length=1200mm&attribute_pa_infil

l-

width=No%20Groove&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhIP6BRCMARIsALu9LfmY7wqSipkHLWiPOm

cXgmVclif3sjGnCM8iZILcEOki6us3At1YjvkaAkbOEALw_wcB

Pg. 14 of 19

Appendix C

Disability

The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as:

‘Physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your

ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.

To qualify for the disabled register maintained by a local authority, you must be ‘substantially

and permanently disabled’.

• By the beginning of 2020 there were 13.9M disabled people [source: SCOPE]

• 12M people with significant hearing loss [source: AoHL]

• Approximately 360,000 people with a certified sight loss [source: NHS]

• Estimated 400,000 people live with a combined difficulty of both hearing and sight loss,

many of whom are registered Deafblind [source: Deafblind UK].

• The UK population is 66.65M [source: Office for National Statistics, mid-2019]

Appendix D

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol

(A/RES/61/106) were adopted in 2006 and opened for signature in 2007. [With] 82

signatories [including the UK] plus 44 to the Optional Protocol and 1 ratification of the

Convention - the highest number of signatories in history to a UN Convention on its opening

day. It entered into force on 3 May 2008 and was ratified by the UK Government in 2009.

The Convention follows decades of work by the United Nations to change attitudes and

approaches to persons with disabilities. It takes to a new height the movement from viewing

persons with disabilities as “objects” of charity, medical treatment and social protection

towards viewing persons with disabilities as subjects with rights, who are capable of claiming

those rights and making decisions for their lives based on their free and informed consent as

well as being active members of society.

Furthermore, as part of an internal review of it’s own policies and procedures, the United

Nations produced a ‘Disability Inclusion Strategy’ in April 2018 that requires:

“The full and complete realization of the human rights of all persons with disabilities is an

inalienable, integral and indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms… [to]

make the concerns and experiences of persons with disabilities an integral dimension of the

design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all

political, economic and societal spheres so that persons with disabilities benefit equally.”

Pg. 15 of 19

Appendix E

Designing for People with Vision Impairment

The minimum legal requirements for access and facilities in buildings (and outdoors) are

designated in Approved Document M to the Building Regulations.

The Building Regulations stipulate a minimum difference in light reflectance value (L.R.V.)

between two adjoining surfaces, of 30 points for new-build and major refurbishment projects

but notes it is Best Practice for all projects.

Any public space (indoors or outside) that allows safe and equal access by all members of

society requires design consideration for the following:

• Colour

• Contrast

• Lighting and illumination consistency

• An uncluttered and consistent environment (making mental mapping easier)

Creative design should be used to improve inclusivity as well as fulfill the Equality Act 2010

and UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (see Appendix D). By creating

an inclusive space, independence, confidence, physical health and mental well-being are

significantly improved. An inclusive environment fit for able bodied and disabled alike, can

also create an attractive aesthetic, with bright colours improving emotional moods.

At least three quarters of information about our surroundings, is received through our

eyesight. Of those registered ‘Blind’ (Severe Sight Impaired) 96% are able to detect some

light but the majority do have deteriorating conditions. It’s vital to make the most of contrast

and design to enhance people’s spatial awareness and help them use their residual vision

when navigating buildings and outdoor spaces. People may also require far more time to

adjust to changing luminance so consistent lighting and constant luminance, are important.

[edited by Martin Borrill from the original on Building.co.uk website]

Pg. 16 of 19

Appendix F

Inclusive Playground Equipment

Various options exist. This is merely a random site found using a search engine. It illustrates

examples of inclusive play equipment. See www.playlsi.com

Main distributor for the UK - https://solesportsandleisure.ie/play/

• Moulded Bucket seat (for zip wire and 8 feet gap to right of existing swings) 5-12yrs

Model #177351 (with harness and chain)

• Tongue Drum – vibration can be felt by Deaf and Deafblind people. Sound stimulation

for people with sight difficulties. Reflective metal drum surface and vibrant colour for

surround (‘Paprika’) and stand/mallet (‘Limon’). Can be used without a hammer, if

stolen. Model # 253114

• Cascata Bells - vibration can be felt by Deaf and Deafblind people. Sound stimulation

for people with sight difficulties. Vibrant colour stimulus for vision reduction as ‘Limon’

colour for the Proshield & Permalene, is approx. 550nM on the visible spectrum.

Model # 250340

Appendix G

Wheelchairs – Part M, Building Regulations

Maximum slope for hand-propelled wheelchairs should be a 1" rise in every 12" of length

(4.8 degree angle; 8.3% grade). If used solely for a powered chair or scooter, this could be

made substantially steeper 1.5" rise to 12" length (7.1 degree angle; 12.5% grade). The

recommended slope is between 1:15 & 1:20 (Sec 3.10.a to Part M, Buidling Regs).

The recommended width of an entrance (or external passing) is 850mm (Sec.3.9.g)

I am fairly certain the ramp for the bridge over the pond appears to exceed these limits so

the elevation will need to be changed.

Pg. 17 of 19

Appendix H

Finance

The desire for large-scale improvements to the park and access routes to the Interchange, is

a noble one for the councillors. It is hoped that finance will come from money currently

offered by central government, subject to their terms and conditions. The time scale under

which the work must be completed, is the major factor. It is therefore essential that

councillors gain consensus of all interested parties and legal requirements, as quickly as is

practical. An accurate forecast of costs before plans have been submitted to sample

suppliers and quotes received, would be impossible however I have given figures based

roughly on known quantities and retail prices.

I have allowed a contingency for inflation and unidentified costs. By use of wholesale

nurseries or sponsorship from commercial companies (e.g. Notcutts; Cherry Lane;

Marshalls; Suttons; Compost Direct; B&M; B&Q; Wilko; Lyndhurst Garden Centre; Amazon &

others) or larger local companies (solicitors/estate agents etc) the items could be free or

significantly cheaper than the costs shown.

The financial benefit from the addition of a sensory garden and community garden would be

tangible, with a more subjective improvement to well-being for many parts of society. It will

increase tourism, whether in practical terms for people who are disabled, their families &

carers or for the aesthetic for disabled or able-bodied alike.

