Issue - meetings

To welcome Alistair Wilson, Green Space Manager, Cambridge City Council and Richard Elmer, Managing Director, The Ice Box, for a Question & Answer Session on the Ice Rink on Parker's Piece over the Christmas period.

Councillor Cantrill welcomed Alistair Wilson, Green Open Space Manager, Cambridge City Council and Richard Elmer, Managing Director, The Ice Box.

 

The Green Open Space Manager thanked the Committee for the opportunity to discuss feedback on the event which had taken place during the wettest December on record. This had created a number of problems, some of which were still being dealt with as a consequence of the bad weather.

 

The types of Issues that had been raised by the public concerned noise levels from the event, the outer hoarding around the North Pole Experience, light pollution, the increase in the number of fairground rides and the length of time that the event had been held on Parker’s Piece.

 

The Green Open Space Manager concluded that Cambridge City Council had agreed a five year contract, the event would be in its fourth year in 2016; the contract did allow an opportunity for change and provided an income to the City Council

 

Mr Elmer began by explaining that the goal for 2015 had been to provide entertainment for local residents, national and internal visitors of all ages in a safe environment, which could compete, with Cities across the Country.

 

The North Pole Experience had attracted a high footfall for the City and it had been reported in The Times newspaper as ‘the number one thing to do on a Sunday’, the following marketing figures were then quoted:

 

•        Total press coverage (online/print/TV & radio) – 120 pieces

•        Total coverage reach – 20,533,951

•        Total coverage value – £154,999

•        Total PR value – £464,998

 

Visitors’ attractions were as follows:

 

•        Over 30,000 ice skaters

•        Over 40,000 tickets to rides and games

•        Over 15,000 people served at the food and drink outlets

•        Over 1,300 children visited Santa’s Grotto

•        Over 82,000 unique visitors through the gates at The North     Pole 2015.

•        35.05% only visited Cambridge City Centre because of The    North Pole.

•        Out of the 35.05%, 53.63% spent money in Cambridge outside of The North Pole

 

Mr Elmer concluded that the outer safety hoarding would be reviewed and would provide additional hard standing surfaces. For all the planning that had taken place to organise the event, the wettest winter on record could not have been predicated, which had an adverse impact on the Piece.

 

Comments from the public:

 

i.    Had previously welcomed the North Pole Experience which had been an asset to the City until 2015. Now there were issues with the size of the event, the overall look, the increase in noise and light pollution and the length of time the event had been on for. All of which had an adverse effect on the surroundings and local residents.

ii.   Enquired if Parker’s Piece was the most appropriate location for the event if it continued in its current form.

iii.  Appreciated that there needed to be vehicle movement on the Piece but asked if there was anything that could be done to reduce the damage for future use.

iv.  For City Council Officers to advise that the Piece would be good enough to use in the summer months was not a suitable response.

v.   Enquired what the statistics of visitors to the North Pole Experience had stayed in the City overnight.

vi.  Expressed concern at the length of time that the part of the Piece which had been used by the North Pole Experience was out of action to other leisure users.

 

Comments from the Committee:

 

    i.       Originally the proposal had been brought to the City Council’s Planning Committee as an ice rink on the centre of Parker’s Piece. It had become a fun fair with an ice rink surrounded by fencing that was different to the original vision which had been approved.

  ii.       Requested to know how many people had visited the North Pole Experience for the ice rink only in December 2015.

 iii.       Asked when there had been no fun fair as in previous years if a profit had been made. In the first year it was reported to have lost £55,000, so was it financially viable to hold the event.

iv.       Believed that the reputation of the City had been damaged and reiterated this was not the vision that had first been presented to the City Council five years ago.

  v.       Questioned why the hoarding surrounding the North Pole Experience was deemed acceptable.

vi.       Questioned if Environment Health Officers had visited the site to test the noise.

vii.       Recommend an open debriefing meeting for open to all members of the public on this matter as had previously been held for Strawberry Fair while in its infancy. 

viii.       Suggested that City Council Officers and representatives from The Ice Box should attend the West Central Area Committee in September meeting so that pre scrutiny of the planned 2016 could be undertaken. Cambridge City Councillors and County Councillors elected to the newly formed tourism service ‘Visit Cambridge and Beyond’ should also be invited.

 

The Green Open Space Manager and Mr Elmer made the following statements:

 

    i.       Could not provide the information on the number of visitors to the North Pole Experience who had stayed overnight in the City.

  ii.       Noise and lighting levels had been signed off by the Planning Conditions which had been adhered to but this could be revisited.

 iii.       Two thirds of visitors had attended for the sole use of the ice rink. However the fun fair was an integral part of the experience without there would be no financial profit.

iv.       The hoarding was a safety requirement that could not be taken away, however for 2016/2017 the hoarding would be painted to make it more attractive to the surroundings.

  v.       Confirmed that Environmental Health Officers did attend to monitor the noise levels during December.

vi.       Agreed to come back to the West Central Area Committee meeting in September to scrutinise the plans for 2016/17.

vii.       Advised that the fairground attractions had not sunk in the mud but the ground had been dug up by the telehandler brought in to clear the site.

viii.       Confirmed that the plans for 2016/17 would be the experience more intimate reducing the number of fairground attractions.

 

Councillor Cantrill asked Officers to investigate the possibility of a public meeting to discuss the matter of the North Pole Experience in more detail and thanked both Mr Wilson and Mr Elmer for their presentation.