Meeting documents

Also present at the invitation of the Chairman

Professor Peter Rawson, Chair, Scarborough Museums Trust – for Item 6

Ms Debbie Seymour, Chief Executive, Scarborough Museums Trust –for Item 6

Mr Stephen Wood, Executive Director, Stephen Joseph Theatre – for Item 5

The Chair, Councillor Jeffels declared a personal interest in agenda item 6, Scarborough Museums Trust - annual review 2013/14, in his capacity as the Council representative on the Board of Scarborough Museums Trust.

Councillor Mrs Jefferson declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 7, Evaluation of Seafest 2014, in her capacity as Chair of the Seafest Steering Group.

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 29 October 2014.  (Minutes attached).

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 29 October 2014 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Chairman reported that no public questions had been submitted.

To consider a report (attached) by Geoff Day, Head of Primary Care, North Yorkshire and Humber Area Team, NHS England

The committee considered a report by the Head of Primary Care, North Yorkshire and Humber Area Team, NHS England which provided an update on the outcome of NHS England’s negotiations with the two outlier GP practices in the Borough, Danby and Egton surgeries, in respect of the withdrawal of the Minimum Practice Income Guarantee (MPIG) payment.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

To consider a report by the Director of Service Delivery (Reference 14/422 attached)

The Committee considered a report by the Director of Service Delivery (Reference 14/422) which reviewed the performance of Scarborough Theatre Trust (STT) in 2013/14 as per the terms of the service level agreement (SLA) between the Council and the STT.  The report was introduced by the Council’s Area Tourism Director, Janet Deacon who highlighted some of the headline figures in the report for the year: audience numbers at the Stephen Joseph Theatre (SJT) totalling 65,563, audiences on tour accounting for a further 33,040, and the vast majority of outputs in the SLA achieved. The  Executive Director of the SJT, Stephen Wood then delivered a presentation which centred on the impact and extent of the theatre’s outreach work with different age groups and sections of the community, and the exciting development in 2015 of a new Outreach Centre (part funded by Arts Council Lottery Grant) on site to accommodate the growing demand.  Members then questioned Mr Wood about his presentation.  In response, he commented that there was currently a waiting list for the Scarborough Rounders Theatre group which the new Outreach Centre may be able to relieve.  Mr Wood was very disappointed with the County Council’s decision to cease funding the theatre completely, and reminded Members of the importance of the Borough Council’s financial support, without which the Arts Council would no longer provide funding.  He reiterated the theatre’s national and international reputation, noting that the theatre’s recent production on Broadway was voted sixth of the top ten plays staged in the United States.  He added that the theatre tried to cater for all school groups and individuals, whatever their means, since the public subsidy was awarded to make the theatre as accessible as possible.  He also referred to the transformative effect of the theatre’s outreach work with school children, building their confidence, social skills and self-esteem.  Members commended the significant value of the STT to the Borough, culturally, educationally and economically, and urged the Council to continue providing financial support, even at a time of increasing pressure on the authority’s budgets.  The Chairman thanked Mr Wood for his presentation and for answering Members’ questions.

RESOLVED that:

(i)            The report be received; and

(ii)          The committee give its wholehearted support to the continued funding of the STT by the Borough Council.

To consider a report by the Director of Service Delivery (Reference 14/428 attached)

The Committee considered a report by the Director of Service Delivery (Reference 14/428) which reviewed the performance of the Scarborough Museums Trust (SMT) in 2013/14 as per the terms of the service level agreement (SLA) between the Council and the SMT.  The report was introduced by the Council’s Area Tourism Director, Janet Deacon who highlighted the major positive changes which had taken place since the Chief Executive, Debbie Seymour’s appointment – the new staffing structure, Strategic Plan and growth in outreach work – but also the decline in visitor numbers at both the Art Gallery and the Rotunda Museum, and the work of the joint SMT/Council review group chaired by Councillor Jane Kenyon-Miller which had been established to examine and recommend changes to the out of date SLA, and to identify future efficiencies and potential service improvements, at a time of increasing pressure on the local authority’s budgets.  As an example of more efficient working, Ms Deacon alluded to the SMT joining forces with Sheffield International Venues and the STT to explore opportunities for cross-promotion and efficiencies through joint marketing and distribution.  The Chief Executive of the SMT, Debbie Seymour then delivered a presentation which based on the Trust’s vision ‘to build a spirit of community and ownership around the museums in Scarborough’, highlighted some of the Trust’s activities last year: the Real Life Retold story-telling project with the Stephen Joseph Theatre, the Great Art Quest education project for children funded by the Prince’s Trust, the launch of the William Smith trail, and the growth in volunteers at the museums from nil at the end of 2012 to 50.  In October, the Rotunda Museum was voted the most popular ‘geosite’ in the country in the educational category, coming ahead of the Natural History Museum.   Ms Seymour recognised the drop in visitor numbers in 2013/14, but attributed this to an organisation going through enormous change.  Outreach contacts however increased in 2013/14 and this work was developing in 2014/15 through the new Community Curator position.  One of the challenges the Trust faced was to diversify its income streams: to build its fundraising capacity, but also to develop a new Museum of Scarborough on another site, which would help overcome the space limitations of the Art Gallery and Rotunda Museum, and enable the Trust to become more sustainable, by creating a venue which could provide more space for exhibitions, and also generate revenue, for example, by hosting conferences and seminars.  The Trust also required a longer term lease from the Council to invest in the Art Gallery; in particular, to make it more accessible for disabled people.  Members then questioned Ms Seymour and Professor Rawson about the report.  In response, Members were advised that visitor numbers were showing an improvement this year at both sites.  Figures for spring and summer at the Art Gallery were on a par with the previous year, but had increased this autumn because of the high profile of the current Remember Scarborough exhibition.  Touring exhibitions were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider a report by the Director of Service Delivery (Reference 14/358 attached)

