Agenda item

The Panel are asked to consider verbal update from the Divisional Director for Planning and Transport.

The Chairman invited David Trigwell (Divisional Director for Planning and Transport) to give a verbal update on the current position regarding the Arts Strategy.

David Trigwell said that he is having, on interim basis, additional responsibilities to oversee Tourism, Leisure and Culture services.  The Arts Strategy was scheduled to appear before the Panel but it became apparent that Arts Strategy should be looked together with other strategies in the Council.  The strategy landscape in the Council is quite busy with the following strategies to be considered – Events Strategy, Leisure Strategy, Tourism Strategy, Heritage Strategy and also Core Strategy, Transport Strategy, Health & Wellbeing Strategy, etc.  David Trigwell felt that it wasn’t the right way to address the community by considering the Arts Strategy on its own.  The number of the strategies that were considered in isolation will be part of fewer though more comprehensive strategies.  It will enable elected Members and community to better understand how these things are related.  It is hugely important activity for the Council to get involved.  It is about improving the quality of life.

David Trigwell concluded that the Arts Strategy will be included in the Economic Strategy.  It is not enough to consider Arts or Tourism Strategy in isolation.

The Chairman commented that he could understand that no particular strategy should exist in isolation but there is a need to start from somewhere, to start the discussion.  If the Panel, and community, are given the global picture then there will be no opportunity to go into details.  The Chairman also said that the Arts Strategy is a case where particular document/strategy had been withdrawn whilst being consistently requested by the Panel.  Budget discussions will be held soon and the Panel need to see what kind of framework is used when it comes to medium term financial planning.  The Panel will be looking at some point of time in these strategies in isolation and then they will be looked as joint item.  The Chairman concluded by saying that the Panel requested pieces of work to scrutinise which they consistently do not see because someone do not want the Panel to see those documents.

Councillor Ben Stevens replied that the Cabinet is looking at the wide picture.  Councillor Stevens understand the views of the Panel though he welcomed the idea to merge four strategies into one.

The Vice Chair commented that it was vital that officers of the Council work on any strategy in partnership with the community.  The community had been consulted on what they think was an Arts Strategy, and it was a surprise that the arts strategy paper did not go to cabinet as expected.  The community was consulted and the Council has the right to allocate the funding, and formulate a business plan, but it should have been made clear that this was not the Arts Strategy per se. The Panel needs to have a look at the commissioning process before it is implemented, and the Arts community must be involved in any future arts strategy.  There is a worry that the wrong message was sent to the community and concern about what is happening in the interim period.

David Trigwell responded that the strategy will come forward before the Panel although in different format.  David Trigwell also said that the word ‘strategy’ might be the wrong word for now and instead the document should be called action plan, or development plan, or similar.

David Trigwell also said that the way the spending was organised previously in the Council was quite confusing.  It was disorganised and it was ad-hoc.  What the Council is trying to do at the moment is to agree some process and be more transparent on how we spend public money.  There is an interim plan in place and the Council is in process to set the budget for the next year, and one joint strategy is the right way forward.

Councillor Stevens added that the Council is now having holding plan on how the Council is allocating the money from the budget.

Members of the Panel asked how confident the arts organisations are with the interim period at the moment.  They need to plan for future, for six or twelve months and with these arrangements there must be some nervousness between those organisations.

Councillor Stevens replied that there is some nervousness amongst some arts organisations.  Councillor Stevens had, and will be having, conversations with these organisations and added that after the year of uncertainty, arts groups will be able to have much more confidence in a transparent arts development process.

David Metcalfe (Co-Chair of Bath Cultural Forum) said that he had discussions with Councillor Stevens on these issues.  It is interesting that the Council has arts development plan in place.  There is some nervousness between members of the Bath Cultural Forum on how this will work in practice.  The Forum addressed the Full Council and also the Cabinet asking for some time for arts organisations to adjust to new arrangements.  David Metcalfe also said that the Forum felt that process is transparent and also that he will be looking forward for further discussion with Councillor Stevens and Louise Fradd (Strategic Director for Place) on the strategy issues.

The Chairman concluded the debate by saying that few interesting issues were raised at the meeting, in particular changing relationship of the funding.  The Chairman also said that issue of changing funding and how we take partnership organisations along with the change is an issue that could be discussed at the next Chairs and Vice-Chairs meeting to discuss what would be the best Panel to debate this matter.

It was RESOLVED to receive an update on the Arts Development Plan for January 2014 meeting (date to be confirmed).