Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)

(Report of Chief Officer (Environment)

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)

Helen Hicks and Rachel-Ann Powers who had registered to speak in accordance with the City Council’s agreed procedure and Cabinet Procedure Rule 2.7 addressed the meeting on this item and responded to questions raised by Cabinet Members.

At this point Councillor Barry declared an interest in view of his involvement with the Friends of the Storey Gardens.

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Environment) which sought a decision on the future of the tasting garden.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

OPTION 1- Consider that restoration of the artwork is a priority for the Council and that in its role as a steward the Council should properly lead on it.

In order to arrive at this option Cabinet would need consider the following-

·       What actual evidence is there that this is generally what our citizens want?

·      How would the restoration be funded?  If the Council was to allocate resources for the Garden, in effect they would need to be redirected from another initiative or activity.  Realistically, therefore, it could be viewed that the Council does not have the resources to directly fund restoration and if so, external funds would need to be raised. We have been told that there are likely to be funds available out there. Experience tells us that obtaining external funding can be a complicated and time consuming exercise, depending on the regime under which funding is being sought, and match funding may well be required.

· How would the project be resourced? As stated above just raising the funds could be time consuming and complicated. Due to the need to prioritise and focus on core activities the Council does not have available officer time or expertise that could be allocated to this, if such a route was chosen. Therefore, Cabinet would need to consider this as an area for growth, as appropriate.

· How would the restored project be maintained? The ongoing maintenance of the artwork would be intensive and would again require ongoing growth – this need is a very real difficulty given the financial outlook.

· Even if funds are available obtaining them could take a number of years, depending on the route chosen, and in any event the timescales would not fit with the review of the Storey operation, required by 2017/18. What does the Council do with the garden in the interim and how will that support the Storey business plan?  What about the future?  What would need to change?

OPTION 2- Consider that restoration of the artwork is a  priority for the Council, but only on the firm basis that it was resource- and risk- free for the authority, and so could only take place if full responsibility could be transferred, in some way, to a third party.

In order to arrive at this option Cabinet would need to consider the following-

· The Council are properly stewards of the garden. How would transferring/delegating this responsibility to a third party fit with that?

· What evidence is there that the general desire of our of citizens is that a valuable space is delegated to a third party to manage in the hope that funds can be raised to restore the artwork therein?

· What would happen if the third party lost interest in the project, or got into difficulties, especially bearing in mind previous experience?

·  How would the long term maintenance of the project be funded and managed?

· How would this fit in with the business plan of the Storey, and the requirement for the operation to be reviewed prior to 2017/18?

·  What would happen to the garden whilst the funds are being raised?

                      Cabinet need to be aware that gaining satisfactory answers to these questions may prove impossible – there is no guarantee that this option is viable and it could tie up much Officer time pursuing it, to no avail.

OPTION 3- Accept that ideally the artwork would be restored and would support the wider aims of the Storey and provide an attraction for our citizens but that the reality is that the policy and financial context of the Council mean that this is an unrealistic option. Therefore the most realistic option is to make the very best of the gardens, within the resources we have, and in a way that goes to meeting the needs of our citizens and the business plan for the Storey. The details to be determined through the masterplanning process that Cabinet have already agreed.

In order to arrive at this option Cabinet would need to consider the following-

· What is the current and future financial position of the Council and what are the competing priorities?

· This option may be seen by some as not supporting wider aims and objectives for arts and culture in the District. However, this needs to be balanced by the fact that the Council already provides considerable ongoing support to arts and culture within the District.

· The view expressed by many citizens is that what really matters is that the gardens are brought back into use. Done properly this option could support the wider plans for the Storey and could (subject to testing through the masterplan process) reasonably include use of the garden to promote arts and culture.

· There is already an active ‘Friends of ’ group who the Council could continue to work with to improve the gardens in the short term and deliver aspects of the masterplan once agreed.

· This option is based around the current financial realities facing the Council so would be designed to be delivered within existing resources, and could fit with the future review of the wider Storey operation.

Cabinet are requested to agree in principle the way forward. Whatever option is chosen it is expected further more detailed reports will be brought back to Cabinet.

Councillor Blamire proposed, seconded by Councillor Hanson:-

“(1)   That a further report be prepared with information on governance/land ownership issues, and a timescale together with a masterplan with two options: one option being the reinstatement of the artwork, the other a more broadly based opportunity for people to use the Storey Gardens. 

(2)       That if following consideration of the report and masterplans, the decision is taken to restore the Tasting Gardens, the Council will not look to do that itself but would expect the supporters of the Tasting Gardens to undertake this recognising that there would be a cost implication to the City Council which would be responsible for any ongoing maintenance costs.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved:

(7 Members (Councillors Blamire, Bryning, Hamilton-Cox, Hanson, Leytham, Sands and Smith) voted in favour and 1 Member (Councillor Barry) abstained.)

(1)     That a further report be prepared with information on governance/land ownership issues, and a timescale together with a masterplan with two options: one option being the reinstatement of the artwork, the other a more broadly based opportunity for people to use the Storey Gardens. 

(2)       That if following consideration of the report and masterplans, the decision is taken to restore the Tasting Gardens, the Council will not look to do that itself but would expect the supporters of the Tasting Gardens to undertake this recognising that there would be a cost implication to the City Council which would be responsible for any ongoing maintenance costs.

Officer responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Officer (Environment)

Reasons for making the decision:

The decision recognises the polarisation of views.  The Council has a clearly defined strategy for the Storey Institute and this includes the recognition that the gardens are an integral part of the business plan for the facility. This will be addressed in the forthcoming report and draft masterplans.

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