‘Urgent’ Costs:

I. Existing handrails - £40

II. Existing benches - £160

III. Raised tarmac table and path to pond - £3000 (incl. foundations)

IV. New Oak handrails (at £100/M) - £1400 + 4 corners at £150 = £2,000

12 x 316 stainless steel 1.5M uprights (18M) = £2160

20x hangers - £600 incl 100 galvanized screws

Preserving oil in line with other wood - £60

Total £4800

V. Biocide (2x 5L) - £100

Anti-bird Fire Gel (11 packs) - £400

https://www.insight-security.com/bird-free-fire-gel

VI. New swing – best guess is £15,000 including preparation

VII. Swing barrier – 12M of 5cm raised steel/aluminium/ strip - £400

VIII. Additional banners at Café - £800

IX. Dog bowl - nil cost

X. Boulders – colour or remove - £200

Estimate for ‘Urgent’ work = £24,900

Pg. 18 of 19

Sensory Garden - Retail Price Estimate £115,500 (incl. 10% contingency)

Path £14,000

• Average £40-60* per metre square

Total space 21M x 16M

£9,000 – 150M2 path (45%) at £60

£5,000 – preparation at £30+/M2

* solid stone is the cheaper end and herringbone brick the highest end

Aggregates (6 bags for £20 at B&M)

Tarmac £4,000

• 10M x 2M in bright coloured or painted tarmacadam / recycled rubber (£200/M2)

Bulbs, Shrubs & Plants £29,000

• £90 – 270x various Allium £60 – 360x purple crocus

• £90 – 500x Snowdrop £60 – 360x yellow crocus

• £10 – 120x Anemone £15 – 175x ‘Blue Pearl’ Iris

• £90 – 450 Tulips £85 – other

• £14,000 – 140M2 of mature shrub at £100

• £1,000 – 40x Fragrant roses

• £13,500 - 135M2 planting area (40%) x 100 plants = 13,500 plants at £1.00

Infrastructure £38,000

• £100 – 6’ x 15’ trellis

• £400 – 3M Stone circle (Ebay)

• £300 – 3x 1.2M ‘compass point’ stone circles (Ebay)

• £1,500 – 150 heat-treated wooden pallets (for community garden planters)

• £3,500 – 4 weeks labour for 2 construction workers in community garden (£12/hr)

• £10,000 – 420 x 2.4M oak ‘sleepers’ for raised beds

• £3,000 – 1200x galvanized plates & 4800x screws, for joining sleepers

• £600 – rubber boards for lawn reinforcement

• £40 – 500 wooden plant markers

• £60 – 20x Black Sharpie marker (twinpack = 40 units)

• £5,000 – Wooden seating & sculptures

• £2,000 – Solar powered and PIR water spout

• £100 – Series of Bamboo windchimes x4

• £3,000 – commissioned coloured bottle wall

• £400 – solar/LED lights for the above

• £8,000 – Additional points of interest

Soil Improvement £20,000

• £7,600 – 80x 900L compost £9,000 – top soil (Sensory Garden)

• £1,600 – top soil (Community Garden) £500 – blood, fish & bone (shrubs)

• £600 – 100x 7Kg poultry manure pellets (Wilko) (plants)

• £700 – 100x 100L ornamental bark (B&M)

Pg. 19 of 19

Websites

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3SQM-PAVING-AZTEC-SUN-CIRCLE-SQ-OFF-KITS-PATIO-

SLAB-FLAGS-DEL-

EXCEPTIONS/123617389902?hash=item1cc82bad4e:g:h9gAAOSwPDlcUYiP

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Anthracite-Black-Porcelain-Paving-600-900-Patio-tiles-slabs-

Vitrified/113756831213?hash=item1a7c6f7ded:g:zG0AAOSw8gleUAH5&var=414003249560

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2m-New-Buff-Compass-Rotunda-paving-circle-patio-slab-

stones-Delivery-exception/123618713417?hash=item1cc83fdf49:g:b5cAAOSwsaVcUaTx

https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/Timber-Pallets/180970/bn_59532138

Environmental Assessment

Pg. 1 of 8

Brief

Assess the roads, pathways and junctions surrounding the transport Interchange, with routes

to the Tower Gardens, Skegness.

Attendees

16 Jul 2020 - Initial observation

• Richard Cunnington (Skegness Town Councillor & East Lindsey District Councillor)

• Martin Borrill (Senior ROVI)

Accuracy

This report is open and honest and, to the best of my knowledge, factually correct. It was

collated from: questioning people; online maps; website research; professional experience;

observation on the day and straw-pole discussion with people using the area. Any errors are

the result of omissions related to a lack of knowledge rather than deliberate misinformation.

Examples given (e.g. bollards in Appendix C and tactile paving) are not an endorsement. They

were found using an internet search engine to illustrate available designs that appear to meet

the needs of people with disabilities. The same or similar products will be available through

various companies and I advise discussion with all these companies in cooperation with your

highways engineers, to ensure the best products are chosen, that meet legal requirements.

Costing

This is an ideal opportunity to rectify mistakes and improve the environment but different

councils have differing responsibilities for street environments. Accurate costing is impossible

without discussion with the engineers who will be responsible. It is also unclear if labour costs

would be included, if part of ongoing highway maintenance.

Road Crossings

Controlled

• Control E523 – B1451 Grand Parade (outside Meanies Bar & Grill). A crossing fitted

with pedestrian demand unit and flashing LED control button. Concerns expressed by

Service User regarding the delay from the audible signal & rotating cone finishing to the

Environmental Assessment

Pg. 2 of 8

traffic lights turning green. Council Highways Dept. and qualified mobility instructor from

AoHL to liaise and discuss potential changes to signal timings.

• Urgent Action Required - Control E531 – Richmond Drive (outside Skegness

Interchange). Currently audible. Potential for confusion with another crossing (non-

audible) nearby, as happened to me. Audible warning needs to be removed to avoid

crossing the road at the wrong time, causing potentially serious injury or death to a

pedestrian.

• Control E524 – B1451 Grand Parade (outside Skegness Ex-Servicemen’s Club). There

may be potential for improvement to this set of signals.

• Urgent Action Required - Three-sided refuge island at the confluence of Wainfleet

Rd/Lumley Rd/Roman Bank. This island has no safety fencing. A person reliant on long

cane could get confused by traffic noise, causing them to step-off the kerb at an unsafe

point. This error could result in serious injury or death. It would also be Best Practice

from the point of view of young children, for similar reasons. Fencing could be installed

to avoid such an incident, alternatively, Lambeth Deterrent Paving, though this can have

the effect of encouraging children to play on them. It would normally be installed

between opposing lighting posts, to stop egress from the island at the three apexes.

• Full design and installation would benefit from cooperation between the Council

Highways Dept. and a suitably qualified member of mobility training staff from AoHL.

Uncontrolled

• Urgent Action Required - On Tower Esplanade, two areas of buff tactile paving have

been incorrectly installed. If used by someone using a long cane independently, it will

send them walking into oncoming traffic with potentially lethal consequences.

