Issue - meetings

1.  That the contents of the Report of the Head of Commercial and Economic Development be noted; and

2.  That any proposal or decision to re-establish a Maidstone River Festival be taken to the Destination Management Plan (DMP) Steering Group which will now oversee the delivery of the DMP  Action Plans.

The Head of Commercial and Economic Development, Dawn Hudd, spoke to a report setting out the history of the River Festival from the Council’s perspective, noting that the River Festival had been organised by an independent committee and had not been a Council organised event.

Members made reference to the following:

The boating community had unofficially congregated for the past several years in a festival of boats to celebrate the river.

Anecdotal evidence suggested that the River Festival had been beneficial to food and drinks retailers, but detrimental to general town centre retailers.

Members were in agreement that Maidstone’s cultural offering should be supported and its identity enhanced.

The Committee heard that the Council’s newly adopted Destination Management Plan (DMP) included reference to promoting activities on the river. The DMP, in belonging to the whole leisure sector, included representation from several organisations as well as MBC Officers, and the Committee had a representative on the DMP Board. Update reports on the actions of the DMP Board would be brought to Committee by those Officers in attendance.

RESOLVED:

1.  That the contents of the Report of the Head of Commercial and Economic Development be noted; and

2.  That any proposal or decision to re-establish a Maidstone River Festival be taken to the Destination Management Plan (DMP) Steering Group which will now oversee the delivery of the DMP  Action Plans.