Minutes:
The following questions were received:
Question from Lou Kiwanuka:
What are Mid Sussex council doing to support the economic devastation caused to events businesses and freelancers within the district.
Our sector has not been able to work since March 2020 and has been left out of government schemes which have targeted industries that have been forced to shut.
Response from Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Cllr. Stephen Hillier
Thank you for your question.
We do recognise that live events play a crucial role in local life in Mid-Sussex and help to make Mid-Sussex the special, unique place it is, but it is true that sadly multiple aspects of our vibrant events and exhibition industries have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
You will be aware that in response to the Covid-19 pandemic the Government created a number of grants, and to-date this Council has distributed nearly £26.4m to support 2,062 businesses from the Small Business and Hospitality Grants Funds and the entire £1.463million Discretionary Fund has been awarded to 287 local businesses through the Discretionary Grant.
Unfortunately, many small events businesses and freelancers have not been able to access these grants, mostly because they are targeted at business rates payers which often precludes smaller home-based companies such are often found in the events industry, and some applicants simply missed deadlines. However, the Council has been working to provide support to those who were unable to receive Government aid, not least by commissioning 13 local small businesses to run events like our Playdays online.
Nationally the government has provided £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans as well as a Bounce Back loan scheme to help small businesses access loans of up to £50,000, and there is the Self-employment Income Support Scheme.
In relation to the national context I did write to our MP on your behalf and have already had a response which I shall shortly forward to you. In it Mims Davies refers to the Secretary of State-led Cultural Renewal Taskforce and one of its offshoots, the Entertainment and Events Working Group.
In addition, the community grants programme has supported the repurposing of the Hurst Festival to a Virtual platform using local companies in the events and media industry. Also, the Council’s Safety Advisory group has provided advice, support and guidance to local event organisers on changing government guidance.
Finally, and very importantly, you will see in this agenda today that the Council has put its money where its mouth is by allocating £300,000 out of its own revenues to a Covid-19 Recovery Fund for local businesses. The Council will explore what support can be provided to the events sector along with other similarly blighted sectors.
Ms Kiwanuka posed a supplementary question asking that the events sector is considered within the bracket of ‘hospitality’ when Covid-19 Recovery funds are allocated. The Cabinet Member agreed to provide a written response.
Question from Brian Kilkelly:
Issue: Resourcing of the Mid Sussex District Council Sustainability Strategy 2018 – 2023: Milton Keynes Council uses Section 106 agreements to require housing developers to provide them with £200 per tonne of first year emissions from each new house. If applied to the Northern Arc development, Mid Sussex DC could raise £700,000. This could be used to boost our Sustainability resources, bring in the services of external experts, and support energy efficiency measures across Mid Sussex. Would council consider such an approach in lieu of powers to mandate that all new homes be zero carbon?
Response from Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning – Cllr Andrew MacNaughton:
Thank you for your question.
The Council secures S106 contributions in line with the Development Infrastructure and Contributions Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which was adopted in July 2018. This document sets out requirements to support sustainability measures, including sustainable transport; sustainable urban drainage, water efficiency; and green infrastructure. It does not include a requirement to provide £200 per tonne of first year emissions from each new house.
However, I understand that the monies are not used in the manner suggested by the questioner. The law is clear that S106 monies can only be secured where they meet a number of statutory tests including where the obligation is necessary to make development acceptable in planning terms and, in this context, it is unusual for monies to be collected to pay for staffing resources or consultants.
Amendments to Supplementary Planning Documents would have to follow due process. Due to the likely implications on development viability, changes to planning obligations would have to be supported by a viability study. Given that the government is proposing considerable changes to the planning system, including to developer contributions, through its White Paper “Planning for the Future” I do not think it would be a sensible use of resources to make changes to the Supplementary Planning Document at this time.
No supplementary question was posed by Mr Kilkelly.
Question from Deanna Nicholson:
Cabinet’s decision to permanently close Clair Hall was sprung on the local community with virtually no notice, yet within days over 4500 people signed a petition calling for the decision to be reversed. Local residents are demanding to see that Council will resolve to deliver on the ambitious aspirations outlined in the last MSDC meeting. Will Council now commit to a full public consultation on the provision of a modern and purpose-built community, theatre and arts space for the Haywards Heath area, and give details of the expected timeline for the Clair Hall replacement to be operational?
Response from Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery – Cllr John Belsey
At its meeting on 14th September 2020, Cabinet agreed to commission work to develop a business case for the inclusion of a modern community facility as part of the future regeneration of this site or other sites in the town centre. This will include assessment of need and current provision which of course will involve discussion with key stakeholders.
The Cabinet’s decision has been called-in and will be discussed at a Scrutiny Committee meeting on 13th October 2020.
Ms Nicholson posed a supplementary question seeking a commitment by the Council to provide a suitable replacement facility. The Cabinet Member agreed to provide a written response.
Question from Lance Milton:
Having engaged with most of the current users of Clair Hall, over half of us can find no suitable alternative venue locally. This is not simply restricted to the five local theatre groups at risk, but the majority of other users including the vital blood donors. Haywards Heath college theatre, described by the council as uncomfortable and without elderly or disabled access, is totally unsuitable and unavailable during term time. So what are the suitable alternative interim provisions, for local groups and professional tour bookings, to saving Clair Hall until it's upgraded or replaced for better?
Response from Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery – Cllr John Belsey
5% of hirers in 2019/20 required specialist theatre facilities.
Only 8% of bookings involved over 200 attendees, and the vast majority (74%) were for fewer than 50 attendees. In addition it is worth noting that due to the restrictions of Covid many of the events which would involve those professional touring companies but also for local groups are not able to go ahead at this time and as things stand it is not clear when such events may be able to go ahead again due to legal restrictions and social distancing guidelines which of course give rise to viability concerns. There are over 20 community buildings (church halls, community centres, and sports pavilions) within a one mile radius of the hall, as well as 9 educational facilities. Officers will work with users of Clair Hall to understand their needs and to support them to relocate.
The Cabinet’s decision has been called-in and will be discussed at a Scrutiny Committee meeting on 13th October 2020.
Mr Milton posed a supplementary question requesting a list of suitable alternative venues as mentioned above and any interim measures available for those who cannot relocate. The Cabinet Member agreed to provide a written response.
Question from James Stibbs:
I have booked Clair Hall for a theatrical production in the recent past but I have also failed to secure a follow-up booking because the hall was booked up months in advance for Friday and Saturday nights. I would like to ask how many community and arts groups views’ were formally solicited before the decision to close Clair Hall was made and what percentage of them supported the closure?
Response from Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery – Cllr John Belsey
Places Leisure kept a record of booking enquiries that could not be accommodated for a variety of reasons.
There were 47 such instances in 2019/20, encompassing a range of uses, including a number of one-off birthday party booking requests, fairs and meetings, as well as some longer-term recurring bookings for children’s’ nurseries, pilates classes, etc.
Places Leisure have always worked to maximise hall usage and have therefore consistently sought to accommodate booking requests wherever possible by offering alternative dates, times and locations if a specific slot is not available.
The Cabinet’s decision has been called-in and will be discussed at a Scrutiny Committee meeting on 13th October 2020.
Mr Stibbs posed a supplementary question asking when the Council began to plan the closure of the hall. The Cabinet Member agreed to provide a written response.