Its installation also inherently misunderstands how a person is taught to use a long

cane. Crossing points are chosen to be distant enough from junctions, to allow someone

to differentiate traffic noise more easily and allow adjustment time to cross the road

without a vehicle suddenly turning into the road.

The use of a raised table, excludes the demarcation of a drop at the kerb, which is

easier for a person using a long cane, to locate.

Tactile paving also acts as an irritant to wheelchair users who have to literally bump

over this very rough ground.

These particular tactile markings are both very near junctions and in noisy

environments. One is just beyond the Clock Tower Roundabout on a road ‘table’. When

looking south from Tower Esplanade the current bearing of the paving is 222 degrees

but if correctly installed would be on a bearing of around 191 degrees.

Environmental Assessment

Pg. 3 of 8

The second crossing point is further along Tower Esplanade, on the road leading to the

‘Swimming Pool’ Pay & Display car park. It has similarly undergone incorrect installation

at a bearing of roughly 119 degrees instead of 80 degrees.

From experience and Best Practice, I would not advise independent crossing at these

installations as they are contrary to reducing risk. I would therefore recommend removal

and a zebra/belisha controlled crossing at a suitable distance from the junctions (if

practical) or some other controlled crossing. Currently, an independent Vision Impaired

person must use four controlled crossings (Grand Parade/ Lumley Rd twice/ South

Parade) to reach the opposite side of Tower Esplanade, as safely as possible.

Street Furniture

Back-to-back pavement bench seats

(e.g. north side of Lumley Road)

Someone needing to rest may choose to sit on a pavement bench seat. If public seats

are installed back-to-back (i.e. face opposite directions) it will inevitably lead, at some

point, to the entanglement of someone using a long white cane coming into contact with

the legs of someone sitting there. At best this will lead to embarrassment but at worst,

injury, to one or both parties.

This is both dangerous and not Best Practice. If seats only face one direction (i.e.

parallel to the kerb, facing the traffic) a long cane user can pass behind the bench,

walking centre-pavement as taught, without encountering obstacles and enabling them

to maintain straight-line travel.

Bike Racks

(e.g. junction of Lumley Road & Grand Parade [B1451])

These are constructed of simple looped steel bars for secure containment of bicycles.

They are located on the far side of the pavement, near to the small brick wall running

around the kerbside corner of the road.

Long cane users are taught to walk centre pavement in busy shopping areas. This is to

avoid entanglement with street furniture or shoppers. It would be unusual for someone

to walk into this obstacle, wandering from the trained route, so the risk is minimal. I

would recommend that, when re-painting the white lines around the shops (as above)

that a raised line be painted in the same material (see ‘Sale Displays’ below) in a wide

radius semi-circle around the racks. This will divert a long cane user away from the

area.

Sale Displays

From Tower Roundabout (& rounding the corner onto Grand Parade) along Lumley

Road a white delineation line was observed (and may be in use elsewhere) presumably

marking the outer limit for shop displays to extend onto the pedestrian pavement. On

the day, most sellers appeared to honour this arrangement.

Environmental Assessment

Pg. 4 of 8

Re-painting the delineation (including around the bike rack, as above) at the same time

as an information campaign may achieve a greater level of cooperation from shop

keepers. Enforcement is the final resort but must remain an option.

Shop ‘A’ Boards

A nationwide problem, advertising boards are frequently placed on the pavement where

they cause difficulties and risk to the public but substantially greater problems for

disabled people. In a strong wind they are a risk for everyone using the pavement,

especially young children. An enforced bylaw to ensure ‘A’ boards meet a minimum

requirement; remain safe and not placed where they cause inconvenience or distress to

pedestrians, could be part of the advertising campaign to shopkeepers, as mentioned

above.

Street Lighting

Urgent Action Required - The street lighting lamp-posts on Tower Esplanade are

designed in a curved bow. Although an interesting aesthetic for sighted people, this

creates a serious hazard to anyone using a long cane, travelling toward or back from

the sea or a sighted person not paying attention to their special awareness (such as

playing on their smart phone or tablet). They could walk into the steel structure with

consequent head injury. Some form of avoidance system needs to be devised, to stop

this from happening. There is potential for Lambeth Deterrent Paving to be used as a

safeguard or a similar effect must be negotiated, to remove the risk of head injury. This

kind of design flaw is quite common and needs to be considered before future street

furniture and equipment choices are made.

I am informed that street lighting is switched off before sunrise. In many other towns,

urban street lighting is switched off at midnight but trunk routes remain on. Whilst any

reduction in pollution is commendable, the consequences for pedestrians who are

enjoying a night out in a tourist town (pubs and clubs closing at midnight or later) would

benefit from allowing sufficient time for the late revellers to return safely to their home or

accommodation. Street luminance should be consistent, avoiding alternate light areas

and areas of shade. For many people with sight difficulties, such marked changes can

create a problem.

Pavements

Background:

Poorly maintained areas of paving in the locality are creating a serious hazard. The

legal requirement to rectify uneven paving is specific however for some lesser areas

with high pedestrian and wheelchair use, these create difficulties and an unpleasant

aesthetic. One local lady, who was propelling her adult son in a wheelchair, was asked

Environmental Assessment

Pg. 5 of 8

what she thought of the paving around the areas she regularly used. Her reply was,

“Really bad” as she struggled with straight-line travel. It is well documented that lack of

maintenance in urban areas, leads to lack of respect from locals, frequently increasing

unsocial behaviour leading to further costly degradation. The financial strain of fighting

or giving-in to litigation, means less is available to fight the problem.

Suggested Actions:

• Areas of loose or missing paving slabs (e.g. corner of Roman Bank/Lumley Rd and

further along Roman Bank, the other side of Prince George St.) be replaced or

better still, filled with tarmac over sound substrate to ensure this is not a temporary

‘fix’ that ends up as yet another hazard

• Bollards – those that no longer serve a useful context would be removed.

Remaining bollards would be made more visible to the public and vehicles. The

introduction of reflective bands at two or more height levels and/or painted in stand-

out colours, are just two options that need to be discussed with highways engineers

(e.g. corner of Prince George St. along Roman Bank toward Algitha Rd). Corporate

redesign would achieve a consistent standard but may be expensive unless

undertaken as part of a rolling regime of replacement

• Tactile Paving – Tactile Directional Guidance Paving (see www.marshalls.co.uk)

can be useful for providing guidance in busy footfall areas. It has the potential to

guide the user of a long cane, safely from the Interchange to the Lumley Rd

entrance of Tower Gardens or such other route as is deemed the safest route

The areas in which these problems occur are numerous and I suggest a walk-through with the

council highway engineers to discuss the problems; potential fixes and prioritisation based on

risk.

