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 16 March 2012 at 10.45 a.m.

 

PRESENT:

 

Councillor D Marshall in the Chair

 

Members of the Joint Committee

Councillors Bailey, Bell, Blakey, Carr, Gittins, Iveson, Naylor, Thomson, Todd, Wilkinson and Wright (Durham County Council) Craig, Goldsworthy and Green (Gateshead MBC), Mortimer (North Tyneside MBC) Cunningham and Kerr (substitute for Councillor Gibson) (South Tyneside MBC) and R Bell, Kelly and Richardson (Sunderland City Council)

 

Co-opted Members (Non-Voting)

Friends – Mr A Ashburner and MR M Dix

BDT – Mrs E Hunter

 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Farry, C Marshall, May and J Wilson (Durham County Council), Dixon, Kerr and Maxwell (South Tyneside MBC), Foster and Walker (Sunderland City Council) and Mrs S Stewart (Beamish Development Trust)

 

 

1      Minutes of the Meeting held on 13 January 2012

 

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 January 2012 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

 

2.     Review of Outturn 2011/12 and Draft Revenue Budget 2012/13

 

The Joint Committee considered a joint report of the Director and Treasurer that reviewed the Revenue Budget for 2011/12 to reflect developments since the revised budget was approved on 18 November 2011 and sought approval for the Draft Revenue Budget for 2012/13 (for copy see file of Minutes).

 

 

Resolved:

 

(a)                         That the revised Revenue Budget for the Joint Committee, as shown at Appendix A to the report, be approved.

(b)                         That the draft Revenue Budget for the Joint Committee, as shown at Appendix A to the report, be approved.

 

 

3      Museum Update

 

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

 

A total of 497,891 visitors had attended the Museum in the 2011/12 year, which was an 18% increase on the previous year and was the second highest number of visitors on record.

 

The dates of forthcoming Museum events were attached at Appendix A to the report, however, the Museum Director asked that Members confirm these dates with the Museum should they be attending any event, as they could be subject to change.

 

Resolved:-

That the report be noted.

 

 

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        Business and Operational Improvement Plan – Capital Programme Project Report No. 9

 

The Joint Committee received a report from the Museum Director that provided an update on the variations and funding for Capital Projects (for copy see file of Minutes).

 

Resolved:-

That the report be approved.

 

 

6        Long Term Business Plan Development

 

The Joint Committee received a report from the Museum Director that summarised reports and studies carried out by the Museum in order to develop a business and development plan for 2013 – 2025 (for copy see file of Minutes).

 

Resolved:-

That the report be noted.

 

 

7.     Review of Beamish Museum’s Partnership with North East Local Authorities

 

The Joint Committee considered a joint report of the Chair and Museum Director regarding an internal review to examine ways of strengthening Beamish Museum’s partnership with Local Authorities across the North East in order to support and deliver the Museum’s future plans (for copy see file of Minutes)

 

Resolved:

That the report be approved.

 

 

The Chairman of the meeting was of the opinion that the following item of business was of sufficient urgency to warrant consideration because of the need to preserve some buildings before their demolition.

 

 

8.     Emergency Capital Project

 

The Museum Director informed the Joint Committee of a programme of demolition taking place in Gateshead and sought approval of the allocation of funding to remove two blocks of two houses before their demolition took place.

 

Resolved:

That the request for funding be approved.