Issue - meetings

This is the first update of the Heritage Services Business Plan 2015-2020 that was approved by Cabinet in February 2015. It covers the five financial years from 2016/17 to 2020/21, and has been prepared following the annual in-depth review of business activity. The revised Plan includes an analysis of the risk involved.

Councillor Rob Appleyard welcomed the report and said that we shouldn’t underestimate the value which Heritage Services had brought to the area.  Councillor Appleyard also welcomed that the report had recognised a risk that the profit targets for 2016-2021 might not be achieved due to sensitivity of planning assumptions and to national and international economic factors.

Councillor Andrew Furse welcomed the investment in visitor experience for Roman Baths though he expressed his concern that experience could be unpleasant due to number of visitors at times.

Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones said that overcrowding of Roman Baths, and visitor experience, would be monitored by the management.  Heritage Services’ approach to business planning and generating income had proven to be very successful.  The business philosophy of ensuring the sustainability of unique heritage assets, the audiences attracted and the income streams brought had stood the test of time and had attracted the interest of other organisations, public and private, elsewhere in the UK and overseas.

Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones moved the recommendations.

Councillor Liz Richardson seconded the motion by saying that the Victoria Art Gallery exhibition programme had been now included in the Combined ticket to the Roman Baths and Fashion Museum and that this had been already driving footfall upwards and generating a whole new income stream.

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet:

1)  Approved the Heritage Services Business Plan 2016-2021;

2)  Confirmed that it wishes Heritage Services to continue to work to the business principles agreed by the Council Executive in 2004, as amended;

3)  Approved the capital investment outlined in this report and noted that the Budget report also on the agenda for this meeting recommends:

a) Full approval and inclusion in the Approved capital programme of the following projects:

i) The Archway Centre project at a total cost of £5.317 Million in 2017/18 and 2018/19, including a contribution by the Council of £1 Million, (£750k from corporate borrowing and £250k from service-supported borrowing), as detailed in this report

ii) The Roman Baths Infrastructure projects totalling £100k planned for 2016/17

iii) The Victoria Art Gallery air conditioning project, costing £150k in 2016/17, subject to completion of the Project Implementation process

b)  Inclusion in the provisional capital programme of the block of Roman Baths infrastructure projects totalling £600k from 2017/18 to 2020/21

c)  Inclusion of information around emerging capital programme items, to be brought forward for inclusion in the capital programme in future years, for the investment of £1.15 Million per annum in both 2019/20 and 2020/21 in order to begin a further major refurbishment of the entire Roman Baths site

d)  Re-phasing of £100k currently included in Approved the capital programme to develop the second phase of the Visitor Management System project from 2015/16 to 2017/18.

4)  Noted the investment contained within the Business Plan and approved the procurement of goods and services necessary to carry out this investment, including new contracts for security and further digital interpretation during the period of the Plan.