Agenda item

To update Members of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 12 month event programme following the Accrington Town Square refurbishment.

Recommended          - That the report be noted and any comments be submitted to the Executive Director (Environment).

Councillor Paul Cox (Deputy Leader and Environmental Services Portfolio Holder) and Steve Riley, Executive Director (Environment) submitted a report on the Review of Town Centres Events to provide an update to the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee around the twelve-month event programme following the Town square refurbishment.

Members had submitted questions, in advance, to the officers concerned in respect of the following:

• In relation to attendance figures at events, how accurate are the statistics and how are these non-ticketed events calculated in terms of numbers.

• Are various vendors at events requested to keep prices down or set them to a minimum cost so families are not put off attending.

• For a food element of an event, could a local business at the top of Warner Street for example, be offered a discounted rate to bring their goods into the town square.

• British Cycling can visit a town and produce a health and safety risk assessment of a cycling route which would be signed off and insurance by them. Have they been approached to investigate this offer.

• Feedback suggests event insurance is a problem for community and charity groups, could a blanket insurance cover be used for all town centre events.

• Funding wise, £80,000 has been spent to date leaving only £110,000 for the next two years. Will there be a shortfall or is the aim to make future events self-funding.

• Have alternatives such as bus adverts been researched into the advertising of events apart from using social media.

• Have radio advertisements been purchased in the past and does the Council Press Officer link into the promotional side of events.

• Could a quarterly events poster be produced for all Hyndburn town centre shops and supermarkets (4 times a year) to promote what events are taking place in the next 3 months. Shopkeepers could be briefed on the details so they can talk to customers about it.

• Could a quarterly event leaflet be produced for all schools in the Borough.

• Scott Dawson Advertising have been used in the past for events, does feedback suggest their events are successful and provide real value for money compared with other organisations.

• What are the financial figures on sponsorships of events.

• Could the ‘My Hyndburn’ site be used as a marketing tool.

• How does the payment plan work, such as the final payment after an event, if it was cancelled.

Councillor Paul Cox, provided responses to the above advanced questions.

Members of the Committee referred to the following issues and requested more information on certain aspects of the Town Centre including insurance cover for voluntary groups when holding events in the Town Centre and what the event request form covers regarding terms and conditions and security. 

In addition, Councillor Patrick McGinley expressed concerns regarding the following issues:

-       Other townships were not receiving a share of the funding.

-       More transparency was required about sponsorship monies received.

-       Did the funding include the cost of security to events.

-       Promotion of the Town Centre events should be extended beyond Accrington.

Resolved –   (1) That Steve Riley, Executive Director
(Environment) will look at how many residents have registered with my.hyndburn app and report back to the Overview and Scrutiny Officer;

(2) That Councillor Paul Cox, Deputy Leader and Environment Services Portfolio Holder to return to this committee with an update on Town Centre events in 12 months.