Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The Board considered a briefing note and received a presentation of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which informed of the current activity in relation to the development of the St Mary’s Guildhall offer and the establishment of shared office space in the Council House. Councillor O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration attended the meeting for the consideration of this item along with Councillor Clifford, Deputy Chair of Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee.

The briefing note indicated that in January, 2018 the café in the Undercroft at St. Mary’s closed to enable works to take place to improve the physical environment and customer experience. Works were carried out to the staircase, bar area and lighting in the café. In March ‘The Undercroft at St Mary’s’ was relaunched offering an improved café experience, a new menu and a re-focused promotional campaign. The Board were informed that customer numbers had improved since the relaunch and the performance of the café was being closely monitored to support its ongoing success. 

The Board noted that Coombe Abbey Hotel had been engaged around providing insight and/or advice around the customer offer and experience across the wider St Mary’s complex.

As part of the work on implementing Coventry’s Cultural Strategy and to support the City’s preparations for being UK City of Culture 2021, a review of potential cultural capital projects had commenced. This included exploring the capacity of projects to contribute to widening access to the city’s cultural offerings and growing culture and leisure tourism. The work would support the ongoing work on the development of a new Coventry Destination Management Plan.

In relation to the wider commercial opportunities at St Mary’s Guildhall and the Council House, in March, 2018 initial proposals for the Wheelhouse to open a partnership co-working community space were progressed into a preferred option for delivering the opportunity within the Council House. The Wheelhouse 

(Coventry) opened in April, 2018 within the former Communications Team offices which had been converted to offer dedicated desk spaces; co-working desk spaces; relaxed working spaces; and meeting room spaces. The Board were informed that the Wheelhouse reported that they were on course for achieving targets in membership growth.

The presentation provided further details on the relaunch of the Undercroft at St Mary’s; the events potential at St Marys and the engagement with Coombe Abbey Hotel; the cultural capital opportunities and the Destination Management Plan; and the opening of The Wheelhouse.

Members raised a number of issues in response to the briefing note and presentation and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  An update on the recent petition concerning the option to white wash the ceiling at the Undercroft, a decision on which had not been made

·  Support for the relaunch of the Undercroft but a concern that existing customers were being lost 

·  An assurance about the Wheelhouse, that the Council would not be incurring costs

·  Any future plans for the old police cells at the Council House

·  The requirement to get a cross section of visitors to St Mary’s Guildhall

·  The requirement for visitors to know when they can access St Mary’s Guildhall

·  The need to manage the Council buildings/facilities in a successful and different way to ensure that the best use is made of them and there is not a drain on the Council’s financial resource. 

RESOLVED that:

(1) The Board noted the content of the presentation concerning developments in the St Mary’s Guildhall offer and the establishment of shared office space in the Council House.

(2) A progress report outlining the potential opportunities to further enhance the St Mary’s Guildhall offer and an update on the Wheelhouse be submitted to a future meeting of the Board in September, 2018.