To receive petitions, comments and questions from the public.
Decision:
The Cabinet was addressed by Dr Mervyn Miller (North Herts Arts Council) in respect of funding for the Arts Council; and by Mr Robin Dartington with regard to Churchgate, Hitchin.
Minutes:
(i) Dr Mervyn Miller (North Herts Arts Council) re: Funding for the Arts Council
Dr Miller advised that the Arts Council for North Hertfordshire (ACNH) celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2018. In 1968, the drive and enthusiasm of George Thomas, the founding Principal of the then Hitchin College of Further Education, (now North Hertfordshire College) and the then Hitchin UDC, established a pioneer voluntary body distributing Council grant funding to local groups for arts for the benefit of local residents. Brian Foreman, the Chairman since 2000, was closely involved. In April 1974, the newly-established North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) extended the activities of the ACNH across its area, including the towns of Royston, Baldock, Letchworth and Hitchin, and the numerous villages between. ACNH is a Registered Charity.
Dr Miller stated that the present Constitution of ACNH dated from 1997. It provided for an Executive Committee to be made up of Members of the Council, including representatives of NHDC. Its latest AGM was held at Howard Hall, Letchworth on 6 June 2018.
Dr Miller explained that an annual block grant has been allocated to ACNH. The Committee was serviced by the Hon. Secretary, Dianne Price-Smith, who processed applications for Committee consideration. Financial support took the form of a grant or a contribution against loss. The latter had proved a lifeline for many smaller organisations and had encouraged broader and more inclusive programmes, which had enriched the cultural life of the District. ACNH was an enabler, and a vital link between the District Council and its constituency of the local community.
Dr Miller commented that, since 2012-13, a reduction in the annual grant had affected the best endeavours of ACNH to maintain its core role. The challenge had been to maintain an equitable spread across the range of arts and their geographical distribution within the District. Since the early 1990s, 900 applications had been processed, an annual average of 33. It was estimated that 1,800 applications had been received since 1968.
Dr Miller advised that the Arts Council’s Chairman, Brian Foreman, addressed the Full Council on 10 April 2018, following notice that the ACNH grant would be terminated in April 2019, and sadly informed Members that ACNH would cease activities. Subsequent local government elections had changed the rota of Council appointments to NHDC. He wished to record his thanks to the many who enthusiastically attended ACNH Meetings, and welcomed the appointments notified on 1 June 2018. He was pleased to see Councillor Steve Deakin-Davies at the recent AGM, and Ros Allwood had been a most informative NHDC officer on the Committee.
ANCH recognises the difficult choices to be made by the Council in relation to the complex financial and social demands made upon the diminishing funding of local government responsibilities. Our Treasurer, Paul Smith has ensured that our accounts have efficiently recorded the disbursement of the NHDC grant of £8,250 for 2017-18, and we have received the first tranche for 2018-19, £3850, of a final total of £7,700 (contrast £14,746 in 2011-12).
Dr Miller advised that he was appointed Hon. President of ACNH on 7tJune 2006, with 12 years observing the distribution of funding, and the added value accrued. As a recently retired architect and town-planning consultant, he was the Principal Conservation Officer for NHDC from 1974-87, and had long been familiar with the wealth of the historic built environment to be found in the District. Grant assistance towards repairs to listed buildings was introduced. Its cultural counterpart had been the vibrant diversity of events enabled by ANCH over the past 50 years, embracing folk music, concerts and local music festivals, musical, youth and experimental theatre, and film clubs.
Dr Miller believed that, once lost, the experience, co-ordination and continuity of ACNH over the past 50 years would sadly evaporate. Hertfordshire was worthily to celebrate a County of Culture in 2020. It would be regrettable if ACNH as a lynch pin of cultural localism was extinct. Cultural diversity and local community events enriched everyone. He earnestly request the Cabinet to reconsider the Full Council’s decision to cease funding beyond March 2019.
After some questions and answers, the Chairman thanked Dr Miller for his presentation.
(ii) Mr Robin Dartington (Hitchin resident) re: Churchgate, Hitchin
Mr Dartington advised that he was speaking in relation to Item 9 on the agenda – Capital Programme Outturn 2017/18, and in particular Appendix B to that report, which set out the Capital Programme Funding for 2017/18 onwards.
Mr Dartington commented that Hitchin was the largest town in NHDC, with the most vigorous town centre. He stated that 71% of NHDC Car Parking receipts derived from Hitchin Car Parks (over £1million a year). He felt, therefore, that Hitchin was deserving of investment to ensure a continuation of healthy Car Parking receipts.
Mr Dartington explained that the square footage within Hitchin Town Centre had highly diminished in recent years, due to several large employment sites being converted to housing. Potentially only the Churchgate and Paynes Park areas remained available for strategic development.
Mr Dartington considered that it was essential that any preparations made by the Council for future long term development of these two remaining strategic sites should include some necessary short term improvements.
Mr Dartington stated that the Council’s in principle proposals for Churchgate included a new façade to heal the damage to Market Place and regeneration of the Churchgate shops. He felt that no regeneration of Churchgate could take place until NHDC had bought the leasehold, which was the stumbling block on the previous scheme, as the Council did not have control of the site.
Mr Dartington advised that the additional improvements suggested as being necessary for successful regeneration were the renewal of Hitchin Market and the adjoining Public Realm. From a Hitchin perspective, he felt that improving the Market and Public realm were more important to residents than the regeneration of the Churchgate Centre. H was of the view that the Market was a significant factor in the character of Hitchin, and drew people into the town from a wide area.
Mr Dartington urged the Cabinet to add to its estimates at Item 9: Appendix B to cover the following three items:
· Buying back the Churchgate leasehold to enable Council control of the site;
· Renewing Hitchin Market on a smaller part of the existing site, further away from the shops; and
· Improving the Public Realm by opening a level riverside walkway between Hermitage Road and Biggin Lane.
Mr Dartington considered that the above items were worthy in their own rights, but should also be seen as necessary preparations for regeneration of the Churchgate Centre.
In terms of the creation of a riverside walkway, Mr Dartington explained that although this became NHDC policy some 23 years ago, no section of the walkway had been completed. The start of the walk at Hermitage Road only required signage to call attention to the path, which could be broadened and shared with the path beside the adjoining flats. The next section, behind the Post Office development, had been beautifully finished. The section beside the Portmill Lane Car Park simply required some parking spaces to be pushed back in order to widen the pavement. The section across the river terraces was currently blocked by the staircase connecting St. Mary’s Car Park. The removal of this staircase would create the level walkway, unite both sections of the river terrace, and create a new large public space, which he suggested would be of great value to the town.
Mr Dartington concluded by stating that the Council had a sum of £35,000 in its budgets for repairs to the staircase. He therefore hoped that these repairs would not be expedited should his proposal be accepted and the staircase removed.
The Chairman thanked Mr Dartington for his presentation.