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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, The Guildhall, Market Square, Cambridge, CB2 3QJ [access the building via Peashill entrance]. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services  Committee Manager

Items
No. Item

15/77/CNL

To Elect a Mayor for the Municipal Year 2015/16 pdf icon PDF 427 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Roberts proposed and Councillor McPherson seconded the nomination of Councillor Robert Dryden as Mayor for the Municipal Year 2015/16.

 

Resolved that:

 

     i.        Councillor Robert Dryden be elected Mayor for the Municipal Year 2015/16 (Councillor Dryden then made the statutory declaration of acceptance of the office of Mayor).

 

15/78/CNL

To Elect a Deputy Mayor for the Municipal Year 2015/16

Minutes:

Councillor Owers proposed and Councillor Roberts seconded the nomination of Councillor Jeremy Benstead as Deputy Mayor for the Municipal Year 2015/2016.

 

Resolved that:

 

     i.        Councillor Jeremy Benstead be elected Deputy Mayor for the Municipal Year 2015/16 (Councillor Benstead then made the statutory declaration of acceptance of the office of Mayor).

 

 

15/79/CNL

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 16 April 2015 pdf icon PDF 67 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the 16th April 2015 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

15/80/CNL

To Note the Returning Officer's Report That The Following Have Been Elected to the Office of Councillor

·        Abbey:                           Caroline Hart

·        Arbury:                           Carina O’Reilly

·        Castle:                           Valerie Margaret Holt

·        Cherry Hinton:              Mark Ashton

·        Coleridge:                     Jeremy Benstead

·        East Chesterton:                   Gerri Bird

·        Kings Hedges:             Kevin Price

·        Market:                          Oscar Edward Gillespie

·        Newnham:                    Markus Gehring

·        Petersfield:                   Kevin Blencowe

·        Queen Edith’s              George Gregory Pippas

·        Romsey:                       Anna Smith

·        Trumpington:                Zoe O'Connell

·        West Chesterton:         Damien Tunnacliffe

Minutes:

It was noted that the following had been elected to the Office of Councillor.

 

·        Abbey:                          Caroline Hart

·        Arbury:                          Carina O’Reilly

·        Castle:                          Valerie Margaret Holt

·        Cherry Hinton:              Mark Ashton

·        Coleridge:                     Jeremy Benstead

·        East Chesterton:                   Gerri Bird

·        Kings Hedges:             Kevin Price

·        Market:                          Oscar Edward Gillespie

·        Newnham:                    Markus Gehring

·        Petersfield:                             Kevin Blencowe

·        Queen Edith’s              George Gregory Pippas

·        Romsey:                       Anna Smith

·        Trumpington:                Zoe O'Connell

·        West Chesterton:         Damien Tunnacliffe

 

 

 

15/81/CNL

To Note the Appointment of the Mayor's Chaplain for the Ensuing Year

Minutes:

The Council noted the appointment of Father Peter Edwards as the Mayor’s Chaplain for the Municipal Year 2015/16.

15/82/CNL

To Note the Appointment of the Mayor's Cadet for the Ensuing Year

Minutes:

The Council noted the appointment of Mr Dan Beattie, representing St John Ambulance, as the Mayor’s Cadet for the Municipal Year 2015/16.

15/83/CNL

To Pass a Resolution of Thanks to the Outgoing Mayor

Minutes:

Resolved (unanimously), on the proposal of Councillor Price, seconded by Councillor Pippas that:

 

     i.        The Council expresses its appreciation of the manner in which the duties of Mayor were discharged by Councillor Bird and her consort Alan Pooley, during their period of office and that the Common Seal be affixed to a copy of this resolution for presentation to at the next Council meeting.

 

15/84/CNL

Mayor's Announcements

Minutes:

APOLOGIES

 

No Apologies were received.

 

PRINCESS CHARLOTTE OF CAMBRIDGE

 

The Mayor informed the Council that on the news of the birth of the Royal Princess, a letter of congratulations had sent by the Mayor to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on behalf of the City Council.

 

CIVIC CHURCH SERVICE – SUNDAY, 31st May

 

The Mayor announced that the Mott Sermon would be preached at Holy Trinity Church, Sunday, 31st May at 9.30am.

