Agenda item

Review of Venues fees and charges for 2015 (T240)

Decision:

*RESOLVED –

(1)	That officers work with local community groups to ensure that meeting spaces, appropriate to their needs, are available to them, whilst still making the most efficient use of the Council’s facilities.
(2)	That the proposed changes to the pricing structure at the Council’s Venues be deferred from 1^st January 2015 until 1^st April 2015, to give hirers time to assess the impact of the proposed changes to the hire charges.
(3)	That the building hire charges for the Pomegranate Theatre be increased from 1^st April 2015 as follows: an average increase of 5% for charities and societies, 5% for dancing schools, and 5% for professional companies, as shown in Appendix A to the report.
(4)	That the Pomegranate Theatre Bar no longer be available to hire separately from the theatre itself.
(5)	That an average increase of 5% be levied on all community room hire charges at the Winding Wheel from 1^st April 2015 and an average increase of 3% be levied on all equipment hire charges at the Winding Wheel from 1^st April 2015, as shown in Appendix B to the report.
(6)	That a minimum room hire charge of £150 for all rooms at the Winding Wheel be introduced as from 1^st April 2015.
(7)	That an average increase of 4% be levied on the hire fees for professional companies and commercial use at the Winding Wheel from 1^st April 2015, as shown in Appendix C to the report.
(8)	That an average increase of 4% be levied on all day time room hire charges at the Assembly Rooms in the Market Hall from 1^st April 2015, and new hire rates be introduced for the use of the meeting rooms 1 and 2 during the evening and at other times when the Market Hall is not normally open, as shown in Appendix D to the report.
(9)	That an average increase of 4 % be levied on all current room hire charges at Hasland Village Hall from 1^st April 2015, as shown in Appendix Eto the report.

Minutes:

The Arts and Venues Manager submitted proposals for raising the levels of fees and charges for lettings at the Pomegranate Theatre, the Winding Wheel, the Assembly Rooms in the Market Hall and Hasland Village Hall for 2015.

The report only covered the scale of fees and charges for lettings at the Council’s cultural venues. Ticket prices were negotiated with visiting companies throughout the year when productions were booked, whilst bar and refreshment prices were reviewed twice a year, linked to the costs of purchases, and compared with the local market.

The report also proposed removing the availability of booking the Pomegranate Theatre Bar to hire separately from the theatre itself as it was not financially viable to open the whole theatre just for the use of the bar.

The report provided details of the hire charges applied to different categories of hirers at both venues, and proposed increases. It also included details of hire charges and proposed increases at the Market Hall Assembly Rooms and Hasland Village Hall.

Consultation had been carried out with Focus Groups composed of existing hirers of the Venues and members of the public. Additional time had been required to develop the proposals due to a lack of consensus at the Focus Groups. It was therefore proposed that the changes to the fees and charges be deferred from 1 January 2015 to 1 April 2015 to give hirers time to assess the impact of the changes.

It was proposed that officers would support community groups to find meeting spaces appropriate to their needs if affected by the proposals.

An option of introducing a significantly greater increase to the charges was ruled out as there would have been a risk of losing potential hirers. Another alternative of leaving the charges unchanged was also ruled out as increases in the charges were required for the development of a sustainable business plan for the Venues.

*RESOLVED –

(1)	That officers work with local community groups to ensure that meeting spaces appropriate to their needs are available to them, whilst still making the most efficient use of the Council’s facilities.
(2)	That the proposed changes to the pricing structure at the Council’s Venues be deferred from 1^st January 2015 until 1^st April 2015, to give hirers time to assess the impact of the proposed changes to the hire charges.
(3)	That the building hire charges for the Pomegranate Theatre be increased from 1^st April 2015 as follows: an average increase of 5% for charities and societies, 5% for dancing schools, and 5% for professional companies, as shown in Appendix A to the report.
(4)	That the Pomegranate Theatre Bar no longer be available to hire separately from the theatre itself.
(5)	That an average increase of 5% be levied on all community room hire charges at the Winding Wheel from 1^st April 2015 and an average increase of 3% be levied on all equipment hire charges at the Winding Wheel from 1^st April 2015, as shown in Appendix B to the report.
(6)	That a minimum room hire charge of £150 for all rooms at the Winding Wheel be introduced as from 1^st April 2015.
(7)	That an average increase of 4% be levied on the hire fees for professional companies and commercial use at the Winding Wheel from 1^st April 2015, as shown in Appendix C to the report.

(8)

That an average increase of 4% be levied on all day time room hire charges at the Assembly Rooms in the Market Hall from 1^st April 2015, and new hire rates be introduced for the use of the meeting rooms 1 and 2 during the evening and at other times when the Market Hall is not normally open, as shown in Appendix D to the report.

(9)

That an average increase of 4 % be levied on all current room hire charges at Hasland Village Hall from 1^st April 2015, as shown in Appendix Eto the report.

REASON FOR DECISIONS

To make further progress towards a sustainable financial position for the Venues.

Supporting documents:

2015 Fees and charges, item 105. PDF 786 KB