Archived decisions
Hampshire County Council
Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 5
23 September 2002
Hampshire County Council's Arts Capital Programme
Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage
Contact: Michael Fuller Ext: 6016
1. Summary
The following decision is sought:
That the sums within the current Capital Programme for the Arts allocated to Fairfields Arts Centre be made available for physical improvements and the purchase of equipment at the Centre.
2. Reasons for the Recommendation
To provide sums of money to allow for the improvement of the service to the public through Fairfields Arts Centre, Basingstoke.
3. Other options considered and rejected
- making no provision
- providing less money
- providing more money
4. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker, or a member or officer consulted
None
5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee
Not applicable
6. Reasons for matter being dealt with, if urgent
Not applicable
Approved by: (Signature) Date: (of decision)
Councillor J. Waddington
................................... ...............................
Hampshire County Council
Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 5
23 September 2002
Hampshire County Council's Arts Capital Programme
Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage
Contact: Michael Fuller ext 6016
1. Introduction
1.1 The current Capital Programme for the Arts currently contains an allocation of £32,000 for investment in Fairfields Arts Centre, Basingstoke. The Centre's management have now drawn up a plan for the development of the facilities at the Centre and this report proposes releasing the funding to support this plan.
2. The Proposals at Fairfields Arts Centre
2.1 Fairfields Arts Centre is based in an old infant school in Basingstoke town centre. It specialises in participatory arts with an emphasis on the visual arts providing exemplary programmes which attract participants from the north of the county. It has a number of rooms linking to each other without corridors and these have different qualities which lend themselves to different uses.
2.2 The Centre's management is drawing up detailed schemes for the improvement of the following facilities. The access improvements need to work in line with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. The security requires improvement to link a new alarm system to a CCTV installation as the Centre is liable to vandalism. The list includes the improvement of the lighting inside the building, an induction loop in different rooms and storage racks.
2.3 In support of the development of visual arts the Centre wants to install appropriate lighting for the arts gallery space, to buy display cabinets for crafts and small items, a projector for slide and digital presentations and portable walls to increase the available space for exhibitions.
2.4 New equipment is needed to help establish the new media programme which aims to attract a new younger generation of participants. This will include computers, cameras and software. The date projector will be used quite frequently for this programming strand. The office equipment is suffering now and needs replacing for better suited furniture.
2.5 The Fairfields Arts Centre Board has requested a new business plan from the new Director which supports the visual arts specialism of the past but now includes the new media programme which has started last year but needs new equipment such as that listed above. The funding officers are supportive of the new direction.
3. Financial Implications
3.1 The final costs of the proposal are planned to be of the order of £62,500. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council have matching sums of £30,000 allocated to the Centre and the Borough Council is soon to make a decision on support for the plan outlined in section 2 above. As can be seen in the Appendix, The Capital Programme for the Arts is holding the sum of £32,000 for this expenditure from years 1999/2000 and 2000/01. Therefore, the County Council is in a position to agree that its officers are authorised to make the payments to a maximum of £32,000 for items which comprise the list above in conjunction with officers of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
Recommendation
That Hampshire County Council's officers be authorised to provide grant aid to Fairfields Arts Centre for its capital needs to the maximum of £32,000 working in conjunction with officers of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers
The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.
N.B. the list excludes:
1. Published works.
2. Documents that disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.
TITLE LOCATION
Update on Fairfields Arts Centre Arts office file: PS 2.8
Board minutes, agendas and other information Arts office file: PS 2.8
Capital Programme for the Arts
Appendix
Current position as agreed by the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage in January 2002
Light type indicates that sums have been provisionally allocated to that heading.
Bold type indicates that the sums have been approved the payment for the scheme.