LGA Governance


Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Smith Square 3&4, Ground Floor, 18 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3HZ. View directions

Contact: Donna Davidson 

Items
No. Item

1.

Note of Last Meeting and Matters Arising pdf icon PDF 63 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the previous meetings were agreed.

 

The Chair asked for a member to attend meetings of the Magna Carta planning group once Daniel Goodwin leaves the LGA. Cllr Peter Golds offered to do this.

 

Members suggested encouraging BT to offer free broadband for libraries.

 

Actions

 

·         Cllr Rea to write a letter of thanks to Jon Zeff.

2.

Boosting the Visitor Economy pdf icon PDF 273 KB

Peter Hampson, Chief Executive of British Destinations

 

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed Peter Hampson, Chief Executive of British Destinations, to address the Board.

 

Mr Hampson spoke about the work of his organisation in helping local authorities with destination management in order to boost their visitor economy. Topics he covered included:

 

·         The visitor ‘welcome’

·         Tourism skills qualifications

·         Engagement of the private sector in tourism

·         Issues with LEPs

·         Business rates and the high street

·         The tourism workforce

 

In the discussion that followed, members raised:

 

·         VAT and Air Passenger Duty

·         British Destinations’ relationship with VisitBritain and VisitEngland

·         The multiplicity of tourism organisations

 

Actions

 

·         Board members to be sent discussion points for Cllr Rea’s meeting with Helen Grant MP.

3.

The Value of Culture pdf icon PDF 55 KB

Minutes:

The Chair reported to the Board about the Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport’s keynote speech on the value of culture. Following the speech, Cllr Rea wrote to the Secretary of State about the effort and money local government puts into culture and her disappointment that this was not recognised in the speech. Cllr Rea also spoke with the Secretary of State at a breakfast meeting and reiterated these points. The Secretary of State wrote a warm reply in which she recognised the contribution of local government.

 

Actions

 

·         Circulate the letters to Board members.

·         Cllr Rea to reply to the letter.

4.

Libraries

Oral Update

Minutes:

The Chair updated members on the recently created libraries panel. While the LGA has not been invited to take part in it, the panel membership is not particularly surprising and it is not thought they will propose anything radical.

5.

English Heritage Review pdf icon PDF 81 KB

Minutes:

The Chair reported to members that a draft response had been approved by lead members for submission to the English Heritage consultation and welcomed comments from members.

 

Members made the following points:

 

·         Their concern that the accent is always placed on property portfolios rather than the archives publications.

·         Their concern about regulatory functions.

·         The possibility of working with English Heritage on a new publication.

6.

CTS Conference pdf icon PDF 50 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Laura Caton updated members on Conference planning. The delegate number has now surpassed 100 and the dinner is full. Members need to decide as soon as possible if they will be attending. Members congratulated officers on the good agenda line-up.

7.

Outside Bodies pdf icon PDF 69 KB

Minutes:

Cllr Lewer reported back to the Board on the event hosted by the Legacy Trust and Kings Cultural Institute. He explained that the document presented there had only made one reference to local government and he had raised this as an issue during the question and answer session.

 

The Chair discussed her session giving evidence at the Warwick Commission and said that Warwick University are keen to host a joint event with the Board. A suggestion was made that instead of publishing reports the Board she be establishing relationships with registrars and Vice-Chancellors of universities in order to work together.

 

The Chair explained that the In Battalions Delhi Study event was to launch a report into the difficulties faced by subsidised theatre.

 

The Chair reported that her meeting with Lord Coe had gone well and he was keen for the LGA to support his initiative to tackle physical inactivity.

8.

Update on Current Issues pdf icon PDF 61 KB

Minutes:

The Chair told members that she was considering whether to give evidence to the select committee enquiry into Arts Council England (ACE) funding. Members reported issues with funding for projects being withdrawn with little notice.

 

Members expressed enthusiasm for inviting the new Broadband Chief Executive to a Board as early as possible as he takes up the new role.

 

Actions

 

·         Cllr Rea to contact ACE Regional Representatives regarding ACE funding.

·         Fixed odds betting terminals to form an agenda item at the April Board meeting.

9.

CLOA Case Studies - Visitor Economy pdf icon PDF 69 KB

Minutes:

Iain Varah updated the Board on CLOA activity. CLOA held an executive meeting last week which ACE attended. CLOA has been successful in getting a grant from SportEngland for work on commissioning.

 

Action

 

·         Iain to pass notes from Executive meeting to Laura Caton

10.

LGA Governance Arrangements pdf icon PDF 517 KB

Minutes:

Members noted the report.

11.

AOB pdf icon PDF 398 KB

Minutes:

Actions

 

·         Cllr Rea to thank Peter Hampson for attending the Board.

·         Invite Maria Miller and Helen Grant to visit areas that might not be familiar with.