Agenda item

Interview with Councillor Moss, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Zena Cooke, Director of Regeneration & Communities. 

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Moss, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, to the meeting.

It was noted that apologies for absence had been received from Paul Fisher, Head of Legal Services, who was represented at the meeting by Zena Cooke, Director of Regeneration and Communities.

The Cabinet Member explained that the primary objective of the lease, relating to the Ground Floor Entrance Foyer forming part of the Town Hall, was to support the Volunteer Bureau to increase the number of volunteers registered in the borough. Between April and September 2013, 249 people had registered to volunteer at the Volunteer Bureau. 

The following points, arising from the Visitor Information Centre Review 2012/13 and relating to the use of the Town Hall Foyer, had been incorporated into the lease between the Council and Voluntary Action Maidstone (VAM):

·  a methodology for logging visitor numbers and enquiries would be used at the Town Hall that is consistent with that used by the Visitor Information team;

·  VAM staff and volunteers based at the Town Hall would provide visitor information;

·  VAM staff and volunteers based at the Town Hall would be supported by the Council’s customer service advisors to provide visitor information.

A number of issues, in relation to sections of the lease, were discussed by the Committee including:

·  Permitted Use

·  Service Media

·  Opening Hours

·  Security and Keyholders

·  Refurbishment

·  Foyer Use

·  Access Way 

·  Use and Nuisance

·  Property Obligations

The Committee were keen to express their support for VAM in the Foyer and of the work they do, but expressed concerns in relation to the opening hours not including the weekends. Zena Cooke, Director of Regeneration and Communities, explained that consideration had been given to opening the Town Hall at weekends but regrettably, due to the costs involved, it was not possible. 

RESOLVED:

a)  That the success of the volunteer bureau in increasing the number of volunteers registered by Volunteer Action Maidstone (VAM) be noted;

b)  That the draft lease for the Town Hall be noted;

c)  It was recommended that Section 6.2, of the draft lease for the Town Hall Foyer, be re-worded, and checked by Legal Services, to ensure clarity in terms of refurbishment responsibilities;

d)  It was recommended that Schedule 2 (Rights Retained), of the draft lease for the Town Hall Foyer, be reviewed, in relation to Foyer Use (2-3), to establish whether it is necessary to include a fixed number of days in terms of the landlord’s right to use the property upon giving the tenant two weeks’ notice;

e)  It was recommended, in view of the Town Hall being closed at weekends, that information be clearly displayed to ensure visitors are signposted to the Visitor Information Centre, at the Museum, and to further information, such as the Visit Maidstone website;

f)  That further information, concerning visitor information numbers and types of enquiry, be provided to the Committee at their next meeting (28 January 2014). In addition to details from the Visitor Information Centre (at the Museum) and the Town Hall, a breakdown of enquiries received via email, internet and telephone should be provided.