Agenda and minutes

There were no Declarations of Interest made at this meeting.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Culture and Tourism held on 18^th February, 2014, were considered.

Resolved:- That the minutes of the previous meeting be approved as a correct record.

·         Officer to report. 

Members welcomed Rachael Ellis and Tom Sweetman (Communications and Marketing), who gave a presentation about the communications plan for the Grand Départ of the Tour de France cycle race in Yorkshire during July 2014.

The presentation and subsequent discussion highlighted the following issues:-

-          the context of the Tour de France – the number of spectators along the route and the world-wide television audience;

-          the three stages in the United Kingdom on 5^th, 6^th and 7^th July 2014 (Leeds-Harrogate; York-Sheffield and Cambridge-London);

-          promotional films were viewed, including ‘Made in Yorkshire’;

-          regularity and reliability of public transport links, enabling people to move between Rotherham and the Tour route in the Sheffield area; whether additional buses and trains will be provided;

-          the economic benefits to Yorkshire from the staging of this event;

-          Yorkshire Festival 2014 – 100 days of arts and culture, which will be launched on Thursday 27^th March 2014 and last until Sunday 6^th July 2014; free admission to events;

-          Cycle Yorkshire, The Legacy (launched in November 2013);

-          Rotherham’s proposed participation in the fringe festival events and in Cycle Yorkshire events;

-          promotion of events; use of the Tour de France name (but not the logo); shared access to web site images of the Tour de France;

-          ways of increasing participation in cycling; ensuring that the Rotherham Borough area is marketed as a place for people to visit by bicycle;

-          ways of increasing visitor numbers to Rotherham, both during the Tour de France Grand Départ in July 2014 and afterwards;

-          Bikeability cycle training projects in Rotherham schools; ensuring publicity for other cycling opportunities and projects in the Rotherham Borough area;

-          promotion of the health benefits of cycling; availability of cycles for hire at the Rotherham railway station; proposed cycle centre at the Rother Valley Country Park (and the provision of cycles for hire at the Country Park);

-          public cycle rides, with leaders (sponsored by the ‘Sky’ company) which will take place from June 2014 and onwards into 2015;

-          St. Thomas CE Primary School, Kilnhurst has won a regional film-making award, using a history theme, about cycling – the award was presented by the Sustrans organisation;

-          ‘Popped Art’ events during June 2014;

-          Gallery Town exhibition of art and paintings, with a cycling theme, which is planned to take place in Rotherham;

-          the Bike-It project and the Dr. Bike cycle maintenance scheme;

-          ensuring that Rotherham has a strong presence on the Tour de France web site, in order to attract visitors to the Borough area.

Resolved:- That the details of the communications plan be noted.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Customer and Cultural Services Manager, concerning the annual review of fees and charges for services within Customer and Cultural Services. The report contained the revised fees and charges proposed for the 2014/2015 financial year. 

Members noted that several core services still remained essentially free of charge, such as the public library service, the archives and local studies and museum services. Where charges were levied, there was often also a concessionary rate.

It was proposed that the revised fees and charges would take effect from 1st May, 2014.  However, the proposed fees in relation to the Civic Theatre would be in place for the period from 1^st September, 2014 until 31^st August, 2015, in part to reflect the seasonal nature of the programmed schedule of shows, events and performances.

Other changes to the fees and charges structure included:-

-          Blue Badge (disabled persons’ parking) – charges brought into line with those of other local authorities;

-          Heritage services – new minimum charges for school sessions;

-          Heritage activity sessions/Reminiscence/talks and tours – minimum charges;

-          Charges for marriage ceremonies at the Clifton Park Museum;

-          Gallery room hire charges brought into line with other services within the Directorate;

-          Theatres – the booking fee for debit card transactions will no longer be levied;

-          Civic Theatre night retainer.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That, subject to resolution (3) below, the revised fees and charges for Customer and Cultural Services, as set out in the report and appendices submitted, be approved and implemented with effect from 1^st May, 2014.

(3) That, further to resolution (2) above, the proposed revised fees in relation to the Civic Theatre, as now submitted, shall be levied during the period from 1^st September, 2014 until 31^st August, 2015.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Customer and Cultural Services Manager, relating to ‘Your Account’, an online portal which allows citizens to access personal information about the accounts they hold with the Council.

Members were informed that the Library Service wishes to develop its online service offer by providing personal library account information within the Council’s existing, secure citizen’s account portal, ‘Your Account’.   

The service will be developed by the existing ICT system suppliers, Gandlake (providing the citizen’s account) and Capita (providing the library management system). This is a development to the existing ICT systems of the Council and the work cannot be completed by other suppliers.  An exemption to standing orders is therefore required, enabling procurement to proceed from the companies referred to in the report.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the inclusion of personal library account information in the ‘Your Account’ citizens’ account portal, provided by this Council, as detailed in the report now submitted, be supported.

(3) That, further to resolution (2) above, the development costs of the ‘Your Account’ portal shall be exempt from the provisions of Standing Order 47.6.3 (requirement to invite three written quotations for contracts valued between £20,000 and £50,000), enabling the service to be developed by Gandlake and by Capita.

(nb: subsequent to this meeting and in view of the need to incur expenditure during the current financial year, The Mayor gave the necessary authorisation to exempt this decision from the Council’s call-in procedure)

·         Tuesday 22^nd April, 2014, to start at 10.00 a.m. in the Rotherham Town Hall. 

Resolved:- That the next meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Culture and Tourism take place on Tuesday 22^nd April, 2014, to start at 10.00 a.m. in the Rotherham Town Hall.