Environmental Assessment

Pg. 6 of 8

Conclusion

There is potential for ‘the most disabled-inclusive resort in the UK’ and disability professionals

at Lincolnshire Sensory Services are keen to assist this outcome. The financial benefits of the

disposable income from disabled people, family and carers should not be underestimated.

The negative impact of an installation error causing serious injury or death should also be

taken into account. The cost of rectification, as is the experience with tactile paving at Tower

Esplanade, is wasteful of time and money. This is normally due to a lack of understanding of

white cane techniques and broader disability knowledge.

Most of the evidence-based research into road crossings for vision-impaired persons goes

back a quarter century or more. With improvements to canes, cane tips, techniques taught as

well as a quantum move toward traffic light controlled crossings suitable for Deafblind people

rather than Belisha Beacon Zebra Crossings, things have moved-on dramatically. Designs that

conform to the outdated government guidelines from the Department for Transport, ORR

(Office of Rail & Road) & DEFRA are frequently, in real life, not helpful for those in most need.

Changes to the street environment and alterations to roads or junctions, may be prima facie

improvements but inevitably affect people who are disabled in greater proportion to the able-

bodied. Impractical, unused and wasteful at best; lethal at worst.

The Equality Act 2010 and Accessible Information Standard (as set out in the Health And

Social Care Act 2012) now raise questions for potential litigation and I have been approached

in the past to act as an expert witness in court litigation. It therefore makes financial and logical

sense for the mobility instructors at Lincolnshire Sensory Services to be in full time discussion

and cooperation with the highway engineers and councillors at Town, District and County

levels, as proactive advisors for any road or pavement design ensuring inclusive choices and

assist project management, for correct installation. This will improve outcomes for both local

people and visiting tourists, whether disabled or not. It will also save money and waste.

In terms of Best Practice, it also follows that Lincolnshire Sensory Services will be in a position

to notify cane and guide dog users in advance, of any changes to highways that will

temporarily or permanently affect their travel route or plans. Announcements on the local radio

station/s would also assist this end.

Report submitted for consideration.

Martin Borrill

Senior Rehabilitation Officer, Vision Impairment & Mobility Instructor

Action on Hearing Loss for Lincolnshire Sensory Services

25 Aug 2020

Work: 07391 010827 E&OE

Environmental Assessment

Pg. 7 of 8

Appendix A

Laws

• Equality Act 2010

• Accessible Information Standard (H&SCA 2012)

• Highways Acts (various)

• Dept. of Transport, Traffic Signs Manuals

• Building Regulations, Part M

• Best Practice (as advised by professional disability specialists)

Appendix B

The Traffic Signs Manuals

(updated by the Dept. of Transport - 2.3.2020)

Chapter 6 – Traffic Control

Section 11.2.6.

‘Vision impaired people are taught to look for a push button to their right, placed within easy

reach of the edge of the tactile paving. A distance of 0.5M from the stud markings and edge of

the tactile paving is recommended. This push button unit should always be provided with a

tactile signal. Additional push button units should be provided on wider crossings, especially

when nearside signals and pedestrian detectors are in use.’

Section 19.1.4.

‘Pedestrian demand units and push buttons should be installed 0.5M from the line of crossing

studs. This enables pedestrians standing on the tactile paving, particularly those with sight

problems, to reach the demand unit. The demand unit should be positioned so that people

using mobility scooters or wheelchairs can reach it easily, as they may have more difficulty,

depending on the site layout.’

Environmental Assessment

Pg. 8 of 8

Appendix C

Bollard Design

A lot of time is spent considering bollards for vehicular environments but the same concerns

are rarely shown for pedestrians, who damage with more dire consequences. The availability

of differing designs and styles appears to be endless however the concept should remain the

same.

Construction should be substantial; around 90-100cm tall and wide enough not to be missed

(around 20-30cm?); ideally not restrict the distance either side to less than 90cm (for self-

propelled wheelchair users); be brightly coloured or with at least two well-spaced high visibility

points down the length, in reflective material surrounding the post. Rubber versions are more

forgiving for accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles alike, than concrete or rigid plastic

material. The latter can more easily break and be vandalized, as I have often witnessed.

Style A

https://uk.glasdon.com/road-safety/bollards/neopolitan-tm-150-bollard

These are compliant to Passive Safety Standard: BS EN 12767:2007 and appear to be made

of recycled rubber. Available in black or white posts at 925mm tall they cost £3900 for 20 units,

delivered. If suitable, I would suggest choosing a large reflective amber banding at the top and

smaller one at the base, on black posts.

Style B

https://uk.glasdon.com/road-safety/bollards/jubilee-tm-bollard

These are similar to those above but have three bands and are slightly more decorative. Cost

for 20 delivered is £3420 if rigid or £256 each for rebound rubber material. Several styles are

available.

Style C

https://uk.glasdon.com/road-safety/bollards/buffer-tm-bollard

A 900mm tall recycled rubber bollard of 248mm width costing £270 each, with a 75mm thick

amber band at the top. Although the shortest, the materials used may be the most suitable.

Minutes of the Joint Town Deal Board for Mablethorpe and Skegness (Connected Coast Board) held via Zoom on Friday 14th August 2020 at 3:00pm.

Present: Sarah Louise Fairburn Chair Chris Baron Deputy Chair Councillor Craig Leyland Leader, East Lindsey District Council Ivan Annibal Rose Regeneration Councillor Adrian Benjamin Mablethorpe & Sutton on Sea Town Council Robert Caldwell Association of Drainage Boards Freddie Chambers Lindum Group Adrian Clarke Tech Partnership (Grimsby Institute) Councillor Tony Tye Skegness Town Council Martin Collison Collison Associates Ltd Deborah Campbell Environment Agency Councillor Helen Matthews District Councillor for Sutton on Sea Jacqui Bunce Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group Mark Humphreys CEO Magna Vitae Robert Parker MicronClean John Henry Looney Sustainable Direction Ltd Councillor Colin Davie Lincolnshire County Council Councillor Carl Tebbutt Mablethorpe & Sutton Town Council William Price CLA Pat Doody GLLEP Pete Holmes BEIS East Midlands Councillor Steve Kirk Portfolio Holder for Coastal Economy, ELDC Andrew Stevenson University of Lincoln Peter Watson Distract Councillor Sid Dennis Visit Lincs Coast Chair

Not in attendance: Justin Brown Lincolnshire County Council Claire Draper Mellor Group Lisa Fairlie Platform Housing Group

Officers in attendance:

Robert Barlow (Chief Executive), Lydia Rusling (Head Economic Development and Growth), Martin Kay (External Funding Lead, Organisational Improvement & Development), Craig Fiske (Commercial Officer).

