Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Rooms, 2nd Floor, West Wing, Guildhall

Contact: Julie Mayer
tel. no.: 020 7332 1410  Email: julie.mayer@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Members received apologies from Vivienne Littlechild (Deputy Chairman); Alexander Barr; Caroline Haines and Wendy Mead (Chief Commoner).

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

2.

Members' Declarations under the Code of Conduct in respect of items on the agenda

Minutes:

  • Jeremy Simons declared a general non-pecuniary interest in respect of agenda item 7 by virtue of his position as a Trustee of Dr Johnson’s House (City of London Corporation Appointment)

 

  • Alderman Sir Roger Gifford declared a general non-pecuniary interest in respect of agenda item 7 by virtue of his position as a Trustee of the City Music Foundation.

 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 231 KB

To approve the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 22 January 2018.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 3.

Minutes:

The minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 22nd January 2018 were approved.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Minutes from the Benefices Sub Committee pdf icon PDF 118 KB

To receive the public minutes and non-public summary of the Benefices Sub Committee on 12th February 2018.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 4.

Minutes:

The public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 12 February 2018 were received.

 

 

 

                                                      

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Final Departmental Business Plan 2018/19 - Department of Community & Children's Services and Town Clerk's Department (Cultural Services) pdf icon PDF 146 KB

Joint Report of the Directors of Community and Children’s Services and Assistant Town Clerk (Culture Mile Director).

 

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 5.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

Members considered a joint report of the Director of Community and Children’s and Assistant Town Clerk/Culture Mile Director in respect of the final Business Plan for 2018/19 for the above two departments.

 

During the discussion on the report the following points were noted:

 

  • The Town’s Clerk’s section of the Business Plan was more relevant to this Committee than Community and Children’s Services’ which contained only a brief reference to the libraries. The wording of the Corporate Plan outcomes had changed since this report was written and the final report to the Policy and Resources Committee later this month will be amended accordingly.

 

  • The Director of Open Spaces is working to align his Department’s Business Plan to the Corporate Plan and their report will be presented to the Open Spaces Grand Committee in April and Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee in May.

 

  • The Director of the London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) advised that a number of possibilities were being explored in respect of the relocation project and he was meeting regularly with the City Surveyor.  Members noted that any project would require ‘Gateway’ approval by City of London Corporation’s Resource Allocation and Projects Sub Committees and Members would receive a further report after the Summer 2018 recess.  

 

  • In response to a question, the Head of Barbican and Community Libraries advised that, as libraries were very much at the hub of the local community and enjoyed very good relationships with the various community groups which used their services, their work was relevant to the majority of Community and Children’s Services’ objectives.  Furthermore, the Head of Service felt that the Library Service was flourishing under its new position within the Community and Children’s Services Department and was happy to discuss this further with Members, should they have any questions outside of the meeting.

 

  • The
 ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Town Clerk's Cultural Services Business Plan progress report pdf icon PDF 346 KB

Report of the Town Clerk

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 6.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Assistant Town Clerk/Culture Mile Director in respect of progress made towards achieving the objectives set out in the Town Clerk’s Department (Cultural Services) Business Plan for 20-17/18.

 

During the discussion on this report the following points were noted:

 

           The Chamberlain had made an allowance for inflation in the latest budget and the Assistant Town Clerk/Culture Mile Director would hold this in reserve to address any unexpected adverse variances arising throughout this financial year.

 

           The community engagement programme, working with Artichoke in the Aldgate area, was at outline planning stage and is planned to be a key component of the Women, Work and Power programme of events. 

 

           Inviting embassies to contribute to the Tourism Strategy, as discussed in the Members’ Workshop ahead of today’s Committee. 

 

           The Chairman asked for a brief report on the cultural aspects of the London Landmarks marathon to be presented to the next Committee.

 

           The City Visitor Trail would roll out before the end of the month.

 

RESOLVED, that – the report be noted.