 

OUTGOING MAYOR’S DINNER – Thursday, 11th June

 

Councillors were asked that if anyone was planning to attend the dinner at Corpus Christi College to mark the term in office of Councillor Gerri Bird to arrange the purchase of their tickets from Sue Edwards.

 

TWINNING

 

The Mayor informed the Council that at the end of her year in office, Councillor Bird visited Cambridge’s twin City of Szeged in order to attend the annual Bridge Fair.

 

The Mayor announced that on 13th June he would be visiting the twin City of Heidelberg, accompanied by the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport and the Director of Environment, to mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the City’s Friendship Agreement with Heidelberg.

 

The Council were informed that in July, a group of four civic guests from Heidelberg would be visiting Cambridge, to coincide with Big Weekend during which some Second World War commemoration events will take place to mark 70 years of peace in Europe.

 

 

 

 

PROCLAMATION OF MIDSUMMER FAIR – WEDNESDAY, 24th JUNE, 2015.

The Proclamation of Midsummer Fair would take place on Wednesday, 24th June 2015.

 

MAYOR’S DAY OUT

 

The Mayor confirmed that the Mayor’s Day Out would take place on Thursday 21 August 2015 and the venue was once again Great Yarmouth.

 

15/85/CNL

To Elect from among the Members of the Council Bailiffs of the City for the Municipal Year 2015/16

Minutes:

Councillor Smith proposed and Councillor Hipkin seconded that Councillors Gawthrope, McPherson, Moore, Pippas and Meftah be appointed as Bailiffs.

 

Resolved that Councillors Gawthrope, McPherson, Moore, Pippas and Meftah be appointed as Bailiffs of the City for the Municipal Year 2015/2016.

 

15/86/CNL

To Consider The Recommendations Of The Executive For Adoption

15/86/CNLa

Replacement Telecommunications & Local Area Network (Executive Councillor For Strategy & Transformation) pdf icon PDF 42 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

Resolved (28 votes to 0) in favour:

 

     i.        To agree the Telecommunications & Local Area Network project be added to the Capital Plan.

 

15/87/CNL

To Consider Recommendations of Committee for Adoption

15/87/CNLa

15/18/CIV: Procedure for Submitting Substantive Amendments to Full Council Meetings pdf icon PDF 47 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved (28 votes in favour to 14 votes against):

 

     i.        To adopt the changes to the Council’s Constitution proposed in appendix 1 of the Head of Legal Services’ report attached to the agenda of these minutes.

 

15/87/CNLb

15/25/CIV: Constitutional Updates pdf icon PDF 43 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 Resolved (unanimously) to :

 

     i.        Note the changes in Executive portfolios with responsibility for public health moving from the Executive Councillor for Environment, Waste and Public Health to the Executive Councillor for Community, Arts and Recreation as set out in Appendix 1 of the Head of Legal Services’ report attached to the agenda of the minutes.

 

    ii.        Agree the revised scrutiny arrangements set out in Appendix 2 of the Head of Legal Services’ report attached to the agenda of the minutes.

 

15/87/CNLc

A15/26/CIV: Nominations for Committees for the Municipal Year 2015/16 pdf icon PDF 67 KB

Minutes:

Appointment of Committees:

 

Resolved to:

 

       i.        Agree the number and size of committee and membership of committees as listed below:

           SCRUTINY COMMITTEES

 

 

COMMUNITY SERVICES

 

NOMINATION(S)

CURRENT NUMBERS

(1) =Alternate

PROPOSED NAMES OF NOMINATIONS TO THE COMMITTEE

 

Labour

 

 

 

LD

 

5 (1)

 

 

 

3 (1)

 

 

 

8 Total

 Sinnott, Ratcliffe, Baigent, Sarris, Bird,

Benstead (Alt)

 

Austin, Reid,      

O’ Connell

Holt (Alt)

 

 

ENVIRONMENT

 

 

NOMINATION(S)

CURRENT NUMBERS

(1) =Alternate

PROPOSED NAMES OF NOMINATIONS TO THE COMMITTEE

 

Labour

 

 

 

 

LD

 

 

Minorities

6 (1)

 

 

 

 

3 (1)

 

 

1

 

10 Total

Gawthrope, Perry, Ratcliffe, Robertson,  M Smart, Baigent,

Sarris (Alt)

 

C Smart, Pitt, Gehring

Moore (Alt)

