Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Democratic Services Officer will read out the emergency evacuation procedure as set out in the notes.

The Senior Democratic Services Officer read out the emergency evacuation procedure.

At this point in the meeting declarations of interest are received from Members in any of the agenda items under consideration at the meeting. Members are asked to indicate:

(a) The agenda item number in which they have an interest to declare.

(b) The nature of their interest.

(c) Whether their interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an other interest, (as defined in Part 4.4 Appendix B of the Code of Conduct and Rules for Registration of Interests)

Any Member who needs to clarify any matters relating to the declaration of interests is recommended to seek advice from the Council’s Monitoring Officeror a member of his staff before the meeting to expedite dealing with the item during the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

There was no urgent business.

Questions submitted before the deadline will receive a reply from an appropriate Cabinet member or an undertaking to respond within 5 working days of the meeting.  Councillors may ask one supplementary question for each question they submit, up to a maximum of two per Councillor.

There were 15 questions from Councillors and 11 questions from members of the public.

[Copies of the questions and responses, including supplementary questions and responses if any, have been placed on the Minute book as Appendix 1 and are available on the Council's website.]

Councillors and members of the public may register their intention to make a statement if they notify the subject matter of their statement before the deadline.  Statements are limited to 3 minutes each.  The speaker may then be asked by Cabinet members to answer factual questions arising out of their statement.

Members of the public and Councillors made statements as follows:

·  Kari Erickson – Liveable Neighbourhoods.  Ms Erickson spoke against the Liveable Neighbourhood schemes in the city.  She stated that the Lower Lansdown scheme does not meet its stated objectives and that people are not always able to walk or cycle up the hill.  People are now having to drive longer distances to get to where they want to go.  She stressed that this is adversely affecting the lives of the local residents and that local people are not in favour of the schemes.

·  Chad Allen – English Ivy.  Mr Allen stated that the Council is destroying wildlife in the local area and that actions such as removal of hedges and trees without replacing them are damaging the planet.  Recycling in different ways could also improve the eco-system.

·  George Clutton (Radstock Town Clerk) – Radstock Regeneration Action Plan.  Ms Clutton thanked B&NES Council for its support in bringing forward the Radstock Regeneration Action Plan.  She thanked the Regeneration Team for their excellent work and praised the partnership working and co-operation which had brought the Plan to fruition.

·  Cllr Chris Dando – Radstock Regeneration Action Plan.  Cllr Dando also thanked officers for their work on the exciting and innovative Action Plan.  He stated that this project was an excellent example of partnership working.  He welcomed the interest shown in the project and noted that this was good for Radstock and for any other potential schemes.  The Plan would enable further investment and draw-down funding for the area.  As local ward member and Chair of Radstock Town Council he looked forward to making this a success.

·  Cllr Eleanor Jackson – Radstock Regeneration Action Plan.  (A copy of Cllr Jackson’s statement is attached as an appendix to these minutes).

To agree that the following minutes be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair:

·  Special Cabinet Meeting – 1^st February 2024

·  Cabinet Meeting – 8^th February 2024

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meetings held on 1^st February and 8^th February 2024 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

This is a standing agenda item (Constitution rule 3.3.14) for matters referred by Policy Development and Scrutiny bodies.  The Chair of the relevant Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel will have the right to attend and to introduce the Panel’s recommendations to Cabinet.

No matters were referred by Policy Development and Scrutiny Panels.

To note the list of Cabinet Single Member decisions taken and published since the last Cabinet meeting (no debate).

The Cabinet agreed to note the report.

To consider the Radstock Town Centre Regeneration Action Plan which identifies opportunities, concepts and project ideas to underpin funding and grant applications for project delivery.

Cllr Paul Roper introduced the report, moved the officer recommendation, and made the following points:

·  High streets and town centres across the country have faced huge upheaval in the last decade.  These are tough times even for the most powerful and influential retailers. And it isn’t just retail that is affected – many sectors that relied on high footfall to survive have been decimated.

·  The effects of these changes on rural towns and smaller cities have been devastating.

·  One can visit hundreds of rural town centres and see how much reduced their once-proud high streets are. The bank branches and other anchor institutions are gone. Pubs are closing in their thousands. Technology and centralisation have rendered many traditional service providers redundant in rural locations.