1. Apologies for absence:

Apologies for absence were received from Ruth Carver (LEP), Caroline Killeavy (CEO YMCA), Matt Warman (MP for Boston & Skegness) and Victoria Atkins (MP for Louth & Horncastle.

2. Minutes of Meetings

Minutes of last meeting were approved by the board.

3. Updated Towns Fund Guidance, Programme Management, Covid-19 Contingency/Arup support- Lydia Rusling

We are preparing two Town Investment Plans, one for each town and the surrounding area - Skegness and Mablethorpe. These will be submitted at the end of October. Lydia highlighted the Towns Fund Guidance for the TIP and the process, including 2 months to discuss heads of terms and 12 months after to submit detailed business cases. Current contracts for support (capacity funding) will conclude at the end of October. Discussions with ARUP have started and they are willing to support with contingency planning and prioritisation of projects. They provided positive feedback in relation to our programme plan and our community engagement. Arup has developed a website with resources, contacts and support: https://townsfund.org.uk/ Action: Agreed Arup’s support for project prioritisation/assessment, programme plan (as highlighted in Board papers) and an additional set of meeting dates to ensure the Board and Place Reference Groups were engaged with the Town Investment Plans as they are developed prior to submission at the end of October. Sarah Louise Fairburn: We need to buddy-up certain members of the board and PRG’s to individual projects where they have a suited skill set. Action: Board members to contact Lydia when project list is circulated.

4. Flagship Project Updates: Presentation on the Further Education Campus in Skegness- Adrian Clarke Positive feedback has been received. The site has been identified and a public procurement process is underway in order to hire a design team who will have experience in building FE campuses. A positive meeting was had with fellow educational providers in the area with further ones to come and the potential for a local educational group to be formed. Park and ride is still in the plans for the college. Need to push quickly on now to RIBA stage 2. Skegness Gateway- Lydia Rusling A developer has shown interest in the Skegness Gateway. The masterplan for the area will include 800 new homes and is keen to get feedback from this Board on plans, including the FE Campus. This work has also been highlighted to support with connectivity – Park & Ride, Digital, and Business. Action: Skegness Gateway briefing to be circulated to Board for feedback. Feedback from the Board: Positive, and important to demonstrate to government that the private sector is investing in the area. Presentation on the Campus for Future Living in Mablethorpe- Ivan Annibal Moving onto RIBA stage 2 preparation work and contractor appointment. Robust costings have been received and pre-app discussions are happening around planning.

Commitment from Health Education England, MOU with Nottingham Trent Medical Innovation Centre, and working with/in discussions with Community Catalysts, Local Clinical Commissioning Group and also the University of Lincoln. Mansfield Town Deal has welcomed the sharing of ideas around the campus which would strengthen the bid. Action: Lydia- statement regarding dentistry in Mablethorpe following MyTown and community feedback. Feedback: Positive, but need to link with NHS work and broader agenda (food, exercise, social factors). Action: Conversation with county over park and ride.

5. Accelerated Funding- Cllr Steve Kirk

ELDC has been invited to submit proposals for accelerated funding for both Skegness (£750,000) and Mablethorpe (£500,000). This is for capital projects that can be started by the end of this financial year. The PRG’s have been consulted to decide which projects should be taken forward in each town. In Skegness, the pedestrianisation of part of the esplanade including re-routing of traffic was chosen. In Mablethorpe, the demolition of the colonnade and re-working of the vicinity area was chosen. ELDC full council supported these projects. Action: Plans for demolition of colonnade sent to Environment agency to obtain permit. Questions from the board: Will there still be access for emergency services- e.g. lifeboats? Yes they have been engaged in the process from the beginning to maintain access. Is the current infrastructure okay to cope with the diverted traffic? Yes- traffic studies show south parade can deal with the increase in traffic.

6. Distract/HETA: Engagement and communications- Martin Kay Distract- a 20 week communication plan has been drawn up with Distract to help promote the Connected Coast and engage the local community. They have done a great job so far with various ways on bringing the Towns Fund to life including: A new website, Blogs, Webinars, social media engagement and a digital symposium with much more to come. Engagement with their content is into the hundreds of thousands in a very small space of time. They have also helped with communication with the Board, PRG’s and wider community to keep everyone informed on a regular basis of any updates. Interactions with community are being noted and are currently be analysed. Action: Connected Coast Website link to be shared along with Distract update report. HETA- are working on the storyboards. Visuals have be linked with simple text to engage the community and inform them about what is going on to create new ideas and potential further investment into the coast. Feedback: Positive. Action: Share storyboards when finalised.

7. Reviewing the evidence base and long-term vision- Martin Collison

The original evidence base has been supplemented with the ever changing situation we are in and includes feedback from the community about their towns. Key concerns that were highlighted: flooding and coastal change, health outcomes, low wages, poor qualifications, poor diversification of business, seasonal economy, digital, transport infrastructure. Positives that were highlighted: coastal assets, increase in wanting to access the coast, potential for the coast, low cost of housing, space, a council wanting growth. The vision will try and address both the positives and negatives as well as focusing on a green, long-term and sustainable approach to economic recovery. It is hoped the vision will help with investment, not only for now but beyond the Towns Fund. Private and public groups will be looked at for funding streams for the next 25 years and beyond. Agreement from board that the longer term vision beyond the towns fund is critical for sustained growth along the coast. Linking projects across Lincolnshire, the coast and our towns is also vital for transformation. Discussion around green and environmental projects and the investment needed was highlighted.

8. Investors Model: Martin Collison This model will try and make investment in the coast as easy as possible for potential investors. It will allow for the linking of public sector sites with the private sector development to create great opportunities within each town. Investor’s model will allow for the public and private sector to work more closely on larger scale schemes after the Towns Fund for continued development. Model in Lincoln referenced as a great success. Board members agreed this would be a good model for the coast. Action: If any board/PRG members are interested in this to contact Lydia. A smaller working group will be established and facilitated by David Rossington at Investors in Lincoln to ensure development and integration within the Town Investment Plans.

9. Town Investment Plan structure- Ivan Annibal The first part of the town investment plan is reviewing the evidence base, looking at the vision, renewing the theory of change and aligning with the supplementary guidance around Covid recovery/clean growth. The second part is looking for clear projects in each Town to submit in the plan with detailed pro-formas and plans for each. It is suggested that a cut-off date is needed for new ideas so we have enough time to analyse ideas in detail for the final plan.

