Contact your Parish Council
Economic Regeneration and Leisure |
15 February 2022 |
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Update on Timeline for Museum Gallery and Governance |
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Final Decision-Maker |
Economic Regeneration and Leisure Committee |
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Lead Head of Service |
John Foster, Head of Regeneration and Economic Development |
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Lead Officer and Report Author |
Victoria Barlow, Museums Director |
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Classification |
Public
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Wards affected |
All |
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Executive Summary |
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This report lays out the estimated timescales for two museum projects- the refurbishment of the Archaeology displays in the Withdrawing Room between 2022 and 2025 and the review of governance for the museum in 2022. |
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Purpose of Report
This report makes clear the processes involved in each project and identifies for members the length of time necessary to complete each project with the resources available. |
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This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee: |
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1. That Members note the timescales herein.
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Timetable |
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Meeting |
Date |
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ERL |
15 February 2022 |
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Update on Timeline for Museum Gallery and Governance |
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1. CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS
Issue |
Implications |
Sign-off |
Impact on Corporate Priorities |
The four Strategic Plan objectives are:
· Embracing Growth and Enabling Infrastructure · Safe, Clean and Green · Homes and Communities · A Thriving Place We do not expect the recommendations will by themselves materially affect achievement of corporate priorities.
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Head of Regeneration and Economic Development |
Cross Cutting Objectives |
The four cross-cutting objectives are:
· Heritage is Respected · Health Inequalities are Addressed and Reduced · Deprivation and Social Mobility is Improved · Biodiversity and Environmental Sustainability is respected
The report recommendation supports the achievement of the Heritage is Respected cross cutting objectives by laying out plans for improvement in the presentation of Maidstone’s history and in the governance of the museum service.
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Head of Regeneration and Economic Development |
Risk Management |
· No decision is needed |
Museums Director |
Financial |
· No decision is needed |
Section 151 Officer & Finance Team |
Staffing |
· No decision is required
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Head of Regeneration and Economic Development |
Legal |
· No decision is required |
Team Leader, Contracts and Commissioning |
Privacy and Data Protection |
· The projects described will increase the volume of data held by the Council. We will hold that data in line with our retention schedules.
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Policy and Information Team |
Equalities |
· The recommendations do not propose a change in service therefore will not require an equalities impact assessment |
Equalities & Communities Officer |
Public Health
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· We recognise that the recommendations will not negatively impact on population health or that of individuals.
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Healthy Lifestyles Officer |
Crime and Disorder |
· The recommendation will not have a negative impact on Crime and Disorder.
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Museums Director |
Procurement |
· The report is for noting only |
Head of Regeneration and Economic Development |
Biodiversity and Climate Change |
· The implications of this report on biodiversity and climate change have been considered and are; · There are no implications on biodiversity and climate change.
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Museums Director |
2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
2.1. At the Economic Regeneration and Leisure Committee (ERL) held in November 2021, members requested details of the timescales for two agreed projects - the refurbishment of displays telling the story of Maidstone’s earliest history from the Mesolithic to late Mediaeval periods and the review of the museum’s governance (as required three years after the decision of ERL in 2018 to adopt the status quo).
3. ARCHAEOLOGY GALLERY
3.1 The following assumptions have been made in producing this timetable:
· Major elements are shown.
· Current staffing levels and hours will be retained
· Current opening hours will be retained
· Work on the gallery is prioritised in staff objectives
3.2 The timeline has been produced using the previous experience of the professional museum team and by comparison with other museum refurbishments. For example a new gallery at Brighton Museum was opened in January 2019. The gallery it replaced was closed in May 2017 but prior to that there had been a period of negotiation with the funder during which time, research and other work had begun. In total the project took roughly three years which, a staff member acknowledged, was a challenge. At Corinium Museum in Colchester, the main gallery was refurbished with a two stage lottery bid which lasted 6 years from 2014-2020.
4. MUSEUM GOVERNANCE REVIEW
4.1 In June 2017 members voted to retain the governance of Maidstone Museums. A report to committee at that time considered the options for finding a method of governance for Maidstone Museums. In summary, the report found that, while transfer to a Charitable Trust would bring many, longer-term, strategic advantages to the museums, it would not benefit the council as a whole since financial investment would be required at a time when savings were being sought. Thus, members elected to retain the museums for the present but members also required that officers continue to monitor the museum sector, any changes to Trust Status and anything that might cause the decision to be reconsidered.
4.2 Four governance options recommended by Julie Cole, Governance Consultant, were considered by officers initially:
· Status quo.
· Create a new charitable trust and transfer full management &operational responsibility. The museum collections and buildings would remain in the ownership of Maidstone Council so they could not be disposed of by the Trust without the permission of MBC. Staff and operations would be the responsibility of the Trust and defined through a Service Level Agreement.
· Partner with existing charity already managing a museum and transfer full management and operational responsibility- This option was rejected as there is no potential partner able or willing to enter such an agreement.
· Create a new charitable trust and transfer partial management & operational responsibility. This option was rejected as it would create a two tier staffing structure with current staff remaining as MBC employees. This offered the Council no benefits but considerable liabilities.
4.3 While each option offered different benefits and risks, an overall timescale for review can be shown as follows:
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TASKS |
TIMESCALE* |
Review of previous options |
Review by external firm of Solicitors advising MBC of each option in light of any changes to: · Legal requirements · Charity Commission Changes · Success of exemplar Trusts since 2017
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Solicitors have been instructed.
8 weeks |
Decision |
Report to ERL committee for decision allowing for writing, review and publication dates |
8 weeks |
No further action required |
N/A |
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OR |
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Establishing Charitable Trust in agreed form |
Initial independent trustee recruitment + training
Submission of the Charity Commission application
Charity Commission approval (8-20 weeks)
Establishing banking and financial arrangements
Establishing relevant policies
Establishing contractual agreements re Collections and Buildings
Agreements with Union and Staff re employment conditions
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18-24 months |
· Timescales will be affected by length of time taken to recruit suitable consultant or take similar advice.
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RISK
Risks related to this matter were detailed in the report Museums Future
Governance Options presented to committee on 6th March 2018. Since
that report the risks identified have not significantly changed
6 CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK
Previous report made to committee Museums Future Governance Options on 6th March 2018.
7 NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION
Work can commence on both items immediately