Issue - meetings

This is the third update of the Heritage Services five-year Business Plan 2015-2020 that was approved by Cabinet in February 2015. It covers the five financial years from 2018/19 to 2022/23 and has been prepared following the annual in-depth review of business activity. The revised Plan includes an analysis of the risk involved.

Councillor Paul Crossley, in an ad-hoc statement, welcomed the report and asked if it would be possible to explore where visitors from coached based tourism and family based tourism mostly go and which sites they mostly visit.

Councillor Paul Myers replied that he would be discussing that matter with officers.

Councillor Paul Myers introduced the report by saying that this was the third update of the Heritage Services five-year Business Plan 2015-2020 that was approved by Cabinet in February 2015.  The update covered the five financial years from 2018/19 to 2022/23 and had been prepared following the annual in-depth review of business activity.  The revised Plan included an analysis of the risk involved. In September 2004 the then Council Executive had decided that Heritage Services should be retained as an in-house service and should operate as a business unit with substantially improved operating arrangements focused upon:

-  Sustaining and improving the annual profit generated for the Council;

-  Improving the visitor experience; and

-  Conserving the historic assets for present and future generations to enjoy.

Following this approach, annual profit to the Council had grown by 214% in the years from 2005/06 to 2017/18.

The approved operating arrangements included the introduction of rolling 5-year profit targets for the Service, to be set by Council and included in the Corporate Financial Plan, with financial performance presented in fully inclusive accounts outside normal local authority conventions. This operating model ensured that a holistic approach had been taken to decision-making and that all resources required to sustain and generate income flows were fully aligned. As a business unit working to business principles already approved by the Council, Heritage Services had absorbed all costs, including those cost increases that were funded corporately for all other Council services.

Councillor Paul Myers moved the recommendations.

Councillor Mark Shelford seconded the motion by welcoming the report and congratulated to the whole team on their hard work. 

RESOLVED (unanimously) the Cabinet agreed to:

2.1  Approve the Heritage Services Business Plan 2018-2023 (“The Plan”);

2.2  Confirm that it wishes Heritage Services to continue to work to the business principles agreed by the Council Executive in 2004, as amended.