10. Towns Fund Projects Discussion- led by Lydia Rusling, Martin Collison, Martin Kay Police training facility- in depth proposal submitted with costing, aligning connectivity with FE campus. Providing new skills and facilities to the area. East Midlands Railway- regenerate Skegness train station. Pro-forma (including costings) has been completed and visuals shared. Green agenda and cycling/walking- link the green space on the coast with the increase in cycling/walking. Manage green/environmental issues along the coast and how cycling/walking can benefit from solving these issues.

Culture and Heritage- identified art, cultural and heritage offerings that would help the Towns. Plans are being discussed over the coming weeks with support from Magna Vitae and Heritage Lincolnshire.

11. AOB None. Meeting ended at 5:05pm. Next meeting: 30th September, 2pm

connected coast lobbying plan v1 Page - 1 - MC August 2020

Connected Coast Lobbying Plan - Draft August 2020

Rationale

The final guidance for the Towns Fund and the process of negotiating a Heads of Terms followed by

individual projects which it sets out, make it clear is that the Towns Fund is a negotiated “deal”. The

Connected Coast Board have also agreed that the Towns Fund should be seen only as stage one of a

much longer term commitment to invest in the Coast.

It is important, therefore, to set out a plan to lobby government, other organisations and individuals

who can have an influence over the Towns Fund decisions and, equally importantly, to target those

who can support the longer term ambitions for the Connected Coast.

The challenges of the Lincolnshire Coast are deep seated and long term and, whilst the Towns Fund

will start the process of regeneration, considerably more investment will be needed, over an

extended period of time, to address decades of under-investment in the Coast.

The briefing delivered by the CEO of NE Lincolnshire Council at the inception meeting for the

Connected Coast Towns Fund in November 2019 indicated that the Grimsby Town Deal had

benefitted significantly from pre-bid engagement with key individuals in Government Departments

and with Government Ministers1.

Focus

The focus to be adopted on lobbying will be to make the case to:

• Align mainstream public funding (e.g. health, education, transport, digital, economic

development support) with the specific needs of the Coast;

• Support bids to public and charitable bidding opportunities to deliver projects which help

achieve the ambitions for the Coast (in the Towns Fund and via other funding routes);

• Commercial investors and those who support them to invest in the Coastal economy (e.g.

through working with inward investment teams at County, regional and national levels);

• Policy alignment so that the needs of the Coastal community are reflected in policy decisions

and strategies developed by bodies at county, regional and national levels to facilitate future

investment and participation by the Coast in mainstream programmes;

• Address barriers to delivery by working with the public sector and regulators to address barriers

to delivery of the change needed on the Connected Coast;

1 It is however, important to note that the pressures on civil servants and Ministers are much higher in 2020, both because of Covid and the fact that 100 towns are currently bidding for Towns Fund support. The ability to access them in a small window in autumn 2020 is therefore likely to be constrained

Draft Lobbying Plan

connected coast lobbying plan v1 Page - 2 - MC August 2020

• Secure long term commitment to working with the Connected Coast team to deliver proactive,

meaningful change in the medium to long term.

Timescale

There is an immediate need to lobby for the Coast during the remainder of 2020 as the Towns

Investment Plans are completed, submitted and negotiated with government. However, there

needs to be a much longer term plan, with a clear partnership and mechanisms underpinning it, to

maintain the momentum from the Towns Fund process to make the long term case for the Coast.

This wider lobbying is essential to secure the policy changes, funding and investment commitments

needed to support Coastal development.

To deliver the lobbying plan it is proposed to:

Action 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

onwards Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Establish lobbying group and

agree lobbying plan

Lobby for TIPs for Skegness

& Mablethorpe

Lobby for investment from

mainstream public funds

Long term Connected Coast

structure & lobbying agreed

Investors in Coast launched

& supporting lobbying

Align lobbying, engagement,

PR & Comms

Lobbying Principles

The proposed principles to underpin lobbying are:

• Positive and Proactive - be positive and whilst explaining the clear need on the Coast avoid

whingeing. The focus will be on clearly setting out the potential and how investment, policy

changes or support can lead to positive benefits for the Coastal community and UK PLC;

• Alignment with Policies, Strategies and Targets - explain how coastal investment can help

government (and their agencies), third sector and businesses achieve their aims and objectives;

• Work with Others - where there are common challenges in other communities and, when it is

appropriate, work with them to make the case for investment or policy change;

• Utilise ‘Friends and Partners’ - unite the Coast’s lobbying efforts with existing campaigns run by

local representatives (e.g. MPs and Councillors), local public sector bodies (e.g. County Council,

Draft Lobbying Plan

connected coast lobbying plan v1 Page - 3 - MC August 2020

LEP), regional (e.g. Midlands Engine) and national partners (e.g. National Trust) to make the case

for investments or policies which would benefit the Coast.

Lobbying also needs to be seen as a two way engagement process, which adopts the principle, as the

old adage goes, that you have only one mouth but two ears. It is important to use the lobbying

process to gather as much intelligence as possible from others about their priorities and how the

ambitions of the Coast can be aligned with the aims and objectives of other organisations and

government.

A ‘soft’ form of lobbying is thus proposed which focuses on dialogue and partnership building with

those who can help to deliver the Coast’s ambitions. This will enable the Coast’s plans and, critically,

the presentation of its plans to be refined, so that they are aligned with the policies and funding

programmes the Coast wishes to access.

Structures

Lobbying will need to be sustained for the long term and it is therefore important to consider how it

will be integrated with other existing and planned community and business structures on the Coast.

The coast has developed a Connected Coast Board and Place Reference Groups (PRGs) for both

Mablethorpe and Skegness. It has also been proposed to create a public/private sector

development partnership, Investors in the Coast, modelled on successful public private development

corporation models (e.g. Investors in Lincoln), to facilitate public and private sector partnership

investment.

Investors in the Coast will bring together a long term partnership of public and private sector

investors to spearhead regeneration in Mablethorpe, Skegness and the Connected Coast. It will

proactively deliver private sector investment and secure co-investment in public/private sector

projects. It will work with the public sector, through ‘One Public Estate’, to ensure that the use of

public sector buildings and land assets is co-ordinated and, where buildings are released, they are

used for new community or commercial purposes.

During Autumn 2020 it is important to agree:

• How the Connected Coast Board, PRGs and Investors in the Coast will operate from January

2021 to help deliver the TIPs and long term Vision for the Coast;

• How these coastal structures will work with existing administrative bodies, notably East Lindsey

and Boston Council, Lincolnshire County Council and Greater Lincolnshire LEP;

• The role that these structures will play in lobbying for investment in the Coast.

