Agenda item

The Report of the Head of Property and Regeneration.

The Head of Property and Regeneration presented the report to members and confirmed that subject to ratification by Council then the events budget would stand at £84,440. Members were informed that at the previous week’s Events Sub Group meeting, members were minded to retain the Picnic in the Park event over the Cinema in the Park event. It was also clarified that there would also be events for King Charles’ III Coronation and Christmas in Coalville.

A member requested that Cabinet be supplied with the notes from the sub group meeting and were advised that these would be prepared for circulation at Cabinet by the time of its meeting in March.

Officers advised that the lead in period for events is very tight so the working party would need to start planning as soon as possible.

A member expressed concerns at the way the shop window competition had been judged in the past and requested that this be undertaken by an outside group or committee for future competitions. Officers agreed that this would be something which would be considered.

Members asked for clarification on what “The Coronation Big Lunch” constituted, as mentioned in the report, and officers advised that they would seek further details and report back to members.

Clarification was also requested on what “a series of events” referred to more specifically and were advised that officers would furnish members with further details nearer to the time that the events had been planned for.

A member suggested that without these further details it would not be possible to make an informed recommendation and it was suggested that “subject to full details of the Coronation event being provided” be included the recommendations.

Officers confirmed that the decision to go ahead with Picnic in the Park instead of Cinema in the Park had been reached at the meeting of the sub group in the preceding week.

A member asked whether the Art Around Town initiative would go ahead and was advised that this would only be possible if grant funding was forthcoming.

A member queried why the Picnic in the Park had been reduced from a two day event to a one day event for 2023 and was advised by officers that this is due to the financial constraints faced this financial year.

A member suggested that food vendors be invited to the Coronation Big Lunch event in order to attract revenue from the hire of pitches and officers agreed to consider this.

Members requested that they be provided with a full programme of events and the subsequent costs in order that they fully understood what they were recommending.

It was moved by Councillor J Legrys, seconded by Councillor J Geary and

RESOLVED THAT:               

1. The budget available in 2023/24 for Coalville events be noted.
2. The preferred option of Picnic in the Park for the summer event be agreed.
3. The proposed programme of events be agreed and recommended to Cabinet for approval, subject to further costings and a full programme of events for the King Charles III Coronation being provided to working party members.