 

Gillespie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSING

 

NOMINATION(S)

CURRENT NUMBERS

(1) =Alternate

PROPOSED NAMES OF NOMINATIONS TO THE COMMITTEE

 

 

Labour

 

 

 

 

LD

 

 

Minorities

 

 

5 (1)

 

 

 

 

2 (1)

 

 

1 (1)

 

8 Total

Todd-Jones. Baigent, Ashton, Bird, Sarris

Gawthrope (Alt)

 

Avery, Moore

Cantrill (Alt)

 

Holland

 

 


STRATEGY & RESOURCES

 

NOMINATION(S)

CURRENT NUMBERS

(1) =Alternate

PROPOSED NAMES OF NOMINATIONS TO THE COMMITTEE

 

Labour

 

 

 

 

LD

 

 

Minorities

 

 

6 (1)

 

 

 

 

3 (1)

 

 

1

 

10 Total

Robertson, Sinnott, Baigent, Benstead,   M Smart, Sarris

Abbbot (Alt)

 

Bick, Holt, Cantrill

C Smart (Alt)

 

Hipkin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REGULATORY COMMITTEES

 

 

PLANNING

 

NOMINATIONS(S)

CURRENT NUMBERS

(1) =Alternate

PROPOSED NAMES OF NOMINATIONS TO THE COMMITTEE

 

 

Labour

 

 

 

LD

 

 

 

Minorities

 

4 (1)

 

 

 

3 (1)

 

 

 

1 (1)

 

8 Total

Dryden, Blencowe, Gawtrope, Hart,

Bird (Alt)

 

C Smart, Pippas, Tunnacliffe,

Holt (Alt)

 

Hipkin

 

 

 

JOINT DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE

 

NOMINATIONS

CURRENT NUMBERS

(2)= Alternate

PROPOSED NAMES OF NOMINEES TO THE COMMITTEE

 

Labour

 

 

 

 

LD

 

 

4 (2)

 

 

 

 

2 (2)

 

6 Total

Blencowe, Baigent, Bird, Price,

Gawthrope (Alt)

Herbert (Alt)

 

C Smart, Holt

Moore (Alt)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LICENSING

NOMINATIONS

CURRENT NUMBERS

(1)= Alternate

PROPOSED NAMES OF NOMINEES TO THE COMMITTEE

 

 

Labour

 

 

 

 

 

 

LD

 

 

 

Minorities

7 (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 (1)

 

 

 

1 (1)

 

12 Total

Benstead, Bird, Ratcliffe, Gawthrope, McPherson, O’Reilly, Owers

Smith (Alt)

 

Pippas O’ Connell, Bick, Austin

Moore (Alt)

 

Meftah

 

 

OTHER COMMITTEES

 

CIVIC AFFAIRS

 

NOMINATIONS

CURRENT NUMBERS

(1)= Alternate

PROPOSED CHANGES AND NOMINATIONS

 

 Labour

 

 

 

 

 

LD

 

4 (1)

 

 

 

 

 

2 (1)

 

6 Total

McPherson, Benstead, Sinnott, Robertson

Ratcliffe (Alt)

 

Holt, Cantrill

Pitt (Alt)

 

 

EMPLOYMENT APPEALS SUB

 

NOMINATIONS

CURRENT NUMBERS

(1)= Alternate

PROPOSED CHANGES AND NOMINATIONS

EMPLOYMENT APPEALS SUB

 

Labour

 

 

LD

 

5

 

 

3

 

 

8 Total

Price, Gawthrope, Blencowe, Sarris Bird

 

Smart, Holt, Moore

 

 

COMMITTEE/SUB COMMITTEE

 

NOMINATIONS

CURRENT NUMBERS

(1)= Alternate

PROPOSED CHANGES AND NOMINATIONS

JOINT AREA COMMITTEE

(with County Council)

Labour

 

 

 

LD

 

4

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

6 Total

Blencowe, Smith, Ratcliffe, Robertson, Price (Alt)

 

C Smart, Tunnacliffe,

Moore (Alt)

 

 

 

 

COMMITTEE/SUB COMMITTEE

 

NOMINATIONS

CURRENT NUMBERS

(1)= Alternate

PROPOSED CHANGES AND NOMINATIONS

CITY DEAL ASSEMBLY

 

