Issue - meetings

(See report at agenda item 16 (pages 65 to 69) of the private Cabinet agenda of 6 December 2016 and pages 126 to 147 in the private supplement to the agenda)

RECOMMENDED BY THE CABINET

That the Council:

1)      Approves a grant as stated in para 6.1 (a) of the agenda report be offered to the Chichester Festival Theatre for four years commencing April 2018, subject to a funding agreement and confirmation of continued Arts Council England funding over that period.

2)      Approves a grant as stated in para 6.1 (b) of the agenda report be offered to the Pallant House Gallery for four years commencing April 2018, subject to a funding agreement and confirmation of continued Arts Council England funding over that period.

3)      Approves the Head of Community Services, following consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Services, being given delegated authority to agree the terms of the funding agreements including relevant break clauses.

4)      Notes that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee continues to monitor performance of these two organisations.

Mrs Lintill (Cabinet Member for Community Services), seconded by Mr Dignum, moved these recommendations to the Council.

Mrs Lintill introduced the report, saying that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered this issue fully at its meeting on 17 January 2017.  The Arts Council were seeing reductions in arts funding across the country averaging 25%.  The cultural grants were currently funded from reserves however, if agreed, it was proposed that these grants would form part of the base budget in future.  It was likely that if the Council did not give grant funding to these organisations that the Arts Council would not grant fund them either.

Recommendations one and two were to grant fund the theatre and gallery subject to Arts Council funding.  If the two organisations did not achieve Arts Council funding then the Council would be able to rescind its decision.  Performance against funding agreements at both organisations would continue to be monitored by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Mrs P Dignum declared a prejudicial interest in this matter as a Trustee of Pallant House Gallery.  She was advised that she could remain in the room for the debate but may not vote.

Mr Oakley was not supportive as cultural grants were not part of central services.  Other contributors to the local economy like Bunn Leisure and Goodwood had not been supported in this same manner. He questioned the need to maintain an art collection and whether the Council had had legal advice about disposing of the art collection.  He wanted to see a reduction in cultural grant funding and questioned the increased incomes of the Festival Theatre’s chief officers.

Mr Hansford (Head of Community Services) had considered both sets of accounts. The Council’s representatives appointed to the boards of the theatre and gallery would be able to monitor the organisations’ decisions regarding their management structure and remuneration.  The return on investment had been established as £1:£80 for the theatre (every £1 of grant achieved £80 economic benefit to the district) and £1:£30 for the gallery (every £1 of grant achieved £30 of economic benefit to the district).

Mrs Kilby, Mr Plowman, Mrs Purnell, Mrs Dignum, Mrs Graves and Mrs Apel all supported the recommendation.

Mrs Dignum highlighted the national and international attraction of both the theatre and the gallery.  The huge successes of the “Outside-In” programme had resulted in the initiative becoming so famous that it was branching out as a separate charity.  The huge benefits to people on this programme meant less attendance at mental health clinics, which fitted with the Council’s priorities and support of wellbeing.

On being put to the vote, the Council

RESOLVED

1)          That a grant of £187,500 per annum be offeredto the ChichesterFestival Theatrefor fouryears commencingApril 2018,subject to afunding agreementand confirmationof continuedArts Council England fundingover thatperiod.

2)          That a grant of £130,000 be offeredto the PallantHouse Galleryfor fouryears commencingApril 2018, subjectto a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 183

The Cabinet is requested to consider the confidential agenda report and its four appendices and to make the following recommendations to the Council: 

That the Council:

(1)  Approves a grant as stated in para 6.1 (a) of the report be offered to the Chichester Festival Theatre for four years commencing April 2018, subject to a funding agreement and confirmation of continued Arts Council England funding over that period.

(2)  Approves a grant as stated in para 6.1 (b) of the report be offered to the Pallant House Gallery for four years commencing April 2018, subject to a funding agreement and confirmation of continued Arts Council England funding over that period.

(3)  Approves the Head of Community Services, following consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Holder for Community Services, being given delegated authority to agree the terms of the funding agreements including relevant break clauses.

(4)  Notes that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee continues to monitor performance of these two organisations.

RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL

That the Council:

(1)  Approves a grant as stated in para 6.1 (a) of the agenda report be offered to the Chichester Festival Theatre for four years commencing April 2018, subject to a funding agreement and confirmation of continued Arts Council England funding over that period.

(2)  Approves a grant as stated in para 6.1 (b) of the agenda report be offered to the Pallant House Gallery for four years commencing April 2018, subject to a funding agreement and confirmation of continued Arts Council England funding over that period.

(3)  Approves the Head of Community Services, following consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Services, being given delegated authority to agree the terms of the funding agreements including relevant break clauses.  

(4)  Notes that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee continues to monitor performance of these two organisations.

The Cabinet considered the confidential report and its four appendices circulated with the agenda to CDC members and relevant officers only.

The report was introduced by Mrs Lintill.

Mr Hansford and Mr Hyland were in attendance.

Mrs Lintill, Mr Hansford, Mr Hyland and Mr Over responded to members’ questions and comments on points of detail.

Mr Dignum allowed Mrs C M M Apel, the chairman of CDC’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC), to address the meeting briefly; the OSC had considered a report on this matter at its recent meeting on 15 November 2016 and supported the recommendations in the report. 

Decision

The Cabinet voted unanimously on a show of hands in favour of making the following recommendations.

RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL

That the Council:

(1)  Approves a grant as stated in para 6.1 (a) of the agenda report be offered to the Chichester Festival Theatre for four years commencing April 2018, subject to a funding agreement and confirmation of continued Arts Council England funding over that period.

(2)  Approves a grant as stated in para 6.1 (b) of the agenda report be offered to the Pallant House Gallery for four years commencing April 2018, subject to a funding agreement and confirmation of continued Arts Council England funding over that period.

(3)  Approves the Head of Community Services, following consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Services, being given delegated authority to agree the terms of the funding agreements including relevant break clauses. 

(4)  Notes that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee continues to monitor performance of these two organisations.

The committee is requested to consider the findings of the Cultural Grants review, including the proposals for funding for the period 2018–2022, and to make any comments or recommendations to Cabinet at their meeting of 6 December 2016.

The committee considered the report in the agenda (copy attached to the official minutes). Mrs E Lintill, Cabinet Member for Community Services, presented the report supported by Mr S Hansford, Head of Community Services.

The Monitoring Officer had granted dispensations under Section 33 of the Localism Act to Mrs N Graves, Mr J Ransley and Mrs C Apel in respect of their ‘Friends’ membership of Pallant House Gallery and/or Chichester Festival Theatre. Mrs P Dignum declared a prejudicial interest in respect of her position as the Council’s representative on the Pallant House Gallery Trust and Company and left the room during discussion of this item.

On considering the comments from the committee, Mrs Lintill undertook to reflect on the value of the grants and to take this into account in her report to Cabinet on 6 December 2016.

RECOMMENDED TO CABINET

1)      That the recommendations set out in paragraphs 5.5(a) and (b) of the report be approved.

2)      That the committee continues its role of monitoring performance against the existing service level agreements with both organisations.