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Decision details
Report of the Economic & Commercial Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Events Review
Decision Maker: Cabinet.
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: Yes
Purpose:
To consider the recommendations within the ‘Events Review’ report attached at Appendix A, and the SCRAIP response attached as Appendix B, to the report of the Economic and Commercial Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Decision:
(a)
That the recommendations made by the Economic and Commercial
Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee (as set out in
Appendix A to the report) and the Scrutiny Committee Response
Action Implementation Plan (SCRAIP) (as set out in Appendix B to
the report) be noted;
(b)
That the Director of Regeneration and Communities, together
with the Head of Commercial and
Economic Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for
Community & Leisure Services and the Cabinet Member for
Economic and Commercial Development, review the recommendations
that the Committee made and incorporate them where appropriate into
the Strategy for Festivals and Events
that will be produced early in the new municipal year;
and
(c) That the Commercial Strategy for Festivals and Events be brought to a future Cabinet Meeting for consideration.
Reasons for the decision:
(a)
At the meeting of the 22 October 2013, the Economic and Commercial
Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee decided to undertake
a review of events in the borough. The
scoping document for this review was attached at Appendix A to the
report of the Economic & Commercial Development Overview &
Scrutiny Committee. The scope of the
review was expanded to include an assessment of how the Council
supports those who run event sin the borough. This was because during the meeting of 28 January
2014 Dawn Hudd, the Head of Commercial and Economic Development,
informed the Committee of a toolkit to measure the impact of events
that the Council would be introducing.
It was explained to the Committee that this toolkit would not be
able to measure the impact of past events. Therefore the Committee decided to increase the
scope of the review.
(b)
The Committee interviewed a wide variety of witnesses to gather
evidence for this review, including:
- Dawn Hudd, Head of Commercial & Economic Development at
Maidstone Borough Council
- Jennifer Hunt, Local Economy Project Officer at Maidstone
Borough Council
- Alan Reading, Chairman of Maidstone Tourism Association
- Ken Scott, Chairman of Maidstone Area Arts Partnership
- Emily Hirons, General Manager and
Natalie Kirk, Events
Manager of Kent Life
- Natalie Price, General Manager of the Hazlitt Arts
Centre
(c) The recommendations set out in the report of the Economic & Commercial Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee to Cabinet are made as a result of the evidence heard from the above witnesses.
Alternative options considered:
Cabinet could have decided not to respond to the recommendations contained within the “Events Review” report, but was mindful that the recommendations are based on evidence from a range of sources and support the Council’s objectives with regard to Maidstone being a decent place to live.
Details of the Committee: None
Contact: Email: clarewood@maidstone.gov.uk.
Report author: Clare Wood
Publication date: 16/05/2014
Date of decision: 14/05/2014
Decided: 14/05/2014 - Cabinet.
Effective from: 24/05/2014
Accompanying Documents: