Agenda item

Report of the Cultural Services Team Manager

     Wendy May, Cultural Services Team Manager provided an update on the 2020/21 events and projects funded within the Coalville Special Expenses Area, the details of which were set out in the report. This included the impact on these events as a consequence of COVID-19. She advised Members that, since writing the report, there had been some early discussions with fairground operators given the recent relaxation of the lockdown rules, which may enable a funfair to be held later in the year, though it was too early to confirm that at this stage. She also reassured Members of the ongoing discussions surrounding Remembrance 2020 adding that a county-wide meeting was scheduled at the end of July.

     The Cultural Services Team Manager took Members through the report and invited comments thereon. 

The Chairman referred to the report on the Artwork at Needhams Walk stating that it was a very comprehensive report and that he agreed with the suggested recommendations. He stated that he was eager to see how the work on the Christmas lights could be progressed to enable a more robust contract to alleviate some of the issues of the past, adding that he believed there would be more funding coming forward from developers in the future. The Chairman urged Members to ask any future developers coming forward with applications in and around the town, if they would like to contribute to the Christmas lights in the future.

The Chairman invited comments from the floor.

Councillor Legrys asked whether, in light of the recent planning application from the precinct owner, discussions regarding Needhams Walk would be progressed or put on hold until the planning application had been determined. 

The Cultural Services Team Manager advised that she had not had sight of the full details of the planning application but she considered that the artwork in this area to be ‘the icing on the cake’ and did not consider discussions at this very early stage to be a primary matter for the developer. Timely conversations would be had once she was in a position to better understand the anticipated timescales of the proposals of the planning application. The Chairman added that he had spoken with the precinct owners and he had mooted the idea of artwork at Needhams Walk and they were very favourable of the initiative and would very much like to support such a project. He agreed with the Cultural Services Team Manager that conversations on how this would be progressed would need to be had in a timely manner.

Councillor Geary fully supported this view and asked that conversations not be held with the developer until their intentions for the site were fully understood. With reference to Remembrance 2020, he asked for clarification on the references in the report to plans A, B and C. The Cultural Services Team Manager advised that Plan A – life is normal and the delivery of the event would be as previously, Plan B – dependant on guidance on the lockdown position and any restrictions on mass gatherings, restrictions on numbers may need to be applied and Plan C – should a full lockdown be imposed, there would be no external interaction and a completely virtual scenario may have to be enacted. She reiterated that, at this stage she did want to try and second guess where we will be in 4 months’ time but wanted to reassure Members that plans were in place to cover for all eventualities.

By affirmation of the meeting it

RESOLVED THAT:

(1)    The progress update on the 2020/21 events programme be noted.

(2)    The progress update on the artwork options for Needhams Walk be noted.

(3)    Further development of options two and three for the Artwork at Needhams Walk be supported, subject to the outcomes of the planning application.