Agenda item

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 spend the money we have but those decisions would be far more challenging if we did not have the additional funding we get from Heritage services.  This helps the Council to provide the services that our residents need and enables it to avoid some of the cuts that other councils are having to make.

·  The council has invested in a talented team to lead our World Heritage services and the advantages we derive from those services results from the skill, hard work and dedication of that team. The impressive and ambitious plans they are developing for the fashion museum will bring further benefits to Bath and North East Somerset.

Cllr Paul May acknowledged the importance of the funds generated by Heritage Services which has an impact on services throughout Bath and North East Somerset.  He praised the effectiveness and efficiency of the team and also welcomed the educational aspects of the plan.

Cllr Sarah Warren congratulated the team on their work to reduce the carbon footprint and pointed out that the spa waters are used to heat the Clore Learning Centre. 

Cllr Kevin Guy stated that Councils have recently been portrayed by central government as being wasteful in their approach.  He pointed out that the Heritage Service is run by Council members and officers and is a great example of both national and worldwide success.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

To approve the Heritage Services Business Plan 2024-2029.