Lobbying Targets

The table below sets out the targets for lobbying to promote:

• The Generic Coastal Ambition and Vision;

• Towns Fund projects;

• Cross cutting themes which need mainstream government funding and support;

Draft Lobbying Plan

connected coast lobbying plan v1 Page - 4 - MC August 2020

In each case it sets out: the objectives; who to target with lobbying; which partners to work with;

when this should happen.

connected coast lobbying plan v1 Page - 5 - MC August 2020

Connected Coast Lobbying Plan

Project/theme Objectives/key messages Who to target Supporting Partners When

Coastal Ambition and Vision - to promote the need to ‘level up’ the Coast over the medium to long term

Economic

Growth

To promote the case for sustained long term investment in the

Coastal economy, with a particular focus on increasing the value of

the visitor economy through season extension and improving the

offer

To promote investment in skills, innovation and digitally enabled

sectors to diversify and transform the Coastal economy

GLLEP (and via the

LEP to BEIS and

MHCLG), Growth

Hub

Business community,

ELDC

Victoria Atkins MP,

Matt Warman MP

Autumn 2020

onwards

Community

Services

To ensure that mainstream investment in community services

recognises the specific needs on the Coast (scale and type of needs)

and that this is translated into appropriate investments by the public

sector

Lincolnshire County

Council (LCC), NHS,

Police etc.

Local VCS groups

Victoria Atkins MP,

Matt Warman MP

Autumn 2020

onwards

Towns Fund - to promote the flagship/transformational projects in the TIPs

Campus for

Future Living,

Mablethorpe

To explore the potential to recognize the Campus as a long term

significant national exemplar

To integrate the Campus with local health and care services so that its

funding is secured and linked with care provision on the Coast

Department of

Health and Social

Care (DoHSC), NHS

Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire County

Council

Victoria Atkins MP

September

2020 -

December

2021

Draft Lobbying Plan

connected coast lobbying plan v1 Page - 6 - MC August 2020

Project/theme Objectives/key messages Who to target Supporting Partners When

FE Campus

Skegness

To support the case for the growth of F/HE provision on the coastal

strip to create the skilled workforce of the future needed to support

economic growth and level up life chances in the coastal community

Department for

Education (DfE),

GLLEP

Victoria Atkins MP,

Matt Warman MP

September

2020 -

December

2021

MobiHub in

Mablethorpe

To make the case for the MobiHub to improve connectivity for

Mablethorpe visitors and residents (with scope for ancillary

discussions around emerging thoughts in terms of other transport

schemes including a Coastal Eco-Tram and enhanced rail connections

in the coastal strip).

Department for

Transport (DfT),

Midlands Connect,

Lincolnshire County

Council

Victoria Atkins MP,

Matt Warman MP

September

2020 -

December

2021

Cross Cutting Themes - to make the case for long term investment in the Coast to address specific issues

Flood and

coastal risk

management

To work with partners to make the case for investment in sustainable

coastal flood risk management as an enabler of business investment

To promote economic activities and developments which support the

case for flood risk investment, including major commercial sites such

as the redevelopment of the former Conoco site at Theddlethorpe

Environment Agency,

LCC

IDBs, landowners,

business community

Autumn 2020

onwards

Landscape and

agricultural

change

To work with landowners and farmers in the coastal strip to make the

case for landscape scale enhancements to the Coastal environment

building on changes in agricultural support (from 2021), embracing

habitat creation, tree planting, water management and public access.

The aim being to increase incomes and make the Coast more

attractive for visitors all year round

DEFRA, Natural

England, Forestry

Commission

NFU, CLA, IDBs and

landowners,

Lincolnshire Wildlife

Trust, National Trust

Autumn 2020

onwards

Draft Lobbying Plan

connected coast lobbying plan v1 Page - 7 - MC August 2020

Project/theme Objectives/key messages Who to target Supporting Partners When

Education To make the case for educational provision and investment on the

Coast to increase participation in post 16 education and adult

education so that the future workforce has the skills needed for jobs

of the future

DfE, GLLEP, LCC Business leaders and

employers

Autumn 2020

onwards

Health To promote the need for a coastal ‘action zone’ type of approach to

health, which uses multi-annual multiple interventions, to address the

significant and persistent health inequalities on the Coast

NHS Lincolnshire,

DoHSC

Lincolnshire County

Council

Autumn 2020

onwards

Visitor Economy To promote the need to support transformation of the Coastal

tourism offer and its promotion, so that the industry can focus on

increased value and address the consequences of Covid

Department for

Culture, Media and

Sports (DCMS)

Visit Lincoln, GLLEP,

visitor economy

businesses

Autumn 2020

onwards

Transport To make the case for strategic investment in cycling and walking

infrastructure on the Coast to enable green tourism

To make the case for enabling transport upgrades away from the

Coast (e.g. a A16 Boston bypass) which links the Coast to the

Midlands, Humber corridor and rest of the UK

LCC, DfT, Midlands

Connect, DCMS

GLLEP, Boston, North

and North East

Lincolnshire

Autumn 2020

onwards

Digital

transition

To close the digital divide in access to broadband and fibre

connectivity on the Coast by arguing for an ‘outside in’ approach to

digital connectivity (s outlined by government)

To provide the infrastructure to support the delivery of universal 4G

with an ambition for 5G connectivity on the Coast by 2025 to support

the evolution of the tourism and hospitality offer on the coast

DCMS, LCC digital

roll out team and

network providers

GLLEP Autumn 2020

onwards

Good evening Connected Coast Board members Please find attached the Connected Coast Board minutes from 14th August meeting and the Progress Report from Distract. As promised, this is the link to the new Connected Coast website: https://connectedcoast.co.uk/ Please follow this link to see the updated Storyboards: https://connectedcoast.co.uk/?p=566 Finally, please find attached a draft Lobbying Plan and as discussed at the Board meeting we welcome your support. Therefore, please can you identify any projects or themes that you are willing to support, either through your expertise or advocacy, by Monday 7th September. In addition, please can any of the Board members interested in joining a smaller working group to discuss the next steps for an Investors in the Coast model please respond to this email by the end of this week (Friday 28th August) so we can set up a facilitated discussion with David Rossington at Investors in Lincoln. If you have any queries or wish to discuss further please do not hesitate to contact me. Kind regards, Lydia Lydia Rusling

SKEGNESS TOWN COUNCIL

REPORT TO: COUNCIL 2ND SEPTEMBER 2020 BY: TOWN CLERK SUBJECT: Financial Regulations - Expenses PURPOSE: To consider allowing expenses up to the value of £150 usually put through Petty Cash to be refunded via electronic bank transfer.