 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Central Grants Programme - Inspiring London through Culture: recommendations to the Culture, Heritage & Libraries Committee pdf icon PDF 133 KB

Report of the Assistant Town Clerk/Culture Mile Director.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 7.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Assistant Town Clerk/Culture Mile Director in respect of the recommendations for applications received under the Inspiring London through Culture funding stream, as part of the City Corporation Central Grants Programme.

 

Officers confirmed that all applicants were advised on how to become a volunteer/charity or limited company and were directed to organisations which would be able to assist them.  They are also advised as to the kind of grants they would or would not be eligible for. 

 

The application from the Amos Trust was rejected. However, Members expressed their high regard for the past work of the Charity and requested that this feedback be given and a future application, with different content, be encouraged in a later round. 

 

In response to a question about Dr Johnson’s House, Members noted that one of the two programmes for funding was ineligible as it was educational in nature. Therefore, the grant awarded was below the level applied for.  The other issue noted was the House’s level of reserves, which are outside of the Charity Commission’s Best Practice Guidelines. 

 

Once Members had taken the decision, as set out below*, a Member, also the City Governor appointed to Dr Johnson House Trust, commented that the majority of the reserves of the House were in fact a legacy designated for curatorial purposes, and that income from reserves provided an important fraction of overall running costs.

 

RESOLVED, that

 

1.     The Central Grants Programme assessment process and budget be noted.

 

2.     The recommendations as set out in Appendix 2 to the report; ie:

 

a)     Amos Trust – rejected.

b)     City Music Foundation for £7,500

c)     Dr Johnsons House Trust Ltd for £1,500

d)     Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace for £7,500

e)     Huguenots of Spitalfield for £7,750

f)       Open City Architecture for £6,000

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

City Arts Initiative: recommendations to the Culture, Heritage & Libraries Committee pdf icon PDF 114 KB

Report of the Assistant Town Clerk/Culture Mile Director.

Visuals of shortlisted works have been circulated electronically to Members.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 8.

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services in respect of the City Arts Initiative recommendations.

 

RESOLVED, that – the shortlist of sculptures for the 2018 programme of Sculpture in the City be approved, noting that the final selection will be made subject to logistics and availability and ratified by the Sculpture in the City Board, on which the Chairman of the Culture, Heritage and Libraries sits.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Decisions taken under Delegated Authority or Urgency since the last meeting of the Committee pdf icon PDF 161 KB

Report of the Town Clerk.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 9.

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Town Clerk in respect of the following decision, taken under urgency, since the last meeting of the Committee:

 

City Arts Initiative (CAI) – ‘Chubby Hearts over London’ – a proposal by Anya Hindmarch, in partnership with the Greater London Authority and Bloomberg.  The decision had been taken under urgency as the project was launched on Valentine’s Day 2018, to run to the end of London Fashion week (i.e. 14-20th February) and the Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee was not due to meet until 5th March 2018.

 

RESOLVED, that – the report be noted.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Questions on matters relating to the work of the Committee

Minutes:

There were no questions,

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Any other business the Chairman considers urgent

Minutes:

The Chairman and Members noted that the Head of Guildhall and City Business Libraries; Sara Pink, would be leaving the City of London Corporation at the end of the month.  Members asked for their thanks to Sara to go on record for 6 years’ service to the Committee and City Corporation. The Assistant Town Clerk/Culture Mile Director advised that he was working with his Heads of Service on future management arrangements.

 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

Exclusion of the Public

MOTION – That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

 

 

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 12.

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

 

 

 

13-17

2&3

 

 

 

 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

Non Public Minutes

To approve the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2018.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 13.

Minutes:

The non public minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2018 were approved.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

14.

Non Public Minutes of the Benefices Sub Committee

To receive non-public minutes of the Benefices Sub Committee on 12th February 2018.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

Minutes:

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 12 February were approved.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

15.

Artizan Street Library

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 15.

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

16.

Non public questions on matters relating to the work of the Committee

Minutes:

17.

Any other business that the Chairman considers urgent and which the Committee agree should be considered whilst the public are excluded

Minutes: