Issue - meetings

The report introduces the Heritage Services Business plan for approval. The Plan sets out the strategy to rebuild visitor numbers and financial performance on a sustainable basis, whilst maintaining the high standards of visitor experience conservation and presentation that underpin commercial success.

On a motion from Councillor Dine Romero, seconded by Councillor Tim Ball, it was RESOLVED unanimously to;

1.  Approve the Heritage Services Business Plan; and

2.  Approve, in principle, the creation of a charity to support the new Fashion Museum and Collections Study Centre Project

The report introduces the Heritage Services Business plan for approval. The Plan sets out the strategy to rebuild visitor numbers and financial performance on a sustainable basis, whilst maintaining the high standards of visitor experience conservation and presentation that underpin commercial success.

Councillor Dine Romero introduced this report and moved the recommendations.  She explained how the pandemic and lockdown had highlighted the considerable reliance the Council places on income that Heritage Services brings in, and there has inevitably been a reduction in the number of visitors.  Despite the outlook being unclear with the pattern of visitor travel remaining hard to predict, performance is expected to recover for 2024/25.  Nevertheless, the plan does seek to build up visitor numbers as well as address the relocation of the Fashion Museum so she was seeking approval for a new charity to support the Fashion Museum.  This will be akin to the Roman Baths Foundation with sustainability and climate emergency embedded within its projects.  There are also other opportunities to build on, having achieved the second UNESCO inscription.  There are also some more prosaic plans, including fixing the Victoria Art Gallery roof.

Councillor Richard Samuel, in seconding the report, commended the new Head of Heritage Services and his team in doing a great job in providing some good solutions in this report.

RESOLVED unanimously to;

1.  Approve the Heritage Services Business Plan; and

2.  Approve, in principle, the creation of a charity to support the new Fashion Museum and Collections Study Centre Project