1 BACKGROUND AND PROPOSAL

1.1 Petty Cash allows the Town Clerk or Deputy Town Clerk to reimburse expenses occurred quickly so that staff are not out of pocket.

1.2 We are finding that sometimes café supplies run out unexpectedly or a delivery item fails to turn up and as a result staff are having to buy in supplies locally. This means that the Petty Cash float which is kept at £150 is rapidly diminishes resulting in more petty cash cheques for signature.

1.3 A safer and more efficient way to reimburse expenses would be by paying expenses direct into a bank account. It is proposed therefore that the Town Clerk or Deputy Town Clerk are authorised to make immediate payments in a similar way to issuing petty cash but using bank transfer. This would be for claims up to a maximum value of £150, but usually claims are for much less than this.

2 RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 Council are recommended

a) to authorise the Town Clerk and Deputy Town Clerk to authorise thereimbursement of expenses as set out in section 1 above.

.FOR DECISION

For information relating to this report please contact The Town Clerk, Town Hall Skegness or email info@skegnesscouncil.org.uk Background Papers: None

13.

SKEGNESS TOWN COUNCIL

REPORT TO: COUNCIL 2ND SEPTEMBER 2020 BY: TOWN CLERK SUBJECT: Allotment Deposits PURPOSE: To consider introducing a deposit of £50 on newly let allotments.

1 BACKGROUND AND PROPOSAL

1.1 In the meeting of Management Committee, the Town Clerk reported that fly tipping and leaving allotments in a poor state had become a problem and that it costs the Council a significant amount to clear and dispose of waste.

1.2 It was suggested in the Town Clerk’s report that the Council could consider a deposit scheme, but the suggestion was lost in the overall discussions about Council risks.

1.3 Section 111 of the 1972 Local Government Act give the Council subsidiary powers to use additional measures that support the delivery of services under another power and it would be this power that would be used to charge deposits.

1.4 It is therefore recommended that a deposit of £50 is charged and held for the duration of an allotment tenancy and that this only be returned after vacation of the plot if the plot is clear from rubbish, detritus, sheds, greenhouses, cloches and any other structure or equipment associated with the working of an allotment.

2 RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 Council are recommended

a) to approve a deposit scheme as set out in section 1 above

.FOR DECISION For information relating to this report please contact The Town Clerk, Town Hall Skegness or email info@skegnesscouncil.org.uk Background Papers: None

14.

Skegness Town Council Covid-19 workplace risk assessment for Community Hall Use.

Covid-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It is caused by a virus called Coronavirus. Symptoms can be mild, moderate, severe

or fatal.

What are the hazards?

Who might be harmed

Controls Required Additional Controls Action by who?

Action by when?

Done

Spread of Covid-19 Coronavirus

• Hall Hirers• Staff• Visitors to

yourpremises

• Cleaners• Vulnerable

groups –Elderly,Pregnantworkers,those withexistingunderlyinghealthconditions

• Anyone elsewhophysicallycomes in

Access Control

• A copy of the covid and firerisk assessment forCommunity Hall Use will beprovided to each organiserwhen the book.

• Organiser will provide theirown risk assessment specificto their activity and numbersattending. Which followsgovernment and industryadvice on their specificactivity.

• Organiser will control entryand exit to premisesdepending on amount andactivity.

• Entry and exit to the building

is a one way system.

Alternatively, when the café is

Council office to check a suitable risk assessment is provided and sufficient.

STC Office (Kate or Susie)

Hirer to provide/STC office to check.

Hirer of hall

STC

Before use.

Before use.

On each use of hall.

06/07/20 Yes

15.

contact with you in relation to your business

open a one way system

operates for entry and exit.

• Organiser should be aware of the higher risk areas in the building which include the café servery area and toilets which can get busy at times, particularly between 11-3pm.

• If visiting the café servery area or toilets and there is a que, please maintain 2m distance.

• The organiser may use the external fire doors for safe entry and exit of the building and to avoid the pinch points in the building. This will be again at the organisers discretion depending on arrival times and number of people.

• The organiser should provide their own hand sanitizers, masks and thermometers as appropriate to the activity and hall use.

• Hand sanitizer is available on entry and outside the toilets.

Capacity Controls

• Small hall max 8 people.

• Medium hall max 20 people.

• Large hall max 30 people. These are the maximum capacities for safe social distancing, but smaller

Fact to face of telephone appointment to discuss pinch points and mitigations. Windows and skylights to be opened to increase ventilation. (NB Skylights may automatically close in wet weather) Capacity levels to be reviewed in line with government guidance.

STC Office (Kate or Susie) Hirer as appropriate. Hirer STC Hirer STC

Before date of hire. At each use of the hall. On each use of the hall Before building is in use. At each use of hall. When appropriate

Ongoing task.

numbers may be appropriate for certain activities Hand Washing

• Hand washing facilities with

soap and water in place next

to the back of building

entrance in toilets. All staff

and contractors entering

building must wash hands

here before proceeding.

• Stringent hand washing taking place.

• See hand washing guidance.

• https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands/

• Gel sanitisers in any area where washing facilities not readily available.

• Users entering and exiting the building will be able to sanitise their hands using the facilities provided.

Cleaning The hall is cleaned on a regular basis. The hirer should wipe down surfaces after use. Social Distancing

Visitors to be reminded on a regular basis to wash their hands for 20 seconds with water and soap and the importance of proper drying. Also reminded to catch coughs and sneezes in tissues – Follow Catch it, Bin it, Kill it and to avoid touching face, eyes, nose or mouth with unclean hands. To help reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) reminding everyone of the public health advice - https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/news/covid-19-coronavirus Posters, leaflets and other materials are available for display. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19

2m social distance takes place in the café and toilet areas.

STC Hirer Hirer

06/07/20 After each use. On each use

Yes

Social Distancing -the recommended social distancing should be in place for the specific activity. Symptoms of Covid-19 If anyone is unwell with a new continuous cough or a high temperature they should not enter the building. The hirer should keep a list of all users for track and trace purposes. If a hall user has developed Covid-19 and were recently on our premises the organiser should contact STC office who will contact the Public Health Authority to discuss the case, identify people who have been in contact with them and will take advice on any actions or precautions that should be taken. https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/ Activities Not Permitted during Covid 19 Pandemic Please note the following activities are not permitted at this time

• Buffets (however individually plated food can be purchased from the onsite café )

The list of activities that are not permitted will be reviewed regularly.

Hirer

On each use.

• No public performances ofdance/comedy/drama/singing

• Any activity not deemedsuitable or sufficiently riskassessed.