·  The business rates system is not fit for purpose and needs reform.

·  Our high streets and town centres are entering a new era. It is not entirely clear what that future will look like – but the focus has to be on “Place Making”. Making spaces and places where people want to be. Creating environments for new ventures to thrive. We must adapt and repurpose buildings for new uses.

·  This will take both time and investment but our ambition should not be dampened by this.

·  The first element needed is community engagement. This regeneration project is a great example of how we have listened and worked with the local community in a hugely collaborative way.

·  B&NES has a dedicated, expert resource working on this issue – the Regeneration Team.  This is a team of 12 that delivers impactful projects working with our communities in a positive way.  They are entirely grant-funded, save for one officer, and have secured £23m in grant funding over the last 4 years.  There are many more projects in the pipeline and their work is making a significant difference to our communities.

·  One of the schemes that they have developed is the Radstock Town Centre Regeneration Action Plan.  Radstock is a town with a unique heritage, attractive green spaces and local facilities which serve a wide rural area. There is significant potential for increasing the vibrancy of the town centre and attracting more visitors and investment.  The Plan aims to create a thriving town centre bringing vacant buildings back into use.

·  The aim is to deliver as many of the priority projects as possible and to have high ambitions. Successful delivery of these projects will rely on collective action to secure funding and take forward these initiatives. We have three schemes already being delivered: improvements to Tom Huyton Park, a new community arts space in the Old Printworks, a cultural programme that is delivering free creative and arts activities and a greenway arts trail.

·  The plan will form a basis for funding bids and help to prioritise town centre projects that would benefit the community and make Radstock a more varied and welcoming place.

·  The partnership has already secured £560,000 of investment in the town centre in its initial two years.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86.

To consider the update of the Heritage Services Business Plan 2024-29.  This covers the five financial years from 2024/25 to 2028/29 and has been prepared following the annual in-depth review of business activity.

Cllr Paul Roper introduced the report, moved the officer recommendation and made the following points:

·  Heritage Services is run as an independent business unit with oversight by the Heritage Advisory Board. The assets under management are the Roman Baths, The Victoria Art Gallery, The Fashion Collection Archive, The Clore Learning Centre and The World Heritage Centre.

·  As an authority we are truly blessed that we have at our disposal a world class operation delivering substantial benefits – not only significant financial benefits, but equally importantly cultural, educational and community benefits.

·  In this current year, this service is delivering a record-breaking £10M contribution to council finances – its highest ever figure. The Roman Baths is the primary contributor to these figures. This year visitor numbers will reach 1M which is well in excess of budget but still below the 1.2M we achieved prior to Covid.  The forecast next year is £12m.

·  The budgeted revenue from Council tax next year is £120m, so in theory without the Roman Baths, our council tax would need to increase by 10%.

·  There is a new commitment to offer free admission to the Roman Baths for school groups from schools where 30% or more of the school roll receive free school meals.  This is an example of how we are building on the Council’s commitment to making heritage accessible to all.

·  The Residents’ Discovery Card is also available to all B&NES residents providing free access to the Roman Baths and the Victoria Art Gallery, along with discounts on other attractions and at local businesses.

·  Cllr Roper also outlined the excellent work taking place at the Victoria Art Gallery.

·  The Clore Learning Centre opened in June 2022 and is just off York Street.  It has been converted into an education space providing first rate educational experiences for schools and community groups from around the country.

·  Items from the fashion collection archive have been on loan to other exhibitions and museums.  The Council is moving forward with ambitious plans for the development of the new world-class Fashion Museum.  Heritage Services will commence design work shortly and develop plans for the storage of the fashion collection archive in Locksbrook, in partnership with Bath Spa University.  These projects open the exciting prospect of creating a broader appeal of visitor attractions in the city and will also create career and educational opportunities. All with a renewed commitment by the service to reduce our carbon footprint.

·  Cllr Roper thanked the Heritage Services Team for their dedicated, innovative and exceptional work and for the benefits that they bring to the city and wider authority.

Cllr Alison Born seconded the motion and made the following points:

·  We are incredibly fortunate to have a world class visitor attraction i.e. the Roman Baths in the heart of our city and to be able to access it free of charge through the Council’s Discovery Card scheme.

·  In the Adult Social Care and Public Health area, we are used to making difficult decisions about how to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 87.