Decision details

To agree future arrangements for the Council's outdoor event programme.

The report examined the profile and costs of the Council’s outdoor events programme and considered opportunities for refreshing this and making efficiencies within the context of the Cultural Trust. The Executive Councillor for Communities, Arts & Recreation has clarified that the Cambridge Folk Festival is outside the scope of this review.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Community, Arts and Recreation

 

The Executive Councillor resolved:

 

     i.        to continue the general profile of the programme of events as now;

 

    ii.        that the programme should consider ways to offer more support via expertise to neighbourhood events;

 

   iii.        to carry these recommendations forward into the new cultural trust model if approved by the Leader of the Council and Executive Councillor for Strategy and Transformation, Councillor Lewis Herbert, at the meeting of Strategy and Resources Committee on 20^th October 2014;

 

  iv.        and if approved:

 

A.  to establish the process outlined in point 3.14 to enable Council input and influence to the event programme.

 

B.  acknowledge that:

·              Along with other external organisations, the Trust may bring forward new ideas for events for the Council to consider;

·              The Council may request support from the Trust for additional events such as major sports events.

·              The Council can consider additional activity and investment into the events programme in discussion with the Trust;

 

C.  to agree a saving of 21% will be made against current net costs by year 5 through potential for greater operating efficiency and increased fund-raising in the Trust model; and

 

D.  to note that the arrangements for monitoring the trust and the outdoor events in point 3.15 of the Officer’s report.

 

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Head of Arts and Recreation.

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

     i.        Expressed concerns that this matter crosses over to other portfolios as it covers open spaces and increased internal dialogue would be needed.

    ii.        Discussed regrets over the cancellation of the planned triathlon due to poor water quality.

   iii.        Expressed concerns that the report was silent on new outdoor spaces on fringe sites and suggested that these need to be seen as part of City destinations.

  iv.        Discussed the role of the Community Services Scrutiny Committee once a Trust was established and hoped that an annual report would be available for scrutiny.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Asset Manager stated the following:

   v.        The role of Street and Open Spaces team would alter slightly as the Trust evolved as they would be dealing with an external organisation and not part of the Council

  vi.        Once fringe sites were completed, there would be scope to increase events and the new communities would be encouraged to engage in those events.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Head of Arts and Recreation stated the following:

 

 vii.        Initial agreements with the Trust would include performance indicators and performance against those indicators would be reported back to both Community Services Scrutiny and Strategy and Resources Committees via briefing notes.

viii.        The new delivery vehicle was being called a ‘trust’ although it does not yet have ‘trust’ status.

 

Councillor Reid proposed the following amendment to the recommendations, to insert a new recommendation 2.3 as follows, and with subsequent recommendations re-number accordingly:

 

2.3      To bring forward a mission statement (to Strategy and Resources Committee) which expresses the value and importance of the events program both on a City Wide and at a local level.

 

Councillor Johnson stated that paragraph 3.5 of the Officer’s report fully covered this matter and was, in essence, a mission statement. He further confirmed that the Articles of Association, as detailed in the report to Strategy and Resources Committee, fully covered governance and object clauses. Councillor Reid withdrew her amendment.

 

Councillor Reid proposed, and Councillor Reiner seconded, an alternative amendment to recommendation, as follow, to insert a new recommendation 2.4 (B) as follows, and with subsequent recommendations re-number accordingly:

 

2.4(b) To ensure that the purpose and value for the Council’s outdoor events programme is suitably expressed in the trust documents and contracts.

 

Councillor Sinnott and Sarris stated that was difficult to properly consider changes to recommendations tabled at short notice.

The amendment was lost by 5 votes to 3.

 

Councillor Reid expressed concerns that the Committee might not receive independent reports regarding the performance of the Trust.

 

The Committee resolved by 5 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendations.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.