Agenda item

Briefing Note and presentation of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

Councillor Duggins, Cabinet Member for Policy and Leadership, and Councillor Brown, Chair of Audit Committee, have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

The Committee considered a briefing note and presentation of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which provided an update on Coventry’s preparations for the UK City of Culture 2021, with particular reference to the governance and risk management arrangements. Councillor Duggins, Cabinet Member for Policy and Leadership and Councillor Brown, Chair of the Audit and Procurement Committee attended the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The presentation set out the focus for Coventry’s City of Culture 2021 being a £25m cultural programme across 365 days under the themes of Being Human; Underground; Reinvention; and Moving, attracting visitors from the whole of the UK. The aim was to deliver £350m total of direct economic benefit with 2.55m extra visitor days in 2021. There was an anticipated £200m tourism impact for 2018-21, with hotel investment, 20 new small and medium sized cultural/ creative enterprises and the creation of 2116 jobs.

Information was provided on readiness for 2021 which included the 10 year partnership Cultural Strategy; the establishment of the Trust in 2015; the securing of major partners and sponsors, the delivery milestones; the Great Place and Cultural Destinations programme for 2017-2020; and over £28.5m media value already secured.

The Board of Trustees comprised 11 trustees, including the Council’s Chief Executive and the leader of the Council, and an Audit, Finance and Risk Committee had been set up. The Risk Registers had been established as part of the bidding process. The 15 staff members appointed were also detailed. Work was being undertaken on the development of audiences and communications strategy and the financial profiling and fundraising. Further information was provided on the Council investment (£4m build-up and 2021 delivery, £1m legacy, £5m cultural capital plus further funding on city readiness) and on the delegated authorities.

The Committee noted that David Nuttall had recently been appointed as the Council Strategic Lead for UK City of Culture, European City of Sport and Commonwealth Gamers 2022.

The presentation concluded with further information on the proposed governance for the City of Culture which included the setting up of the Cultural Place Partnership Board; an Elected Member Advisory Board; and the City Readiness Board which would be supported by an Infrastructure Group, a Programme and Engagement Group and a Licensing, Operations and Safety Planning Group.       

Members raised a number of issues arising from the presentation and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  Clarification about the financial implications for the City Council including the legacy spend

·  The potential arrangements for the proposed Elected Member Advisory Board including the role of Scrutiny

·  A concern about capacity and the need to ensure that that contract management skills assessments were undertaken

·  Clarification about the planning and licensing processes and the importance of communication

·  Further information about the secondment of David Nuttall as the Council Strategic Lead for UK City of Culture, European City of Sport and Commonwealth Gamers and the implications for David’s team at the Council

·  Concerns about current issues in the City Centre including the gangs hanging around Lady Herbert’s Gardens, the Transport Museum, Gosford Street and The Burgess and the issue of knife crime and the poor impression that this could give to visitors to the city. The importance of the safety of residents and visitors being a number one priority

·  The importance of having Police representatives involved with the governance arrangements

·  The engagement with and the role of local communities, including Residents Associations, in 2021 and the suggestion of reprising the old Coventry carnival

·  A request for additional information/ progress reports to be submitted to future Committee meetings including the details of the outline programme; the delivery plan; the engagement strategy; the tourism strategy including the web capacity report; and the marketing team action plan

·  Further information about the marketing strategy and the options for merchandise

·  How would the direct economic impact be measured and how would this be held to account

·  The importance of highlighting the city’s industrial and social heritage as part of the City of Culture programme

·  The use of social media for promotion purposes.        

RESOLVED that:

(1) The content of the presentation be noted.

(2) Consideration be given to including City of Culture 2021 as a standing item on future meeting agendas.

(3) Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director, to be invited to a future Committee meeting to update the Board on the programme of activity.

(4) Additional reports be submitted to future Committee meetings on:

 - The outline programme

 - The delivery plan

 - The engagement strategy, with a particular focus on community engagement

 - The tourism strategy incorporating the web capacity report

 - The action plan for the marketing team

 - The spend of the legacy funding, including any additional funding secured.

(5) The Trust be recommended to include public health and public safety for residents and visitors as one of their top priorities.

(6) The Trust be recommended to invite representatives from the local police to participate in the governance arrangements for the City of Culture 2021, including representation on the Licensing, Operations and Safety Planning Group.

(7) The importance of including the city’s industrial and social heritage as part of the programme be conveyed to the Trust.

(8) The importance of ensuring that contract management skills set assessments are undertaken be conveyed to the Trust.