The committee considered a report by the Director of Service Delivery (Reference 14/358) which provided a review of Scarborough Seafest 2014, in response to concerns raised at the Cabinet by a member of the public that were then referred to scrutiny.  Some issues raised by the member of the public were that the event did not have enough of a family focus, and that it took away business from local traders, together with a proposal that the event be held outside of the height of the summer season.  An independent evaluation of the impact of the event on the local economy undertaken by Create, and an assessment of the review’s findings were presented to the committee.  Members were advised that over 21,000 people attended Seafest, of which 65% visited from outside the Borough, and 48% of these cited the festival as the principal reason for their visit.  Seafest was a highly successful event which this year generated £1.2m for the local economy.  Seafest no longer relied on a subsidy from the Borough Council, only on officer time and the use of the West Pier Car Park.  The review demonstrated that closing the car park for the weekend did not dissuade visitors, but dispersed visitor cars to other car parks in the town.  Seafest now had an established place in the summer calendar, and because of its outdoor nature, and the risk of potential competition with other local events at other times of the season, for example, Malton Food Festival in May, it was felt unwise to consider moving the date.  2014 was the first year that the festival had secured Arts Council funding to offer more family orientated attractions, and it was proposed to continue in this vein for future years.  The bar area, music and stalls effectively funded the event, and there was evidence that these attractions were popular with families.  The Chair of the Seafest Steering Group, Councillor Jefferson then addressed the committee, tracing the origins of the festival in the local fishing industry and noting the continued value the fishing fraternity placed on the festival – not only them, but traders and residents from across the town and Borough.  Every effort was made to avoid any competition with existing trade, and local businesses themselves were invited to take stalls.  Members welcomed this very positive report but questioned the justification for expending so many resources on the review.  The Area Tourism Director explained that the evaluation by Create was required in any case as part of the conditions of Arts Council funding.

RESOLVED that:

(i)            The report be received; and

(ii)          The committee endorse Option A to ‘continue to support Seafest in kind during July by providing West Pier Car Park and by providing some officer support, on the proviso that the event continues to focus more on the provision of a range of family entertainment.’

(Since Councillor Jefferson had declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item, after addressing the committee, she did not take  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To consider a report by the Director of Democratic and Legal Services (Reference 14/401 attached)

The committee considered a report by the Director of Democratic and Legal Services (Reference 14/401) in relation to the committee’s work programme for the current year.  The Overview and Scrutiny Manager reported that Geoff Day, Head of Primary Care at the Local Area Team of NHS England had requested to attend the next meeting of the committee on 4 February to present a report on NHS England’s current review of local Personal Medical Services contracts.  PMS was a locally agreed alternative to General Medical Service (GMS) contracts for GP practices.  NHS England was undertaking this review because they had to demonstrate equity of funding with GMS GP practices.  Members were also advised that twin-hatted members on the Council were being employed to feed back the local reaction to the County Council’s planned changes to local library services to inform this committee’s own response to the consultation (also 4 February).  Members then discussed the prevalence of mental health issues in the Borough and how Scarborough and Ryedale CCG was investing much in mental health services.  The committee agreed to delegate responsibility to the Chair and Councillor Billing to respond on the committee’s behalf to the current County Council public consultation on a new mental health support line for the whole county.

RESOLVED that, subject to the above amendments, the report be received.