Issue - meetings

The report introduces the Heritage Services Business Plan 2015-2020 that has been prepared following the annual in-depth review of business activity. The report also seeks formal adoption of 3-year forward plans for the Roman Baths and Victoria Art Gallery and two additional museum policies which are required for the museums to renew their Accreditation status with Arts Council England.

Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones in an ad hoc statement referred to paragraphs 5.9 and 5.10 of the report which showed that the Saver Ticket and Discovery Card schemes would both be extended to include the Victoria Art Gallery.  He felt this was excellent news and congratulated the Cabinet for taking this step.

Councillor Ben Stevens moved the proposals.  He gave his thanks to the Heritage Team for their achievements.  He mentioned the risks inherent in any Heritage Service which at any time might be disrupted by events outside of the control of the Council.  These were laid out in the report.

Councillor David Dixon was delighted to second the proposal.  He had known as a boy the special privilege of living in a city with such a heritage.  He still felt it was so.  He was excited that the archway project would open up a new education centre for the roman Baths, from which young people would walk through a Roman tunnel under the road, to appear in the Baths themselves.  He was confident that this would catch the imagination of young people.

Councillor Paul Crossley said that the heritage of the area was tremendous.  He was aware of the risks, laid out in the report.  He agreed with Councillor Anketell-Jones that the extension of the Saver and Discovery Cards to include the Victoria Art Gallery was good news and he was delighted about this.

On a motion from Councillor Ben Stevens, seconded by Councillor David Dixon, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously)

(1) To APPROVE the Heritage Services Business Plan 2015-2020;

(2) To APPROVE the Roman Baths Museum Forward Plan;

(3) To APPROVE the Victoria Art Gallery Museum Forward Plan;

(4) To APPROVE the Museum Documentation Policy

(5) To APPROVE the Care and Collections Policy;

(6) To NOTE that the February 2015 Council Budget Report recommends that both the £1m capital budget for East Baths Development, to be delivered in 2015/16 and 2016/17, and the £100k capital budget for Roman Baths infrastructure works to be delivered in 2015/16, be fully approved;

(7) To NOTE the proposed capital project to commence the refurbishment of the Roman Baths site and its Retail outlets in 2019/20 at a cost of £1.15 Million, for consideration as part of the 2016/17 budget process.

(8) To NOTE that the February 2015 Council Budget Report approves the re-phasing of the £100k capital budget for the Retail module of the Visitor Management System from 2014/15 to 2015/16.

(9) To NOTE that the February 2014 Council budget included the development of the Archway Centre as an emerging capital project for which a Council contribution of £650-750k should be sufficient to satisfy the Heritage Lottery Fund

(10) To CONFIRM that Cabinet wishes Heritage Services to continue to work to the business principles agreed by the Council Executive in 2004 as amended.