Agenda item

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE BOSTON TOWN AREA COMMITTEE (BTAC) (STANDING ITEM)

Meeting of Cabinet, Wednesday, 9th September, 2020 6.00 pm (Item 89.)

(The draft minute of the BTAC meeting of 5^th August 2020 is attached, which contains recommendations relating to the Events budgets for 2020/21 and 2021/22.)

Minutes:

DECISION

1. That the recommendations of the Boston Town Area Committee be approved as follows:

a. The reallocation of £13,500 of the existing budget to an Illuminate Fire Garden for the Christmas 2020 event;

b. Option 1 within the planned programme of events for 2021/22 of an increase in budget of £22,000.

2. That the requirement for BTAC to seek Cabinet approval for expenditure over £10,000 be removed.

Portfolio Holders and Officer

TA/PP/MS

REASON FOR DECISION

Councillor Paul Goodale, Chairman of BTAC, presented recommendations from the Boston Town Area Committee (BTAC) relating to expenditure from the events budgets for 2020/21 and 2021/22, which were set out in the draft minute of the Committee’s meeting of 5^th August 2020, included in the agenda pack.

The recommendations were for to Cabinet to approve:

1. The reallocation of £13,500 of the existing budget to an Illuminate Fire Garden for the Christmas 2020 event;

2. Option 1 within the planned programme of events for 2021/22 of an increase in budget of £22,000.

BTAC Members had unanimously agreed to Option 1, proposing an increase in budget to £22,000 for the programme of events in 2021/22.

Support for the extended Christmas Event had also been unanimous, with all agreeing the four-day event would be a boost for residents following the impact and restrictions of the pandemic. The Committee had acknowledged that the event could not be in line with 2019, but agreed that the benefit to businesses and residents of an event could not be underestimated. In particular, the extension of the Fire Garden event had been considered positive, having proved extremely popular at the 2019 event.

Cabinet Members welcomed the proposals, describing them as exciting, and it was proposed and seconded that the recommendations be approved.

In addition, it was also proposed and seconded that the £10,000 expenditure threshold, whereby BTAC had to secure Cabinet approval, be removed. It was felt that it was not appropriate for the Committee’s decisions to require permission from another body before they were implemented, as the Committee raised its own precept. The Committee should be able to decide how the precept was spent for the benefit of the residents that its Members represented. The Monitoring Officer confirmed that, as delegations for the threshold had derived from Cabinet, it was within Cabinet’s gift to vary them and a Full Council decision would not be required on this proposal.

In response to concerns about whether it would be possible to hold Christmas events in the light of current restrictions due to the pandemic, it was noted that it would be the responsibility of the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to decide if the event should go ahead.

OTHER OPTIONS OR ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

None.

RECORD OF ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Councillors Martin Greggs and Yvonne Stevens declared that they were Members of BTAC and had taken part in that Committee’s consideration of the events budgets, but they were now acting in the role of Cabinet Members and had open minds in this matter.

RECORD OF ANY DISPENSATION GRANTED

None.

Supporting documents: