Agenda item

JOINT COMMITTEE FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

OPEN-AIR MUSEUM

At a Meeting of the Joint Committee for the North of England Open-Air Museum held in the Collections Study Room, Regional Resource Centre, Beamish Museum on Friday 18 November 2011 at 10.00 a.m.

PRESENT:

Councillor D Marshall in the Chair

Members of the Joint Committee

Councillors Bailey, J Bell, Boyes, Carr, Gittins, May, Naylor, Shuttleworth, Thomson, Todd, Wilkinson and Wright (Durham County Council) Goldsworthy and Green (Gateshead MBC), Mortimer (North Tyneside MBC) Cunningham and Kerr (South Tyneside MBC) and R Bell and Kelly (Sunderland City Council)

Co-opted Members (Non-Voting)

Friends – Mr M Dix

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Blakey, Farry, Iveson, C Marshall, Stoker, J Wilson and Wright (Durham County Council), Craig (Gateshead MBC), Dixon (South Tyneside MBC) Foster, Richardson, Scott, Speding and Walker (Sunderland City Council), Mrs E Hunter, Mr S Skipsey and Mrs S Stewart (Beamish Development Trust) and Mr A Ashburner (Friends)

1      Minutes of the Meeting held on 9 September 2011

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 September 2011 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

2      Museum Update

The Joint Committee received a report from the Museum Director giving an update on Museum business (for copy see file of Minutes).

Members were informed that October has been very busy with a successful Halloween event that had sold out on both nights.  The Museum was on target to achieve over 450,000 at the year end.  Over 3,500 people were expected to attend the BBC Children in Need event and it was hoped to have a busy Christmas season including two additional evening events.  Investments made on the Fairground and Fish and Chip Shop had proved successful and were very popular with visitors.  The Museum had recently won a North East Tourism Award for the large visitor attraction of the year and will go on to represent the North East region at the national awards.

Members were advised about capital projects underway at the Museum including plans for a bakery.

Resolved:-

That the report be noted.

3      Revenue Budget Review 2011/12

The Joint Committee considered a joint report of the Museum Director and Treasurer reviewing the Revenue Budget for 2011/12 (for copy see file of Minutes).

The Treasurer informed Members that a reduction in both Audit fees and associated advertising costs (because the Joint Committee qualifies as a smaller public body) would help to reduce the amount of funding necessary to be drawn from the Surplus in 2011/12 by £18,300 which had the effect of increasing the projected Surplus at 31^st March 2012 to £93,000.  It was also reported that the Surplus funds held by the Joint Committee would be fully utilised by 2015/2016 if existing constituent authorities maintained their current contributions and that the BML company would then have to contribute to meet any deficit from this point. The main reason for this position was the fact that the Joint Committee was meeting the capital costs of the £500,000 loan taken out to fund the Edwardian Fun Fair attractions. If current contributions were to be reduced then this would have the effect of bringing forward the period the deficit will have to be met by the BML company.

Members were hopeful that other authorities in the region would make a contribution especially following talks and events held throughout the region and the amount of community work undertaken by the Museum.

Resolved:-

That the revised Revenue Budget for 2011/12 shown at Appendix A, be approved.

4          Exclusion of the Public

Resolved:-

That under Section 100 A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to the said Act.

5      Major Museum Application to the Arts Council

The Joint Committee received a report from the Museum Director that outlined the key aspects of the Beamish led bid for Major Museum grant funding (for copy see file of Minutes).

The bid is led by Beamish working in partnership with Bowes Museum and if successful would support a programme of projects for a three year period.

Resolved:-

That the report be noted.

6        2013-2025 Development Plan

The Joint Committee received a report from the Museum Director that outlined the key areas and concepts of a new development and business plan for Beamish covering the period 2013-2025 (for copy see file of Minutes).

Resolved:-

That the report be noted.