Agenda item
Call-In - The Baishakhi Mela in Banglatown, Brick Lane : Transfer to Community Management (CAB 021/112)
To consider a call-in request made in respect of Cabinet’s decision o the Baishakhi Mela festival.
(Time allocated – 30 minutes)
Minutes:
The Chair invited Councillor Peter Golds, on behalf of the Call-in Members, to present the reasons for the call-in requisition.
Councillor Golds highlighted the following issues that had caused the request to be made:
· There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the community management issues by the Baishakhi Mela Trust had been resolved. These had necessitated that the Council take over the management of the event and this had been reported to Cabinet in November 2008 (CAB 065/089)
· There were issues concerning the inappropriate media use of the Baishakhi Mela as a platform for political purposes and an Ofcom investigation was being undertaken.
· The length of the agreement was too long and raised operational and contractual risks
· The issues identified in Cabinet’s report in 2008 had not been resolved
The Committee did not wish to ask any questions of Councillor Golds.
Councillor Rania Khan, Cabinet Member for Culture and Heather Bonfield, Interim Head of Culture responded to the issues raised. The following information was given:
· The Council’s management of the event had been undertaken as a temporary measure; it was always the Council’s intention that the management of the Mela be returned to the community. The decision put before Cabinet fulfilled this intention.
· The Ofcom investigation had not raised any concerns around the Council's running of the Mela for political gain but had criticised media coverage of the event by Channel S broadcaster
· The proposed 9 year agreement allowed sponsorship relationships to be developed. Any potential risks had been mitigated by the incorporation of reviews after 1, 3 and 6 years within the 9 year period. The agreement concerned permission to use Weavers Field and was not a contractual term.
· Since the Council had been managing the Mela, a new Trust had been established. The Council intended to consider applications from the community/non profit sector to manage the Mela under an SLA."
It was the Mayors wish that the Mela be delivered independently from the Council therefore the Interim Head of Culturewas investigating external organisers, through a competitive commissioning process, who would bring a fresh approach and understood the business.
In response to questions to the Cabinet Member and Interim Head of Culture, the Committee received the following information:
- Whilst the Council had delivered successful events in its management of the Mela, there had been community consultation strongly indicating that the community wanted the festival to return to community management.
- Community views and feedback had informed the Council’s belief that issues which had necessitated that the Mela be managed by the Council had been resolved and its management could be put back to the community.
- £30,000 had been set aside from S106 agreements for Mela support. Other funding was expected to be required but sources had yet to be identified.
- The success of the event, once returned to community management, would be measured by turnout, levels of community engagement and public feedback.
- Concerning questions about the length of the agreement, the Head of Service acknowledged that some sponsorships had already been developed. However the nine-year term was not a guaranteed period and should issues arise, it would be possible to terminate the arrangement at the review periods.
- A contractual party would normally be able to challenge an early termination of an agreement if it so wished. To mitigate this, the Council would need to ensure that any such termination proposal had been thoroughly researched and prepared for.
- There would be no issues concerning how the community would be consulted as the Council proposed remain involved in clean-up operations.
- Regarding management training for any Mela organisation selected, the Council would work alongside the chosen organisation but, for selection purposes, would look for an organisation that could demonstrate the necessary skills.
- A robust selection process would mitigate risks around applications from previous organisers.
- Should there be any future disputes; the Council anticipated that the arbitrating body would comprise Members and community representatives.
- Suggestions to relocate the event way from Weavers Field were not supported as it had an historic association with the area. The Head of Service agreed to respond to individual complaints on this matter.
Councillor Rania Khan, Cabinet Member for Culture and Heather Bonfield, Interim Head of Culture retired from the meeting at 7:35p.m.
The Committee discussed the responses that had been given and concluded that the following concerns remained:
- The proposed length of the agreement was too long and should be reduced as it was not consistent with those of other events and at a time when efficiencies are being made in relation to other resident events.
- There was no indication of how the agreement will be managed. This raised concerns that legal issues might arise should the Council find it necessary to terminate the arrangement early.
- The roles and responsibilities for the community management organisation and Council were not sufficiently defined. The Council was expecting to provide support to the new organisers, but its extent and nature had not been agreed. The committee felt this amounted to giving the community organisation a ‘blank cheque’, running the event with an unspecified amount of Council officer resource.
- All the funding required for the running of the Mela had not been identified. £30,000 of Section 106 funding has been set aside but other funding was still unspecified.
- The composition of the independent selection panel (to select the community management organisation) was not confirmed. It was felt that both the selection panel and the wider community consultation needed to reflect the diversity of the borough as much as possible, particularly given the wide range of people who have attended and become involved with the Mela in recent years.
- To completely hand over management to a new organisation too early risked future failure; the Committee therefore wished Cabinet to consider undertaking an in-tandem management arrangement for a period, building the capacity of the new organisation, before undertaking to transfer the event entirely to community management.
- The Committee was concerned that individuals involved in the organisation that had previously failed to run the event effectively, may become involved in the new community management arrangements and would like reassurance that the independent selection panel will not allow this to happen.
Having considered the matter, the Committee decided that it wished to refer the matter back to the Cabinet for future consideration setting out the above concerns
RESOLVED
That the matter be referred back to Cabinet for further consideration on the basis of the above concerns
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