Decisions for issue Royal Pavilion & Museums Service Options

RESOLVED: That the Committee –

(i)            Noted the contents of the Options Phase One Report prepared by the independent expert attached as Appendix One to this report;

(ii)          Approved the steps required to improve and modernise the service and the associated timescale as set out in Appendix Two (Service Improvement Plan);

(iii)         Agreed that, following a period of service improvement, the Royal Pavilion and Museums service should be transferred to a charitable trust whose sole purpose is to deliver the council’s museums and heritage services;

(iv)         Agreed the timetable set out at 4.20 below and notes that this timetable will allow the single purpose charitable trust to apply for funding in the next Arts Council England funding application round (covering 2022+);

(v)          Delegated authority to the Executive Director, Economy Environment & Culture to enter into negotiations with the Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation to resolve matters outlined in 4.23 below;

(vi)         Delegated authority to the Executive Director, Economy Environment & Culture, to determine when the due diligence carried out during the initiation phase has been successfully concluded and the issues set out in 4.11 have been satisfactorily resolved such that the council should move to the Implementation Phase;

(vii)        Delegated authority to the Executive Director, Economy Environment & Culture in liaison with the Executive Lead Officer for Strategy, Governance and Law to take all necessary steps to implement the recommendation at 2.1.3, reserving those decisions relating to the governance of the charity for a future decision at the Tourism, Development & Culture Committee and the Policy, Resources & Growth Committee referred to in 2.1.8 below;

(viii)      Noted that during the Implementation Phase, a further report will be presented to the Tourism, Development & Culture Committee and the Policy Resources & Growth Committee to update on progress, seek approval to establish the charitable entity and seek delegated authority to conclude the legal arrangements between the council and such related parties.