 Labour

 

 

LD

2

 

 

1

Price

Baigent

 

Bick

 

15/87/CNLd

15/27/CIV: Nominations for Chairs and Vice Chairs of Scrutiny & Regulatory Committees pdf icon PDF 45 KB

Minutes:

Resolved  to:

 

i.     Agree the Chairs and Vice-Chairs as follows:

 

Committee

Labour Nominations

Chair

Vice Chair

Community Services

Sinnott

Ratcliffe

Environment

Gawthrope

Perry

Housing

Todd-Jones

Baigent

Strategy & Resources

Robertson

Sinnott

Planning

Dryden

Blencowe

Joint Development Control (City Lead)

Blencowe

Licensing

Benstead

Bird

Civic Affairs

McPherson

Benstead

Employment Appeals Sub

Price

Development Plan Scrutiny Committee

Sarris

Gawthrope

 

15/87/CNLe

15/29/CIV: Appointment of Independent Persons pdf icon PDF 40 KB

Minutes:

 

Resolved to:

 

i.        Confirm the continued appointment of Mr Sean Brady as the Council’s Independent Person and Mr Robert Bennett as the Council’s Deputy Independent Person for 2015/16.

 

15/88/CNL

To Note the Record of Members' Attendances at Committee, Sub-Committee and Working Party Meetings During 2014/15 pdf icon PDF 19 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved to:

 

i. Note the record of Members’ attendances at Committee, Sub Committee and Working Party Meetings for 2015/16.

15/89/CNL

Annual Statements pdf icon PDF 106 KB

Group Leads will each have the opportunity to speak for not more than 15 minutes on their Group’s priorities for action and objectives for the forthcoming municipal year in the following order:

 

Councillor Herbert

Councillor Bick

Councillor Hipkin

 

The Annual Statement of the Labour Group is appended to this summons. 

Minutes:

Councillor Herbert spoke to a written Annual Statement on the Labour Group’s priorities for the forthcoming Municipal Year, which had been appended to the agenda for the meeting.

 

Councillor Bick spoke to a written Annual Statement on the Liberal Democrat Group’s priorities for the forthcoming Municipal Year, which had been circulated around the chamber.

 

Councillor Hipkin gave an oral Annual Statement on the Minorities Group’s priorities for the forthcoming Municipal Year.

15/90/CNL

Adoption of Annual Policies and Priorities

The scheme for Annual Statements provides that the Statement of the Leader of the largest group on the Council shall be deemed to be a motion for adoption. It may therefore be debated and amendments proposed after which it shall be put to the vote and, if carried, shall be adopted as Council policy for the municipal year.

 

The Council will therefore consider the Annual Statement of the Labour Group as a motion for adoption.

 

If the adopted Annual Statement contains proposals which fall outside the Council’s budgetary or policy framework, the proposals shall not be acted upon until there has been a report to the relevant Scrutiny Committee(s) and Executive Councillor(s) in the normal way and approval at a subsequent meeting of the Council. 

 

Minutes:

 

Under the Scheme for Annual Statements, that of Councillor Herbert was deemed to be a motion for adoption by the Council.

 

Resolved (by 28 votes to 0) that:

 

     i.        The Annual Statement of the Labour Group, as appended to the agenda, be adopted as Council policy for 2015/16.

 

15/91/CNL

Public Questions Time - see at the foot of the agenda for details of the scheme

Minutes:

 

Mr Carpen addressed the Council and made the following statement:

 

                     i.        In the 28 days up to the general election my YouTube account had over 3,500 views with over 15,000 minutes looking at video footage of the hustings I attended, interviews and local council debates.  

                    ii.        What plans does the Council have to provide online services such as digital video as a means of educating people about how local government in Cambridge functions and to promote local issues such as the City Deal.

 

The Executive Councillor for City Centre and Public Places responded:

 

     i.        The Council recognised the growth in digital communications which was why the Council were investing in improvements to the website and working to improve our social media activity.

    ii.        Digital video, alongside the many other forms of online communication, was a growing area and the Council would like at appropriate ways that it could be used.  

   iii.        It was worth remembering that there were many residents who did not regularly access the internet and some who did not access it at all. We need to bear this in mind when we think about how we communicate with all of our residents, within our limited resources.

  iv.        It was imperative that the right balance was found between online communications channels and more traditional methods such as the local media and our residents’ magazine. All residents were entitled to information about our services, whether they were online or not.

