Agenda item

The Panel will consider a report setting out an update on the creation of three new inter-related strategies: a Cultural Strategy; a Heritage Strategy; and a Tourism Strategy.  

 

 

Contact: 

 

Kath Wynne-Hague, Head of Culture & Tourism

 

 

The Panel considered a report setting out an update on the creation of three new inter-related strategies: a Cultural Strategy, a Heritage Strategy and a Tourism Strategy presented by Adele Poppleton, Service Director, Culture and Visitor Economy.

 

Councillor Will Simpson, Cabinet Member for Culture and Greener Kirklees was also in attendance and introduced the Strategy as being new, clear and ambitious, and would help to bring additional funds to Kirklees. Adele Poppleton, shared with the Panel a presentation and highlighted that:

 

The Cultural Strategy:

·       The Cultural Strategy would be developed over the next 12 months and the focus of the Strategy was on arts, museums, archives and libraries.

·       The Cultural Strategy was the overarching Strategy which provided clarity on what was to be achieved, why and how, and included:

o   The Heritage Strategy.

o   The Tourism Strategy.

o   The Libraries Plan.

o   Everybody Active Strategy.

·       The Strategy had involved collaborative planning with partners and citizens and provided clarity regarding how Culture, Heritage and Tourism supported economic and social regeneration.

·       Reputation management was important and identified that buildings at risk were being cared for and re-purposed.

·       The strategies fed into other key strategies such as health and well-being, inclusive communities’ framework etc.

·       The Strategy complemented the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s Culture, Heritage and Sport Framework.

·       50k had been funded from West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the Art Council to support the development of the Cultural Strategy and the delivery.

 

Heritage Strategy:

·       The Draft Heritage Strategy had been produced and the consultation period would continue until the 8^th January 2023.

·       The Strategy reflected the Council’s ambitions for Regeneration in relation to the town centre Blueprints, the Cultural Heart, and the vision and outcomes for improving people’s lives in Kirklees.

·       Kirklees were the only Local Authority within West Yorkshire who had developed a Heritage Strategy.

·       The National Lottery Heritage Fund requested the production of the Heritage Strategy and provided funding through the Bringing out the Best Programme 2019-2021.

·       Engagement had already taken place with local communities and underrepresented groups, and further engagement was planned.   

·       The museums and galleries service were a National Portfolio Organisation for Arts Council England for the next three years which brought in additional funding each year.

·       The vision of the Strategy was a strong sense of identity, high positive profile, to raise conditions for heritage to thrive, support community needs, be inclusive and provide an award-winning heritage offer.

·       It was important to take a confident approach, have strong business plans in place to ensure sustainability, be ambitious and engage with communities to find out what was important to them.

·       Further funding was also being sought for the Strategic Action Plan (3 years initially).

·       The Strategy was scheduled to go to Cabinet for approval in 2023.

 

The Tourism Strategy was at a Draft stage, and external Consultants had identified that:

·       There was a need to define the produce base and the national positioning of Kirklees.

·       Revenue needed to increase year on year from tourism.

·       There was a need to reduce seasonality and provide an all-year round offer.

·       An increase in community-based tourism was needed.

·       An increased awareness of tourism within communities was needed in relation to economic and income benefits.

·       Kirklees offer was considered within the broader Yorkshire offer.

·       Trends nationally identified five key themes in relation to why people visited Kirklees, which included:

o   Visiting friends and family.

o   The history - industrial heritage and cultural events.

o   The villages, valley scenery, canals and filming locations.

o   Food and drink.

o   Walking and cycling.

·       6 key strengths in Kirklees were identified and included:

o   Music festivals and culture.

o   Sport.

o   Food and drink.

o   Screen tourism.

o   Heritage.

o   Landscape and well-being.

o   It was important to maximise visitor interests in those aspects.

·       The Tourism Strategy also supported the delivery of the Heritage Strategy, the Cultural Heart and work developed through Creative Kirklees.

