Agenda for Culture, Recreation & Tourism Cabinet Member Meeting on Tuesday, 16th September, 2008, 4.00pm
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Agenda, decisions and minutes
PDF 214 KBVenue: Committee Room 3, Hove Town Hall. View directions
Contact: Caroline De Marco, Democratic Services Officer
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Procedural Business
(b) Exclusion of Press and Public - To consider whether, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, or the nature of the proceedings, the press and public should be excluded from the meeting when any of the following items are under consideration.
NOTE: Any item appearing in Part 2 of the Agenda states in its heading the category under which the information disclosed in the report is exempt from disclosure and therefore not available to the public.
A list and description of the exempt categories is available for public inspection at Brighton and Hove Town Halls.
Minutes: 16a Declarations of Interests
16.1 There were none
16b Exclusion of Press and Public
16.2 The Cabinet Member considered whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of any items contained in the agenda, having regard to the nature of the business to be transacted and the nature of the proceedings and the likelihood as to whether, if members of the press and public were present, there would be disclosure to them of confidential or exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A, Part 5A, Section 100A(4) or 100 1 of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).
16.3 RESOLVED -That the press and public be not excluded from the meeting.
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Minutes of the previous meeting Minutes if the Meeting held on 10 June 2008 (copy attached). Minutes: 17.1 RESOLVED - That the minutes of the Culture, Recreation and Tourism Cabinet Member Meeting held on 10 June 2008 be agreed and signed by the Cabinet Member. |
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Cabinet Member's Communications Minutes: 18.1 The Cabinet Member welcomed Councillor Bill Randall to the meeting. He would be invited to present the scrutiny report on the Foredown Tower.
Visitor Information Centre
18.2 The Cabinet Member was pleased to report that the Visitor Information Centre scored very well in the recent national mystery shopper exercise. There were five tests in total: one visit to the VIC, two telephone calls and two emails.
18.3 The service was particularly praised for the knowledge and friendly approach of the staff – one member of staff in particular scored 92% on the telephone test for her customer service style and attained an “excellent” score.
18.4 Email responses were praised for both the fast response and the content of the email replies, scoring 82%. The Visitor Information Centre itself scored 73% overall – It scored highly for the quality of the inside of the centre and the staff response.
18.5 The Visitor Information Centre was on course to welcome more than 300,000 visitors this year, and the staff dealt with 13,000 emails and 18,000 telephone calls in their dedicated contact centre.
White Night
18.6 The Cabinet Member reported that that Brighton & Hove were presenting a brand new festival for the city to celebrate the end of British Summer Time. White Night would create a framework for venues and artists to reclaim the city streets and spaces and for audiences to explore and rediscover the city at night: an alternative to the brash traditional Saturday night urban culture.
18.7 At the heart of the White Night was a commitment to innovation and to commissioning. This would provide opportunities for artists from a range of disciplines to create new work for the public realm, incorporating literature, visual art and design and performance.
18.8 White Night was led by Brighton & Hove Arts Commission and the arts and creative industries unit of Brighton & Hove City council working with a wide range of cultural partners across the city and in Amiens, France and was supported by Arts Council England South East.
18.9 The first White Night would take place from 6pm Saturday 25th October until 7 am Sunday 26th October 2008.
Bristol Estate Studios 18.10 The Cabinet Member reported that the Bristol Estate Studios were seven purpose-built visual arts studios created from disused space on the Bristol Estate, funded largely by SEEDA’s Area Investment Framework money. The first phase of the project – creating the studios – was now complete, and the studios have been leased over to the Community Association. Phase 2 was now well underway, with all the new studios rented out to a range of high calibre experienced artists, all of whom have participatory arts as part of their practise in some form. Practises include photography, painting, an installation artist, a live art practitioner, and a sculptor-maker. The launch would be on Saturday 11th October, where the artists will be providing drop in workshops for residents; there would also be a tour and reception for Members and officials.
World Junior Beach Volleyball Championships 18.11 The Cabinet Member reported that the city very successfully hosted the World Junior Beach Volleyball Championships from 3rd to 7Th September at the Yellowave Beach Sports Venue in Madeira Drive.
