Agenda item

The Joint Committee considered the development and business plan for the Commandery.

In the ensuing debate, the following principal points were raised:

·         There were plans, involving the Battle of Worcester Society, for a statue to be erected on Fort Royal Hill to commemorate the visit by the Presidents. Was there any way to incorporate this arrangement with other projects taking place at the Commandery or ways of seeking additional funding from the USA?  The Museums General Manager stated that the service was working with the Battle of Worcester Society in a number of ways. The Corporate Director – Service Delivery (City Council) added that it was a question of what was physically possible and whether the funding was available. Historical information could be made available in the Commandery

·         Once the arrangements had been agreed, the key was encouraging return visits for example by changing exhibitions/events and connecting with the next generation of children. Did the planned arrangements for the redevelopment of the Commandery include an element of flexibility?  The Museums General Manager stated that flexibility could be built into the plans for the Commandery however this was dependent on the availability of funding. He was keen to provide an offer that encouraged visitors at any time of the year. The Corporate Director – Service Delivery (City Council) added that there were two potential funding packages for the proposals, one of which was more expensive but would allow greater flexibility for managing events. This would open up potential use of the outdoor space for example for summer events

·         Introducing treasure hunts and other interactive activities as well as changing the offer to the public would encourage repeat visits. The Marketing and Events Manager commented that from a marketing perspective there were potentially 6 layers of history open for interpretation at the venue. People were very keen that these stories were not lost. It was important first to establish the building as a Civil War venue and that would enable the service to branch out into covering the other stories in the future 

·         How much flexibility was there to change the front of the Commandery as a means of attracting visitors? The Museums General Manager stated that there were limitations to what could be done to the front of the building. There was planning consent for the display of a single banner. He would examine further what was possible through the planning framework to allow the promotion of events/activities at the front of the building

·         The National Trust had established very good arrangements for weddings at Greyfriars. Had the National Trust been contacted with regard to liaising over arrangements for weddings? The Corporate Director – Service Delivery (City Council) commented that it was worth exploring the potential for linking wedding arrangements between the Guildhall, the Commandery and the National Trust  premises

·         The development proposals for the Commandery were welcomed however it was disappointing that the proposed implementation period was as late as spring 2016. Was it possible to compress the timescale? The Museums General Manager commented that he would look at the detail of the building programme to see if there was any way to speed the process up. The Corporate Director – Service Delivery added that a report would be taken to the Worcester City Council Cabinet meeting in July. It might be possible for the City Council to approve the project and grant delegated authority to the Museums General Manager to enable him to proceed more quickly with certain aspects of the project. The Museums General Manager stated that the problem with launching the project earlier than spring 2016 was that it missed the key time that people were expecting to see new projects eg at Easter. The Corporate Director – Service Delivery added that perhaps a "soft" launch could be undertaken earlier

·         Was there any further potential to seek external funding for the project? The Museums General Manager stated that there was potential for further funding from the HLF. However the HLF were keen to ensure that the project demonstrated added value i.e that it could show a benefit to the public, before granting approval of funding.

RESOLVED that:

a)    the development and business plan for the Commandery be received;

b)    the development and business plan be referred to Worcester City Council for a decision on investment; and

c)    the next steps to be taken by Museums Worcestershire (set out at paragraphs 9-11 in the report) be authorised.