 

Mr Carpen made the following supplementary points:

 

     i.        Important to acknowledge that freedom wasn’t free, democracy was not a spectator sport.

    ii.        Acknowledged that the cost of time, resource and equipment was not cheap and he would be launching a request for private support to help cover his own costs. 

   iii.        Heidi Allen, MP for South Cambridgeshire, had agreed to a monthly 15-20 minute interview that would be put on-line.

  iv.        The same invitation was open to the local MP and all City Councillors to participate.

 

The Executive Councillor for City Centre and Public Places responded with the following:

 

     i.        Acknowledged the on-line interviews would assist in improving the communication on local issues.

    ii.        Thanked Mr Carpen for his comments.

 

 

15/92/CNL

To deal with Oral Questions

Minutes:

When will the Executive Councillor be publishing the results of the review of policy on homelessness undertaken by the Lead Councillor for Homelessness?

 

The Executive Councillor responded that there were a number of dimensions to homelessness and the Council had been working with Officers over the last twelve months to both ensure that every aspect is carefully monitored and considered to improve the way the Council works to address homelessness.

 

The numbers of people sleeping rough remained consistently low which is due in part to the excellent network of partner agencies such as Jimmy’s and Wintercomfort (many of whom are supported financially by the Council) that provide immediate support to those who find themselves in dire straits with their housing. 

 

The amount of money spent on Bed and Breakfast accommodation for homeless people was as low as it has been for several years. No family or pregnant woman had spent more than 6 weeks in Bed and Breakfast for over a year.

 

The Council had been addressing the disruption caused to those who are already in housing difficulties, particularly families, by placing them in temporary accommodation outside of Cambridge. We were no longer using any accommodation in Peterborough and officers have reviewed their processes for checking that Bed and Breakfast accommodation is suitable and the process through which the appropriate temporary accommodation is selected for the homeless applicant. In some cases applicant’s chose to be located outside of the city because of easier access to work and for other personal reasons. Nevertheless, where an applicant had to be placed out of the city it is currently on average no more than 6 to 7 days.

 

One key factor in determining the length of stay in temporary accommodation was the time taken to decide if an applicant is homeless under the statutory definitions. Officers had improved their performance in this respect but are still aiming to do even better. Over the last five years under the previous collation Government, the number of people presenting themselves as homeless had increased and the Council expected to continue to do so under the new Government. 

 

The Housing Portfolio Plan for 2015/16 clearly set out our strategic objective “to deliver good quality housing related advice and direct measures to help prevent homelessness”. The number of recorded preventions of homelessness had continued to increase over the last 12 months to 470 which is way above the average for the region. 

 

Despite the continual improvement highlighted in the information above we were continuing to look at ways to further improve our homelessness ‘offer’. For example, we are looking at the following measures to try and further reduce Bed and Breakfast usage and out-of city placements:

 

     i.        Increasing temporary accommodation supply

    ii.        Considering a revision to the Lettings Policy by introducing direct lets at the  point of acceptance of homelessness duty rather than allow applicants to bid for a further 3 months.

 

These measures and the Council’s overall approach to homelessness, including Town Hall Lettings are part of the review of the Council’s Housing Strategy that will be submitted to the Housing Committee for scrutiny in the new municipal year.  In considering the reviews we had been assisted by Councillor Robertson, Lead Councillor for Anti-Poverty Strategy and Councillor Baigent, Lead Councillor for Private Rental Sector.

 

2) Councillor Bick to the Leader

 

At committee the Police stated that someone on Petersfield Green having a beer or a glass of wine, but not creating any kind of problem to anyone, would remain perfectly free to do so despite the imposition of a Public Spaces Protection Order. Why therefore did the Leader choose to obscure this from the public, by wording the PSPO notices that are shortly to be put in place as a general prohibition on consuming or having an open container of alcohol?

 

The Leader responded that the Police were entitled to have appropriate discretion in the implementation of their own Order. The Police have been clear in their intention that they would enforce the order to anyone who was in an intoxicated state causing anti-social or intimidating behaviour. The objective was to claim back public open spaces that all individuals could use, particularly in the Northern part of the City where there was limited green open public spaces.

