Agenda item

The Committee will consider a report in respect of the development of three inter-related strategies; a Cultural Strategy, a Heritage Strategy and a Tourism Strategy.

Contact:

Adele Poppleton, Head of Culture and Tourism

Adele Poppleton, Head of Culture and Tourism and Deborah Marsland, Museums and Galleries Manager were in attendance to present a report in respect of the development of three inter-related strategies; a Cultural Strategy, a Heritage Strategy and a Tourism Strategy. Councillor Paul Davies, the Portfolio Holder for Culture and Greener Kirklees was also in attendance.

Representations and submissions were read out on behalf of the Friends of Spen Beck and Mann Dam; the Red House Heritage Group; and Environment Kirklees and the Three Valleys Nature Park. These had also been circulated to the Members of the Panel prior to the meeting.

Adele welcomed the submissions and explained that the strategies were at an early stage of development. She informed Members that work was already being undertaken with the Red House Heritage Group and she would put the Friends of Spen Beck and Mann Dam in touch with the relevant officers, in the Parks and  Streetscene department, in respect of woodland planting. She also undertook to respond and engage directly with these groups in respect of the issues they raised and to ensure that they were involved in the development of the strategies.

The presentation included:

·       An overview of the proposals to develop three separate, but interlinked, strategies, connected by the wish to explore, tell and promote the district’s stories. The focus would be on people and stories, not just buildings and physical assets.

·       Definitions of ‘culture’ ‘heritage’ and ‘tourism’.

·       The range of benefits that could be achieved through investment in culture, heritage and tourism.

·       The inherent nature of creativity and the contribution that creative activity and engagement could make to people’s wellbeing.

·       The need for the strategies.

·       The plan for recovery from the significant impact of the pandemic on this sector, both locally and at a West Yorkshire level.

·       The key underlying approaches, principles and themes for the Heritage Strategy; which was the most advanced in terms of its development.

·       The key themes and aims for the Cultural Strategy.

·       The key themes for the Tourism Strategy and the links being made to the ‘Yorkshire’ brand, in partnership with ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’.

·       The timescales for the development of the three strategies.

Questions and comments were invited from Committee Members and the following key issues were covered during discussion:

·       The integration of past heritage with links to the present and future was important. In respect of textiles, this could be seen in the development of cutting-edge textile design and technology in Kirklees. The heritage of the district in terms of engineering excellence should also be included.

·       The involvement of communities was important. Strong communication and ensuring understanding of what culture meant and the range of benefits it could bring would be key and may prove to be a challenge.

·       An events calendar to bring together information on all the activities and dates for all interests and groups would be helpful, providing clarity on what was being offered and when.

·       Linkages with walking and cycling routes to local places and businesses, such as cafes, pubs, microbreweries and signs to direct people to places of interest would be beneficial. This would also assist local people to explore and understand their area.

·       The impact of culture and heritage on good mental health and wellbeing was recognised and there was an important link to be made with the move towards social prescribing.

·       It was vital that the capacity to deliver the ambitions of these strategies was considered. Good communication and publicity would also be important.

·       The focus on stories of peoples’ lives, not just buildings and structures, was welcomed as was the celebrating radicals and rebels theme. Migration was also an important element of the district’s history.

·       There were a number of nice places within the urban areas which would benefit from some improvement; parts of the canal path being a good example.

·       A significant amount of this work had been done before and it was questioned what was new with the proposed approach and strategies. Initiatives had been delivered in the past and had made an impact with communities but had not been sustained. This could cause potential difficulties in re-engagement of community groups. It was essential that there was a sufficient level of resources and to ensure sustainability.

·       It was considered that the first Woven Festival had been too centred on certain areas and had not encompassed the vast and rich range of experience and heritage across many of the other areas in Kirklees.

Councillor Davies said that the proposals were exciting and the Authority would seek to engage and work with communities and focus on people; it was crucial that this was inclusive. There was a wish to use the work undertaken in the past in a positive way, as a basis to build upon and enhance.

In responding to the issues raised Adele explained that:

·       A calendar of events did already exist but an integral part of the strategy would be to improve communication and marketing of the offer.

·       Linking walking and cycling routes with places of interest and local services was a good idea. It was noted that signage did not necessarily have to be a physical feature and could be provided through digital means.

·       Capacity was a key consideration in this work. The strategies aimed to encourage partnership working and collaboration to help find innovative ways to increase the capacity and resources to facilitate delivery. They would also provide a clear statement for investors and to access funding streams.

·       Diversity and inclusion would be a key strand throughout the strategies and there would be a need to engage with the community to build upon the collection of stories and objects/artefacts to illustrate those stories.

·       The period of austerity in public spending and the necessary prioritisation of limited resources had meant that this sector had suffered cuts in funding. However, a period of growth was now in evidence and the work undertaken, and the lessons learned, in the past would be used and evolved for the future.

·       The first Woven Festival had been developed within a short timescale; and the need ensure a wider reach would be addressed on the next occasion.

Further comments were made as follows:

·       Ward Councillors should be engaged and consulted; they were in the position to be able to provide information about local history, community groups and grassroots organisations in their areas.

·       It was considered that these strategies would form part of the recovery from the pandemic and should be seen in that context.

·       The close links with health had not been fully reflected in the report.

·       There was a need for the Council’s Heritage Champion to have a higher profile.

·       It was important that the experiences of the present were captured to provide an historic record for the future.

·       Investment in the quality of footpaths/ canal towpaths would be welcomed; such measures would link in with a number of other strategies, such as those associated with green travel and health.

·       There was a need to ensure that young people and local people could access and felt a connection with the tourism and culture offer and could benefit from what was available.

Adele acknowledged that work was needed to identify the barriers that prevented people from accessing local culture and what could be done to break them down.

RESOLVED –

(1) That the Head of Culture and Tourism and the Museums and Galleries Manager be thanked for their interesting and informative presentation.

(2) That the draft documents for each strategy be submitted to the Committee for further consideration, in due course.

(3) That the Head of Culture and Tourism be asked to respond to, and engage with, the groups that made submissions to the Committee.

(4) That officers be requested to consider the points and suggestions raised by the Committee and that they be used to inform the development of the Culture, Heritage and Tourism Strategies.