Contact: Helen Wheeler, ext 5444 e-mail: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report is to seek approval for the re-introduction of admission charges for children aged three and four i.e. the under fives, at Manor Farm Country Park from the 1^st April 2007. The reasons for seeking an exemption for Manor Farm to the concessionary charging policy with regard to charges for the under fives are;

· that it does not appear to have achieved the objective of attracting those who may not have been able to afford to visit by removing the financial barrier

· the lost admissions income has been the main reason for a budget deficit for Manor Farm in 2005/6 and 2006/7 which is predicted to re-occur in 2007/8.

2. Recommendations

2.1 It is requested that the Executive Member for Recreation & Heritage approve the following recommendations;

i) That from 1 April 2007 Manor Farm be allowed to reinstate an admission charge for children aged three and four years old subject to the annual revision policy which applies to all countryside charges.

ii) That a Family ticket at Manor Farm Country Park admit two adults and up to three children

3. Background

3.1 In May 2004 the Executive Member Recreation and Heritage approved a Concessionary Charging policy for the Recreation and Heritage services. The policy was approved with the aim to;

a. achieve a greater level of consistency in charging and discounts across all services

b. help achieve increased use of and wider access to the Recreation and Heritage services

3.2 Age-related concessions were considered in relation to the under five age group. It was proposed that in order to encourage the engagement and participation of the under 5's in the Recreation and Heritage services and to provide longer-term benefits of the development of the user base, that removing the financial barrier of cost for families with young children would attract more people to use Recreation and Heritage services.

4. Manor Farm and free admission for under 5's

4.1 Manor Farm was the only site directly affected by this decision. At that time only the under 3's were allowed free admission to the farm. It was expected that secondary spend by a larger volume of visitors would compensate for the loss of income from admission charges.

4.2 Manor Farm Country Park implemented the concessionary charging policy from the 1 April 2005 introducing free admission for three and four year olds who had previously been subject to the admission charge. The Country Park has now applied this concession for two years.

5. Admission charges at similar attractions

5.1 A survey of current charging policy at similar attractions indicates that all within the surrounding counties make an admission charge for the under 5's; usually for those aged three up but some charge from age two. For example, Finkley Down Farm Park, Fishers Farm Park and Bockett's Farm Park all charge for age two and over whilst Marwell Zoo, Farmer Palmers and Spring Barn all charge for age three and over (Appendix A - summary of charges).

5.2 It is proposed that Manor Farm re-introduce an admission charge for the under 5's to be applied from age three. It is proposed that the admission charge for 2007/8 be held at the same level as 2006/7 ( £4.00 for children - Appendix B) but extended to those aged 3 to 15. This price is competitive with other attractions and reflects the level of provision and facilities at the site. It is also proposed that to further mitigate the impact of the re-introduction of the charge that the Family ticket entitlement be adjusted to admit two adults and up to three children instead of two.

5.3 It is also proposed that consideration be given to holding an annual Open Day with free admission and to investigate the further options for outreach work with Children's Services to identify children from disadvantaged backgrounds who could be offered a special free day out. Children in Hampshire County Council foster care would continue to be able to visit free of charge.

6. Admissions income and the Budget

6.1 The loss of admissions income as a result of implementing the concessions policy has had a detrimental affect on the Manor Farm budget.

6.2 Using the information available on visitor numbers we are able to make a comparison of the number of free children admitted to the park in 2004/2005, compared with the number of free children admitted to the park in 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 and make an assumption to the level of income that has been lost.

6.3 It is estimated that had the concessions policy not been in operation, additional admissions income in the region of £18,000 - £20,000 could have been generated per year. This income would reduce the pressure on the budget and generate funds to invest in improving the facilities at the park to enable it to compete with similar attractions.

7. Visitor numbers and visitor surveys

7.1 The total number of visitors to Manor Farm has fallen over the last two years. This fall in numbers is despite the introduction of free entry for 3 - 4 year olds and hence suggests the concessionary charging policy has not achieved part (b) of the aims, namely: "help achieve increased use of and wider access to the Recreation and Heritage services at Manor Farm Country Park".

7.2 There may be many reasons for the falling numbers including the many other opportunities for spending leisure time. Due to the nature of the attraction a significant percentage of all visitors are aged under 5 years. Since the introduction of the concessions policy the number of children admitted to the Farm free of charge has almost doubled from 12.7% in 2004/5 (under 3s) to 23% as this now includes all children under five years. However, there is little evidence that families with young children who could not afford to visit are now visiting the Farm.

7.3 A postcode analysis of the visitor survey reveals that although people from a range of backgrounds come to the Park they are predominantly from groups entitled Symbols of Success, Happy Families and Suburban Comfort (Mosaic categories)¹. Overall, families with higher incomes account for 40% of visitors and 33% come from families with incomes of £50,000 or above; our visitors are A, B and C1s where C1s are lower Middle Class.

7.4 The analysis therefore suggests that the Park is not attracting poorer income families despite the concession on offer. This may in large part be due to the fact that public transport to the Park from post codes where poorer families live is not available - and these families may not have their own transport.

8. Marketing strategy

8.1 Approval is being requested now so that the appropriate publicity and public relations steps can be instigated in time to give customers advance notification of the change to the charging policy.

8.2 The following measures are proposed;

i. new admissions charges signage ordered and installed before the 1^st April

ii. admission charges notices indicating the change be placed at appropriate strategic positions on approach to the site (before the customer reaches pay kiosk)

iii. season ticket holders notified by letter one month in advance of renewal

iv. leaflets and the web site will refer to the new charge

v. an item in Showcase to feature the activities programmes and new charge

vi. draft a press release to explain the reasons and potential benefit of future improvements to facilities at the Farm, free entry for those in foster care, wider range of activities on offer

9. Future development

9.1 It is important that Manor Farm maintains a level of investment that enables it to compete with other attractions. There has been limited investment recently in new ideas to refresh the product which is vital to retain interest and attract new visitors. The re-introduction of admission charges for the under 5's (3-4 years) would generate the income required to balance the budget and provide some funding for future investment in improvements.

9.2 The generation of more income from admissions charges would enable the Manor Farm management team to implement ideas for further improvements to the facilities at the site which include; more play equipment for younger children to be sited closer to the toilet facilities; to develop the potential of the additional land recently added to the Farm pay zone with the creation of more footpaths and interpretation boards and a children's activity trail.

10. Legal Implications

10.1 The Council has wide powers under S.19 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to provide recreational facilities, and to make these available without charge or on the payment of such charges as the Council thinks fit.

11. Impact Assessment

11.1 Evidence that visitor numbers have not increased, and in fact have decreased (paragraph 7), as a result of the concessions suggests that the re-introduction of charges should not create a financial barrier for some, but the measures outlined in paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 are proposed to help mitigate any possibility of this.

LINK TO CORPORATE STRATEGY

Yes No

Hampshire safer and more secure for all

Maximising well-being _

Enhancing our quality of place

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the act.

TITLE LOCATION