Decision details

Note - That Councillor Janette Jenkinson declared a non-pecuniary other registerable interest under Minute No. CEX/86 by virtue of the fact that she was a Director of Ulverston Community Enterprise and a Trustee of Ulverston Coronation Hall. She remained in the meeting during the discussion and voting on the item, although with no voting rights as a Member of the Shadow Cabinet.

Summary

The Economy, Culture and Leisure Portfolio Holder presented a report seeking approval for a transition grant to support the ongoing operation of Ulverston Coronation Hall. He outlined and expressed his support for the proposals.

No questions or comments were raised by members.

Decision

RESOLVED - That

(1)  a grant award to UCH of £100k be approved to support the Coronation Hall in acknowledgement of the time lost due to the pandemic and projected support to aid recovery, and that authority be delegated to the Director of Customer and Commercial Services in consultation with the Lead Specialist for Legal, Governance and Democracy, the Lead Specialist for Finance and the Portfolio Holders for Finance and Resources and Economy Culture and Leisure to agree terms and enter into the grant agreement.

Reasons for Decision

The decision relates to the following Council Plan priorities:-

·         Delivering a balanced community - Using culture and the arts to support the unique offer of our towns.

·         Working across boundaries – Promoting unique value propositions such as cultural and creative industries.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

There is the option not to provide any immediate grant support to UCH. This option is not recommended as the benefits of local management of the premises would be lost, it would risk its closure and, if the Council did take back the running of the Coronation Hall in-house, it would have its own cost and resourcing implications.

There is an option to provide a reduced amount of transitional grant funding to UCH, however this is not recommended as it will not provide the sufficient time and stability required for proper forward planning and sustainable business modelling.

There is a further option to provide the full grant funding and to enter into the new lease for UCH at this stage. This is not recommended because in recent months further information has come to light (outlined within the report) which the Council needs to consider and take an informed view upon, including in-sourcing the Markets as well as the viability of UCH and its current business plan and financial projections for Coronation Hall going forward.