 

The Panel noted the update and, in the discussion, to follow raised a number of questions.

 

Responding a question from the Panel in relation to the number of heritage risk assets and what was being done to save them, Adele Poppleton advised that there were 31 assets on the at-risk register, but the Council would seek to reduce that number.

 

The Panel highlighted the communication plan and the development of a heritage hub online and asked if this could also be used to make bookings. The Panel also suggested a Kirklees Heritage ticket be considered that would encourage people to visit various places across Kirklees.

 

Adele Poppleton noted the idea regarding the Kirklees Heritage ticket and advised in relation to bookings that this was separate to the Heritage Strategy, but the process was being looked at.

 

Responding to a question from the Panel about the future of the Tolson Museum (as an important part of Kirklees’s heritage) Adele Poppleton advised that the Toulson Museum would not be a museum in the future and that services would be withdrawn, but that consideration was being given to other purposes for the building.

 

Adele Poppleton also acknowledged and agreed to the Panels request to add more detail in to the Strategy with regards to the variety of sporting activities within Kirklees.

 

The Panel shared that it would be useful to work with other experienced communities in relation to place based actioning planning and improving pathways and towpaths, and that consideration should also be given to suitable accommodation.

 

Responding to a question from the Panel regarding the National Coal Mining Museum being listed in Wakefield, Adele Poppleton advised that work was ongoing with the National Coal Mining Museum to claim it as a visitor centre within Kirklees.

 

Responding to a question the Panel regarding the Councils financial investment in John Smiths Stadium, Adele Poppleton explained that there were some limitations in relation to the outdoor use and proximity to residents.

 

The Panel noted the Library Plan and highlighted the importance of libraries bringing together cultural events outside of town centres and suggested it would be useful to know more.

 

The Panel highlighted that consultation was open and shared that it would be useful to have some information that could be shared on social media platforms to get more people involved and engaging. The Panel also raised concerns in relation to communication and engagement and asked what plans were in place to increase the engagement and get people more involved?

 

Councillor Will Simpson, responded to the Panels concerns and agreed that strategies needed to be developed in relation to communication and digital communication that represented Kirklees as good, but that resource limitation was a Council wide issue.

 

Adele Poppleton responded to a query from the Panel regarding the Council’s unique selling point for tourists and advised it was the Cultural Heart, and the development of a new museum and gallery within the town centre.

 

Kath Wynne-Hague, Head of Culture and Tourism responded to a question in relation to woollen mills and advised that there was a woven festival biannual and that there was no visitor attraction mill but that Colne Valley had an historic site.

 

Adele Poppleton further added that the aim was to be able to show the history of the textile industry, not just the past, but the innovation that was influencing the textile industry across the world.

 

Adele Poppleton responded to a query from the Panel regarding alternative funding streams and advised that having the Heritage Strategy in place made funding stream more accessible and that the Arts Council were keen to increase their investment in Kirklees as they were impressed with the leadership and direction the Council were taking. Adele also shared in terms of levelling up that the Arts Council would be consulted, and in turn, that would help attract government funding.

 

Councillor Will Simpson shared that Kirklees was identified by the Arts Council as a priority place due to its ambition and would be much closer to the top of the list for investment, and that having the strategies in place would deliver for Kirklees.

 

RESOLVED: The Panel noted theCulture, Heritage and Tourism Strategy and thanked officers for their work. It was recommended that:

 

1.    More detail in relation to different sporting activities across the borough be included in the Strategy.

2.    Careful consideration be given to the future of Toulson Museum and the importance of it being part of Kirklees Heritage.

3.    Information be provided to the Panel in relation to the Library Plan.

4.    Partnership working with other experienced communities in relation to place based actioning planning and improving pathways would be useful.

5.    Consideration should be given to identifying suitable accommodation.

6.    Information be shared with Councillors in relation to the consultation that can be shared through social media platform in an effort to increase engagement.

7.    An effective communication and marketing strategy be developed around Culture Heritage and Tourism.