18.12 The first world championships in this country of the London Olympiad attracted 82 teams from 25 different countries. Italy was successful in retaining the men’s title while the Netherlands dominated the women’s competition with their two teams in first and second places.
18.13 The championships were organised by the council in partnership with Volleyball England, SEEDA, UK Sport and the International Volleyball Federation. All of the partners were very pleased with the success of the championships despite the very poor weather and would welcome the opportunity to work with the council again on future events.
Heritage Lottery Funding 18.14 The Cabinet Member reported that £50,000 of Heritage Lottery funding had been awarded for “The Royal Pavilion Revealed”, a Royal Pavilion audience development project linked to the Chinese Whispers exhibition at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. This was funding events such as the highly successful Chinese Festival in the Royal Pavilion Gardens on Sunday 24 August.
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Items reserved for discussion (a) Items reserved by the Cabinet Member
(b) Items reserved by the Opposition Spokesperson
(c) Items reserved by Members, with the agreement of the Cabinet Member.
NOTE: Public Questions, Written Questions form Councillors, Petitions, Deputations, Letters from Councillors and Notices of Motion will be reserved automatically. Minutes: I9.1 RESOLVED – All items were reserved for discussion. |
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Public Questions (The closing date for receipt of public questions is 12 noon on Tuesday 9 September 2008)
No public questions received by date of publication. Minutes: 20.1 There were none. |
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Written Questions from Councillors No written questions have been received. Minutes: 21.1 There were none. |
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Petitions No petitions received by date of publication.
Minutes: 22.1 There were none. |
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Deputations (The closing date for receipt of deputations is 12 noon on Tuesday 9 September 2008)
No deputations received by date of publication. Minutes: 23.1 There were none. |
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Letters from Councillors BMX Training Facilities. Letter from Councillor Melanie Davis (copy attached).
Minutes: BMX Training Facilities in Brighton & Hove – Letter from Councillor Davis
24.1 Councillor Davis presented her letter in which she asked the Cabinet Member what plans he had to provide BMX training facilities in Brighton & Hove both as a fun participatory sport and to help potential competitors and gold medal winners in London 2012.
24.2 The Cabinet Member thanked Councillor Davis for her letter and joined with her in congratulating not only the cyclists but all the successful Olympians in Beijing.
24.3 The Cabinet Member explained that the city did have a BMX facility which held the World Championships in the 1990’s. However, the BMX association that used the facility disbanded after the event. As a result for many years the facility had not been formally used or maintained. The Cabinet Member would therefore ask officers to consider other possibilities for the development of the sport as the track had not been successful in the long term.
24.4 RESOLVED – (1) That Councillor Davis’ letter be noted.
(2) That officers be requested to consider other possibilities for the development of the BMX sport. |
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Notices of Motions referred from Council No Notices of Motion have been referred.
Minutes: 25.1 There were none. |
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Matters referred for reconsideration No matters have been referred. Minutes: 26.1 There were none. |
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Reports from Overview & Scrutiny Committees No reports have been received to date but there will be feedback from the special meeting of the Culture, Tourism and Enterprise Scrutiny Committee held on 10 September 2008, relating to Foredown Tower. Minutes: 27.1 The report of the Culture, Tourism and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 10 September 2008, regarding the Foredown Tower was considered under Item 28 on the agenda. |
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Report of the Director of Cultural Services (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That the discussion by the Culture, Tourism and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee (CTEOSC) on the Foredown Tower report be noted.
(2) That it be agreed to keep the Tower open until October 2009 on the current public opening times.
(3) That an application be made to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a Your Heritage grant to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tower in 2009.
(4) That the Director of Cultural Services and Director of Finance and Resources be instructed to enter into discussions and negotiations with Hove and Adur Sea Cadets for a full repairing 25 year lease on a peppercorn rent for the Tower for community usage, in order to provide new opportunities for young people in Portslade and to ensure the long term future of the Tower as a mixed use community facility and to ensure access by the public and community groups to the South Downs National Park.
(5) To explore the possibility of setting up a community development trust to manage the Foredown Tower and, in the longer term, to pass the building into community ownership. This option should be discussed with Hove & Adur Sea Cadets and other interested community organisations.
(6) That lease agreements include clauses that will ensure camera obscura demonstrations, educational opportunities for schools and opportunities for the use of the Tower by other community and interest groups including the Astronomers, as well as the caveat that the Cadets cannot use the Tower for band practice. Minutes: 28.1 The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Cultural Services which set out the progress made since the Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee, at its meeting on 6 January 2008, asked officers to investigate Foredown Tower’s future and potential ownership through consultation with local and regional stakeholders. These investigations were to include the potential for the building to be a gateway to the proposed South Downs National Park and an examination of how the Tower’s marketing strategy could be improved to increase visitor numbers as well as better promotion of the Tower’s educational facilities (for copy see minute book).
28.2 Councillor Davis raised a number of questions about the report. She queried the financial viability of the sea cadets. She asked if the lease would be renegotiated should the negotiations with the Sea Cadets fail. Councillor Davis also asked if there would be clauses in the lease regarding public access. She further asked how the public would know when the camera obscura was demonstrated, and how the Heritage Lottery Fund would feel about the application for a grant to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tower in 2009, should the Tower close in October 2009.
28.3 The Head of Museums & Royal Pavilion reported that with regard to the financial viability of the sea cadets, officers would carefully check their business case should the recommendations be agreed. In terms of raising sponsorship, the Sea Cadets had raised £70,000 towards special projects since 2005 (not including main running costs). The Sea Cadets was part of a national organisation and had operated for 60 years. It was felt that they had good financial back up.
28.4 The Director of Cultural Services reported that if negotiations failed with the Sea Cadets there would be a subsequent report on potential problems and further options submitted to the Cabinet Member Meeting and the Culture, Tourism and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
28.5 The Principal Solicitor stressed that the negotiations were in a very early stage and that the future of the Tower was secure until October 2009. No detailed heads of terms had been brokered yet. The financial position of the Sea Cadets would have a bearing on what the council considered was an affordable package. With regard to public access, there could be a clause in the lease to ensure public access was satisfactory. Meanwhile, the camera obscura could be available to the public on open days and when the public wanted access. These matters would be uppermost in the minds of officers when taking the negotiations forward.
28.6 The Head of Museums & Royal Pavilion informed Councillor Davis that until the council approached the Heritage Lottery Fund she did not know how they would react. A bid to the HLF did not mean it would be successful.
28.7 The Cabinet Member welcomed Councillor Bill Randall who presented the report of the Culture, Tourism and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which met on 10 September 2008. He reported that the work of the Scrutiny Committee was informed by the Blue Sail report. The Tower had to compete with many attractions and the committee were interested in a case for community involvement and mixed use.
28.9 Councillor Randall set out the recommendations of the Culture, Tourism and Enterprise Overview & Scrutiny Committee. These were as follows:-
“1) To note the discussion by the Culture, Tourism and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee (CTEOSC) on the Foredown Tower report; and
(2) To agree the amendments to the recommendations to the Foredown Tower report (Item number 28 on this agenda) as detailed in bold italics below.
Recommendations (1) and (2) below were supported by the Committee
Recommendation (1) To keep the Tower open until October 2009 on the current public opening times.
Recommendation (2) To make an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a Your Heritage grant to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tower in 2009.
Recommendations (3) and (4) were supported with the amendments below:
Recommendation (3) To instruct the Director of Cultural Services and Director of Finance and Resources to enter into discussions and negotiations with Hove and Adur Sea Cadets for a full repairing 25 year lease on a peppercorn rent for the Tower for community usage, in order to provide new opportunities for young people in Portslade and to ensure the long term future of the Tower as a mixed use community facility and to ensure access by the public and community groups to South Downs National Park.
New Recommendation (4) To explore the possibility of setting up a community development trust to manage the Foredown Tower and, in the longer term, to pass the building into community owernership. This option should be discussed with Hove & Adure Sea Cadets and other interested community organisations.
