AN UPDATE into improvements at Pembrey Country Park was discussed by the CCC audit committee last Friday (Sept 30).
Introducing the update, which has been delivered to the committee on a quarterly basis since March when an internal audit unearthed ‘serious weaknesses’ in terms of procedures being followed correctly, Head of Leisure Services Ian Jones said that there was ‘clearly lots more to do’ before outlini ng the improvements made over the last quarter.
Mr Jones pointed out that the period since the last update had also been the busiest in terms of visitors to Pembrey, which had meant that staff had to cope with this increased challenge without the necessary structures fully in place.
“Now we are heading into the quieter winter months, we will have the opportunity to make changes even more quickly,” he remarked.
Regarding management issues at the park, he admitted that the full structure had not been implemented, but that ‘interim arrangements’ were in place, and praised acting senior manager Lyn Walters.
He added that the ski slope had been taken over by the sports and leisure unit.
Income collection was being addressed, he added, through efforts to move to a system where cash handling was kept to a minimum, largely through online booking for the caravan park and an automated barrier to the park, which was part of the Masterplan put before the Executive Board earlier this year.
Commenting that it would take time to put this system in place, Mr Jones added that there were issues with internet connectivity at the site at present, but he hoped that the new system would be in place before next season.
Agreements with groups organising events at the park also needed to be ‘more robust,’ given that 1-200 events of varying sizes were held there each year, he added, including making sure that each event provided their own insurance cover.
Issues with procurement were also being addressed, with all vehicles and machinery now being procured through the Highways department. The countryside procurement framework would use the corporate framework ‘as much as possible’ but certain items, for example bespoke benches and bridges, would not fit into this.
Health and safety procedures were also being reviewed, and high risk areas had been identified. Staff training was in process, and those working in higher-risk areas, such as using machinery, had been assessed.
The recruitment of seasonal staff had meant that staff were no longer working above 48 hours per week, and a rota has been drawn up clearly specifying each employee’s duties.
No new ski clothes had been bought for the ski shop for the last 18 months, and the stock was being run down, while other uses for the space were being considered.
Mr Jones added that arrangements were in place to build a shower/toilet block on the campsite, as a result of CCC recognising the need to invest in infrastructure at the park.
Plans were also underway to bring the restaurant building back into use, with a refurbishment aiming to make better use of the rear of the building.
Chair of the Audit Committee , Cllr Calum Higgins , asked if Mr Jones was confident that the ‘money and political will’ was there in the council for investment and improvements to go ahead. Mr Jones replied that, while he was aware of the ‘huge financial challenges’ that CCC was facing, the Executive Board ‘couldn’t agree more’ with the Masterplan. He also suggested that some areas earmarked for improvement had been moved back to accommodate Pembrey.
External voting member of the committee Julie James asked about issues with the catering contract, and Mr Jones replied that the previous firm of on-site caterers had needed to re-procure their contract, but unfortunately issues with the new tender had led to the tender being compromised.
Further delays had been the result of ‘difficult legal issues we could not have forseen ‘, and the absence of facilities prompted complaints from the public, especially during a 4-6 week period where everything was ‘in limbo’.
However, temporary arrangements were in place, and the ski cafe had been refurbished and the beach kiosk was up and running, and were supported by ice cream and hot food vans in the park.
Mr Jones also suggested that the council was looking at delivering catering services in-house.
It was agreed that another update be presented to the committee in January because, as Cllr Higgins pointed out, issues were being addressed but still existed.
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