Archived decisions

Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Recreation & Heritage Item 1

22nd June 2006

Museums Joint Management Arrangements

Report of the Director of Recreation & Heritage

Contact: Caroline Dudley 01962 826704:

email [email protected]

1. Introduction

1.1 This report concerns the joint funding and management arrangements between Hampshire County Council (HCC) and

    · Eastleigh Borough Council (for Bursledon Windmill)

    · Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council (for the Willis Museum) and

    · Rushmoor Borough Council (for Aldershot Military Museum).

1.2 It has been the policy of HCC to put in place Joint Management Agreements (JMAs) for all the sites and museums in the Hampshire County Museums Service where the District Council makes a contribution to the running costs of the museums. These documents have normally been signed and sealed by both parties to the agreements.

1.3 As a requirement of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council's national museum Accreditation scheme, HCCMAS was asked to produce signed and sealed copies of the JMAs for all its museums. It was unable to do so for Bursledon Windmill, the Willis Museum and Aldershot Military Museum, because the JMAs, although agreed in draft, had never been signed and sealed.

1.4 When this was realised, the co-operation of the three District Councils was sought to get the draft JMAs signed. However, Basingstoke and Deane and Rushmoor felt that too much time had passed and that the drafts were no longer valid. Revised drafts were prepared, but these would have to have been placed before their respective Cabinets for approval, which was not guaranteed in the time available. A question was also raised about the legality of JMAs since the passing of the Local Government Act of 2004.

1.5 Eventually both Basingstoke and Deane and Rushmoor decided that they would prefer to replace the draft JMAs with annual Service Agreements, which can be signed by senior officers of both Councils. Eastleigh Borough Council was in a slightly different position in that the agreement for Bursledon Windmill had been drafted as an annexe to the main JMA for Eastleigh Museum, which had been signed and sealed. They have therefore agreed to endorse the JMA as drafted.

    Copies of all three agreements are attached.

1.6 There has been a time imperative over this matter, as to qualify for a full CPA score for HCC's museums for 2006-07 all its museums have to have achieved full accreditation by 31st August, 2006. The last panel meeting at which HCC will be able to submit its application for Accreditation for these three sites is on 27th July, 2006.

1.7 Accepting the offer of Service Agreements for the coming year will satisfy the requirements of the Accreditation process. However, further discussions will take place with BDBC and Rushmoor over the next twelve months to try and establish a longer term solution for the joint funding and management of these two important museums.

Recommendation

1. That approval be given to the joint management agreement relating to Bursledon Windmill with Eastleigh Borough Council, and that the document be signed and sealed as soon as the necessary agreement is received from the Borough council

2. That authority be given to the Director of Recreation and Heritage, following consultation with the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage, to approve and sign the Service Agreements relating to the Willis Museum and the Aldershot Military Museum when the necessary agreements have been received from Basingstoke and Deane and Rushmoor Borough Councils.