Recommendation (4) to become recommendation (5) was supported by the Committee: (5) To instruct that the lease agreement includes clauses that will ensure camera obscura demonstrations, educational opportunities for schools and opportunities for the use of the Tower by other community and interest groups including the Astronomers, as well as the caveat that the Cadets cannot use the Tower for band practice.”
28.10 Councillor Smith informed Councillor Randall that he was pleased to receive the suggested amendments to the recommendations. 28.11 RESOLVED – (1) That the discussion by the Culture, Tourism and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee (CTEOSC) on the Foredown Tower report be noted.
(2) That it be agreed to keep the Tower open until October 2009 on the current public opening times.
(3) That an application be made to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a Your Heritage grant to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tower in 2009.
(4) That the Director of Cultural Services and Director of Finance and Resources be instructed to enter into discussions and negotiations with Hove and Adur Sea Cadets for a full repairing 25 year lease on a peppercorn rent for the Tower for community usage, in order to provide new opportunities for young people in Portslade and to ensure the long term future of the Tower as a mixed use community facility and to ensure access by the public and community groups to the South Downs National Park.
(5) To explore the possibility of setting up a community development trust to manage the Foredown Tower and, in the longer term, to pass the building into community ownership. This option should be discussed with Hove & Adur Sea Cadets and other interested community organisations.
(6) That lease agreements include clauses that will ensure camera obscura demonstrations, educational opportunities for schools and opportunities for the use of the Tower by other community and interest groups including the Astronomers, as well as the caveat that the Cadets cannot use the Tower for band practice. |
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Request for Return of Human Remains to Australia
Report of the Director of Cultural Services (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That it be agreed to return four Indigenous Australian remains (two skulls and two femora (thigh bones) - BC101447, BC101046, BC101696 and BC101697).
(2) That it be agreed to postpone consideration of the remaining Indigenous Australian remains (a water vessel made from a skull - R2778/491), until further research into its background has been completed.
Minutes: 29.1 The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Cultural Services which responded to a request for the return of Indigenous Australian remains held in the Royal Pavilion & Museums’ (RP&M’s) collections, received from the Office of Indigenous Policy Co-ordination (OIPC) in the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs of the Australian Government (for copy see minute book). The RP&M’s response had been delayed by the need to follow national guidance.
29.2 The Head of Collections and Interpretation explained that the remains recommended for return were held in the Natural History Collection and that the recommendation was in line with the action of other museums in the UK. There would be no cost to Brighton & Hove City Council. The cost would be met by the Australian Government.
29.3 Councillor Davis asked why the Australian Government could not carry out the research on the water vessel. The Head of Collections and Interpretation explained that the onus was on the council to carry out as much research as possible, and follow national guidelines in coming to an assessment before recommendation on a decision was made.
29.4 RESOLVED (1) That it be agreed to return four Indigenous Australian remains (two skulls and two femora (thigh bones) - BC101447, BC101046, BC101696 and BC101697).
(2) That it be agreed to postpone consideration of the remaining Indigenous Australian remains (a water vessel made from a skull - R2778/491), until further research into its background has been completed.
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Proposal for City to Host UK Corporate Games Report of the Director of Cultural Services (copy attached). Decision: (1) That it be agreed that Brighton & Hove host the UK Corporate Games in June 2009 (Subject to securing SEEDA funding as detailed in Section 5 of the Director’s report). Minutes: 30.1 The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Cultural Services concerning a proposal for Brighton & Hove City Council to host the UK Corporate Games in June 2009 (for copy see minute book.) The games had been running since 1988 (World) and would bring 5,000 – 6,000 participants and visitors to the city, therefore having a direct economic benefit of £2.5M - £3M, (based on VisitBrighton’s figures) to accommodation, transport providers, bars, restaurants, visitor attractions and retailers in the city.
30.2 The Cabinet Member asked about the position should SEEDA decide not to contribute £80,000 towards the rights fee. The International Conference Sales Manager confirmed that in this event, the organisers would either have to find another city or pay the hosting fee.
30.3 RESOLVED – (1) That it be agreed that Brighton & Hove host the UK Corporate Games in June 2009 (Subject to securing SEEDA funding as detailed in Section 5 of the Director’s report). |