MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

economic and commercial development overview and scrutiny committee

TUESDAY 26 AUGUST 2014

REPORT OF HEAD OF COMMERICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Report prepared by Laura Case

1.           events and festivals policy; events review scraip follow up

1.1        Issues for Consideration

1.1.1   To consider the draft Festivals and Events Policy.

1.1.2   To consider the Events Review SCRAIP.

1.2        Recommendation

1.2.1   That the committee considers the draft Festival and Events Policy and makes its recommendations accordingly.

1.2.2   That the committee considers the Events Review SCRAIP and recommends that the points raised and agreed have been or are being addressed in the Festival and Events Policy and the agreed timetable. 

1.2.3   That the committee gives consideration to the development of major and large events in the Borough and that it considers the number and size of events that can be held in the Boroughs parks and open spaces and makes recommendations accordingly.

1.3        Reasons for Recommendation

1.3.1   The Festivals and Events Policy provides a strategic framework for events and festivals in Maidstone Borough.

1.3.2   The Festivals and Events Policy sets out the priorities, aims and objectives for the delivery of the Council’s Events and Festivals programme and ensures that any current or proposed event, whether organised or supported by the Council or as an activity held on its land, can be evaluated against a set of guiding principles (Outlined in Appendix A Page 4 & 5 Section 3: Aims and Objectives)

1.3.3   The policy will enable the development of a festivals and events programme that has a significant contribution to the status and the image of the Borough benefiting the local economy and creating a lively and vibrant place to live, work and visit; whilst looking to minimise any negative impacts i.e. on the environment.

1.3.4   The Policy will ensure that we can hold events and festivals in MBC venues and ensure they all follow the same process to enable MBC to limit the amount of negative impacts and complaints.

1.3.5   The Festivals and Events Policy will enable MBC to increase the income streams from Events and Festivals and ensure a sustainable use of the Borough’s venues.

1.3.6   The progression and development of the Boroughs Festivals and Events are an integral part of delivering core elements of the Council’s Strategic Plan, Commercialisation Strategy and Maidstone Culture and Leisure Business Plan.

1.4        Alternative Action and why not Recommended

1.4.1   MBC could decide not to adopt the policy and could continue to run Festivals and Events as they currently do. This would mean that significant additional income would not be achieved and funding would need to be sourced from elsewhere.

1.4.2   It would also have an impact on smaller events as they would not be as well supported to start and develop events and festivals in the Borough’s venues.

1.4.3   MBC would miss the opportunity to develop a sustainable programme of quality Festivals and Events which would enhance the borough as a destination.

1.4.4   To continue to run Events and Festivals in the Borough without a policy, which includes the development of toolkits in support of events, leaves MBC open to criticism and complaints as each event would not be measured or booked with aims and objectives to support them.

1.5        Impact on Corporate Objectives

1.5.1 The Festival & Events Policy sits in support of MBC’s Corporate Objectives:

2. For Maidstone to be a decent place to live

Maidstone already has a clean, attractive and well designed and built environment. We wish to maintain this and ensure that proper respect is paid to its diverse and valuable assets so that Maidstone is a place where people want to live. We will continue to support our most vulnerable residents and seek to reduce the different forms of deprivation across the Borough in both urban and rural areas.

3. Corporate and Customer Excellence

The Council will have a productive workforce with people in the right place at the right time, delivering cost effective services. Services will be affordable, delivered on time and to agreed standards in an accessible way.

1.5.2. Progressing the measures to bridge the Annual Savings Targets (as

defined in the Budget Strategy) will be critical in ensuring that funding

exists so that: ‘Effective, cost efficient services are delivered across

the Borough.’

1.6        Other Implications

1.6.1    

1.7        Relevant Documents

1.7.1   Appendices

Appendix A: Draft Festivals & Events Policy

Appendix B: Events Review SCRAIP

1.7.2   Background Documents

·         Maidstone Culture and Leisure Business Plan

·         Commercialisation Strategy

IS THIS A KEY DECISION REPORT?                  THIS BOX MUST BE COMPLETED   x     Yes                                               No     If yes, this is a Key Decision because: ……………………………………………………………..   …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….     Wards/Parishes affected: …………………………………………………………………………………..   ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..