Agenda and draft minutes

Including any notices of motion and any other items of business submitted as urgent for consideration at the meeting.

Members should declare any financial and non-financial interests they have in the items of business for consideration, identifying the relevant agenda item and the nature of their interest.

If any

Minute of Culture and Communities Committee of 10 August 2023 – submitted for approval as a correct record

Decision

The approve the minute of the XXXX Committee of XXXX as a correct record.

Work Programme – 5 October 2023

Rolling Actions Log

Business Bulletin

The XXXX Committee Business Bulletin for XXXX was presented.

Amplification of Sound in Public Spaces – Report by the Executive Director of Place

(Note:  Councillors Graham, Miller and Mowat have been called for this item)

Use of Public Spaces for Events and Filming – Report by the Executive Director of Place

(Note:  Councillors Graham, Miller and Mowat have been called for this item)

WASPS – 2/3 West Park Place – Report by the Executive Director of Place

(Note:  Councillors Dixon, Fullerton and McKenzie have been called for this item)

Edinburgh Cemetery Tour Registration Scheme – Update – Report by the Executive Director of Place

(Note:  Councillors Graham, Miller and Mowat have been called for this item)

None

By Councillor Osler - Use of Council Sport Facilities

“Committee notes:

1)         Motion by Cllr Osler on the Physical Activity and Sport Strategy (August 2022)

2)         Response to the motion (December 2022) - That the new strategy and resulting action plan will focus on tackling inequality, with a specific theme expected to be included on improving inclusion and diversity and reducing health inequalities

3)         The Workshop on Physical Activity and Sport Strategy (11^th August 2023) – priority 7 Sport & Active Recreation for All

4)         That the City of Edinburgh Council, including notably through its Schools Estate, has a large number of sports facilities that are available to hire by the public.

5)         That the management and booking of these sports facilities is managed by Edinburgh Leisure, and

6)         That these sports facilities can contribute to the attainment of the aims and objectives referred to above.

Committee therefore:

7)         Reinforces its commitments to tackling inequality, to improving inclusion, promoting diversity and to reducing heath inequality, and

8)         Asks for a report in three cycles, describing the use profile of those facilities by sports and leisure clubs and associations, including by location and weekday/weekend dates and timings.

9)         Understands that the Physical Activity and Sport Strategy is still to be agreed and part of that will be engagement and consultation with sports and leisure clubs. So further agrees that as part of the consultation sports and leisure clubs will be consulted upon as to how far their organisation contribute to the attainment of the aims and objectives referred to above and that will be reported back to Committee as part of the Physical Activity and Sport Strategy report.”

By Councillor Mitchell - Stockbridge Clocks

“Committee:

1)         Expresses regret that there are persisting issues with the (former) St Stephen’s Church clock and the Stockbridge clock operating.

2)         Requests that officials investigate a solution to preventing the clocks stopping.

Therefore, Committee agrees that:

3)         Should a solution be possible within existing budgets that this be actioned, and an update provided to Committee via the Business Bulletin within two cycles.

4)         Should a solution not be possible within existing budgets that a report outlining options and associated costs will return to Committee within two cycles.”

By Councillor Osler - Events Budgeting

“Committee notes:

1)         The full Events budget (presently) is £356,200 per annum. This is nominally divided 50:50 between culture events and sports events.

2)         A full summary of the proposed allocations for 2024/25 will be shared with Committee before the end of this financial year.

Committee understands;

That the allocation of funding is aligned to the Council’s Event Strategy which was approved by Culture and Communities on 31^st May 2016 and splits the funding into three tiers, Major International, National and Bespoke City Events

Committee:

Instructs officers bring to Committee in two cycles a report outlining the criteria presently being used to determine funding proposals for the Events Budget, the extent to which they align to Council priorities and any changes they would recommend.”

By Councillor Heap - Negotiations with Large Events Organisers (Free and reduced access tickets)

“Committee notes:

1)         The decision of the Culture and Communities Committee on 10 August 2023 to progress work on how the Council can increase the availability of free and reduced access tickets to cultural events for residents where the event is hosted on Council premises.

2)         The additional discussion at the Culture and Communities Committee on 10 August 2023 regarding how to increase resident access to free and reduced tickets to cultural events where the Council has no or limited formal route to request that event providers offer such tickets, such as, but not limited to, music events at Murrayfield Stadium.

3)         That officers indicated that, even in the absence of such formal routes, it might nonetheless be possible to persuade such events providers to offer such tickets.

Committee therefore:

5)         Requests that officers continue this work.

6)         Officers include an update on this work at an appropriate juncture and an appropriate time, updating the Committee on all relevant aspects, including but not limited to:

(a)        Which events organisers and/or venues should be prioritised;

(b)        How tickets should be distributed.”

By Councillor Heap - Distribution of free tickets for Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay Events

“Committee notes:

1)         That the organisers of this year’s Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay events intend to provide free tickets to paid-for activities.

2)         Community groups, including Sighthill, Broomhouse and Parkhead Community Council, have expressed concerns about how these were distributed last year, with concerns that tickets were distributed in an ad-hoc fashion to groups that had approached the organisers, with many groups not aware of the availability of free tickets, resulting in some missing out.

3)         That the organisers have indicated that no major change to the method of distribution is being considered for this year.

Committee therefore:

4)         Requests that officers meet with the organisers to work on a fairer system of advertising and distributing tickets, and report back on this work to one of Festivals and Events APOG meetings prior to December 2023, and place an update in a Culture and Communities Committee News Bulletin for a Committee meeting prior to December 2023.”