This item has a 15 minute time limit in total.

The head petitioner will speak to Council for a maximum of 5 minutes at the start of this item.

Council is asked to consider a petition meeting the criteria for debate under the Council’s petitions scheme in line with the procedure for large petitions.

The full text of the petition is contained in the accompanying report of the Acting Head of Law and Governance.

The petition proposes:

We urge you, the City and County Council, to work together to keep Florence Park Children's Centre as a community asset and open to all. Florence Park Children's Centre is a much loved local resource for children and families in our beautiful local park. It is currently standing empty. We ask you to support the local initiative for The Oasis – a not-for-profit plan which includes a nature-orientated childcare nursery, healthy café and drop in space that is managed by local people. The vision is for 'A place where people can meet, work, eat, create, and play with nature in mind and wellbeing at heart'. This initiative will ensure that all profit from the Centre is ploughed back into the community.

This is the petition motion.

If a Councillor wishes to put a substantive motion/recommendation on a petition that differs from the proposal in the petition then they must submit this by 10.00am on the working day before the full Council meeting. These are then published in the Council briefing note. Any amendments to these must be submitted by 11.00am on the day of the meeting.

Council is recommended to:

·         hear the head petitioner for the petition;

·         debate the proposal to the Council contained within the petition and any motions submitted by councillors; and

·         decide the action it wishes to take.

Council considered a petition meeting the criteria for debate under the Council’s petitions scheme in line with the procedure for large petitions.

Council heard an address from Anne Thorne, the head petitioner. She spoke about the need to keep the centre open to provide community services.  She asked Council to support the ASPIRE partnership’s proposal for the Oasis Centre which was based on a social enterprise model.

Councillor Tidball proposed that the petition be noted and read a statement (previously circulated with the agenda briefing note) which detailed the latest position regarding the future of the Florence Park Children’s Centre.

Council agreed to note the petition and refer the matter to the City Executive Board.