Agenda item

To receive the report of the Executive Director, Environment Department.

The Committee noted the report of the Executive Director, Environment together with three appendices: [Draft] Annual Report for Keats House Charity 2022/23; Keats House Divisional Plan 2023-26, May 2023 update; and [Draft] Keats House Activities Plan 2023/24.

Noting the importance of retaining and protecting core funding, a Member asked whether there was any competition for funding for Keats House (KH) in the light of City of London Corporation (CoLC) reorganisation initiatives. The meeting heard that opportunities for access to hitherto untapped funding were being explored across the full CoL heritage portfolio, and that there appeared to be no negative impacts to KH.

A Member asked whether any external funding targets or benchmark expectations had been set. The meeting heard that the current year’s income target was fixed, and that KH benefited from the generous CoLC support for core staffing and service delivery. The meeting heard that longer-term targets encompassed an expectation that new posts would be self-funding. The Committee noted that positive or negative balances at the end of the year were directed in or out of the charity reserves. The reserve was expected to be reduced to the charity reserve target level of £20K, and investments were being made in collection cataloguing management software alongside other projects including improvements to the visitor entrance area and the front pedestrian entry area (a dual-height wall).

A Member asked why it had taken so long for the boundary wall to be given attention and whether there was a budgetary impact to the delay. The meeting heard that a combination of factors came into play: London Borough of Camden had initially approved spending to enhance accessibility to the grounds and house to include improvements to toilets, pathways and lighting (partly to facilitate evening events) - however the consultation process had been lengthy, and costs had increased after the pandemic necessitating further quotes resulting in only partial approval of all the costs. A further proposal was being supported by the CoLC that could draw on a local community levy that would require local stakeholder support.

In response to a question on the expiry date for planning application submissions, the meeting heard that the time limit was three years and that a light-touch reapproval was likely, particularly as some of the project had been started.

Noting that a new councillor at Camden was in place, a Member asked whether councillors had been contacted. The meeting heard that local councillors would be contacted soon.

A Member sought confirmation that best practice among CoL museum accreditation expertise was being shared – the meeting heard that such knowledge was being actively passed on, including expertise at the Guildhall Art Gallery, noting that the level of excellence in governance at CoL was an asset to the museum accreditation process.

A Member sought clarification on the connection with Cardiff University and the rationale behind the support from Cardiff on the current exhibits. The meeting heard that KH also worked with Roehampton University, and that the status of KH within the field of Romanticism had resulted in interest from academics in the field.

A Member pointed out that the CoLC’s Education Board was in the process of refreshing its education strategy, and sought confirmation that KH was abreast of that strategy - particularly in respect of outdoor learning. The meeting noted that those links were being actively developed and that plans were being compiled and refreshed with the CoLC’s Education Strategy Unit for 2024, noting the importance of nurturing confidence and interest among school-age children.

A Member commented on the relatively slow recovery of private hire events noting that it was a widespread issue among comparable venues, and suggested that ward club events might be worth exploring.

In response to a request for clarification on private hire rates, the meeting heard that admission and hire rates were submitted to the Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee though there was some flexibility in the case of smaller events that did not require much space.

A Member commented on the lack of progress so far on the issue of the licence. The meeting heard that a draft had been issued and that the frustration on the slowness of the licence’s issue was widespread. It was noted that no real progress on the licence had been made since the last meeting of the KHCC and that the most recent licence was issued in 2020. The meeting noted the undocumented status since 2020, and heard that a request had been made for a document from CoLC to clarify the status until a licence was agreed. Members also noted the impact of the issue on fundraising capacity.

In response to a question on updates to the charities review, the meeting heard that a report on the recommendations was to be submitted to the July meeting of the Culture, Heritage & Libraries Committee. Those recommendations would inform any longer-term strategy and understanding in respect of the next agreement. In response to clarification on what was holding up progress on the licence. Members commented that while an interim licence had originally been designed to support KCL, it was felt that there might be unwillingness to move forward at the CoLC until the recommendations of the charities review had been submitted (to be submitted in July).