 

 

 

 

3) Councillor Austin to the Executive Councillor for Environment and Waste

 

Could the Executive Councillor identify what consultation he initiated prior to the recent installation of the new model of litter bins on Parker's Piece?

 

The Executive Councillor responded that a meeting had been convened and all members of the Council had been invited to attend, subsequent area committees had considered the issue and had raised concerns about the style of the bins.  It was considered that the style of the bins was an operational matter and the new bins were of a higher standard.

 

The number of bins and dog bins across residential and open spaces had increased, the number of people employed to empty bins on open spaces had increased and the level of engagement had also increased. 

 

4) Councillor Cantrill to the Leader

 

What is the Leader’s view on the Grosvenor proposals for the abbey stadium and the linked sporting village in Trumpington?

 

The Leader advised that the Grosvenor’s proposals for the Abbey Stadium and the sporting village in Trumpington were presented at public exhibitions held by Grosvenor at the Abbey Stadium and in Trumpington on 18 & 19 May. 

 

No planning applications for the proposed developments had been submitted as yet.  Any planning applications coming forward would be subject to due process including full consideration of the very special circumstances required to justify development on land within the Cambridge Green Belt.  Officers from both Councils were working closely together.  An application for the sporting village would be considered by the Joint Development Control Committee, whilst an application for Abbey Stadium would be considered by Planning Committee. Linkages between the two projects would be full explored as part of any planning application process

 

5) Councillor Holland to the Executive Councillor for Communities

 

Will Cambridge City Council be pressing Cambridge Live to encourage more use of the Large Hall in the Guildhall by local schools and music groups than has been the case over the past two decades?

 

The Executive Councillor  for Communities advised that the Council would certainly work alongside and monitor the aspirations highlighted in Cambridge Live’s charitable objects (and the Council’s contract with them) which include commitments to the following:

 

         i.            The promotion of arts and culture

       ii.            The advancement of education

      iii.            The promotion of social inclusion through music and other cultural activities.

 

When run by the Council the halls were used by the Corn Exchange to support education and engagement projects with young people, particularly around the Classical Concert Series. As was shown at the launch of the 15/16 Classical Concert Series and the Cambridge Live Launch, this partnership with Cambridgeshire Music and local schools is flourishing and would continue to grow and develop following the appointment of the new Corn Exchange Artist in Residence, percussionist Evelyn Glennie, and a new partnership with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

 

Cambridge Live would be reviewing the ways that it engages with all parts of the local community over the coming months but the charity had inherited ongoing challenging financial targets for the Guildhalls and those targets have to be managed alongside its community aspirations.

 

Councillor Holland to the Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources

 

What is to become of the magnificent organ in the Large Hall which has fallen into disrepair?

 

The Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources responded that the organ would need significant expenditure to bring back into use.  Estimates several years ago suggested it would certainly be in excess of £100,000 and had been recently suggested that this could be as much as £500,000 based on a restoration elsewhere.  The allocation of funds for the restoration of the organ was not a Council priority. 

 

If other funders could be found to finance the costs of a refurbishment, it was likely that they would need to guarantees that the organ would be used regularly for recitals, that it would need to be maintained and not allowed to fall into disrepair again.  Ongoing repair and maintenance would need to be financed often as funders would meet the initial capital costs but not ongoing revenue costs.  The use for regular recitals may also conflict with the use by Cambridge Live which could disrupt the letting income of the Large Hall. 

 

It was difficult to gauge how much interest there would be in organ recitals and whether or not this would generate income to offset repair and maintenance costs or hire of the Large Hall on a commercial basis.

 

The Council’s priority was to see Cambridge Live operating successfully and developing a sustainable business plan for the future that protects a diverse range of cultural activities.   The lettings in the small and large halls in the Guildhall are integral to Cambridge Live’s business plan and include everything from art events to fairs and weddings.  The trust needs to build up its profile and develop the use of the halls.    

 

Physically restoring the organ would not be a quick job  and even if financial resources were not an issue,  now was not the time to be contemplating major works that could disrupt use of the halls and have an impact on planned and future bookings.​

 

15/93/CNL

Written Questions

No discussion will take place on this item. Members will be asked to note the written questions and answers document as circulated around the Chamber.

 

Minutes:

Members noted the written question and answer that had been circulated around the chamber.