Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Denis Heathcote, Bob Kidby and Val Paley.

There were no items of urgent business.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no such items.

i.              To confirm the unrestricted minutes of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board held on 16 July 2013 as an accurate record of the proceedings. (Pages 1 - 8)

ii.            To receive the minutes of the informal joint Alexandra Palace and Park Consultative Committee, and Alexandra Park and  Palace Advisory  Committee held on 18 June 2013. (Pages 9 - 16)

iii.           To receive the minutes of the Alexandra Palace and Park Consultative Committee held on 18 June 2013. (Pages 17 - 18).

In response to a question regarding the proposed patron event, Duncan Wilson advised that completion of the works to ensure the safety of the theatre ceiling was not expected until the end of November at the earliest, and it was therefore planned to move the patron event back to Spring 2014. A full proposal for the event would be brought to the Board for consideration.

RESOLVED

i)             That the unrestricted minutes of the Board held on 16 July 2013 be approved and signed by the Chair.

ii)            That the minutes of the informal joint Alexandra Palace and Park Consultative Committee and Alexandra Park and Palace Advisory Committee held on 18 June 2013 be noted.

iii)           That the minutes of the Alexandra Palace and Park Consultative Committee held on 18 June 2013 be noted.

To update the Board on recent development and activities, in particular:

·        Learning and Community update

·        Brief for an interpretation strategy

·        Patrons’ event update

·        Press and PR report

·        Annual review

Duncan Wilson introduced the report as circulated, with updates from Isobel Aptaker, Claire Pendleton and Melissa Tettey. The following additional points and comments arose from the discussion of the Board:

Learning and Community Update

·        Feedback from teachers around the pilot primary learning programme had been positive.

·        Further to discussions with head teachers around future curriculum changes, it was proposed that an event be held at Alexandra Palace for primary and secondary head teachers to look at how schools could engage with Alexandra Palace as part of the new curriculum.

Volunteer Strategy

·        Over 100 expressions of interest in volunteering at the Palace had been received, and ways of engaging with volunteers throughout the year were being explored.

·        It was agreed that the draft volunteer strategy would be circulated to all relevant groups, e.g. Friends Groups for comment. The intention was for the document to be reviewed on a two-yearly basis once the final version had been agreed.

·        Further to a request from the Board, it was agreed that a briefing on the background of those registered as volunteers would be provided, for information.

HLF Our Heritage 2 Application

·        The Palace’s plans around this application had been warmly welcomed by the Borough within the context of how the centenary of the First World War would be marked across Haringey. Discussions would be held with the Borough as to whether there may be any additional resources available in order to deliver activities beyond the scope of the current proposal.

Interpretation Strategy

·        Discussions were being held with key stakeholders around the draft brief, which was intended to support a coherent narrative associated with the main HLF bid, following the story of popular entertainment from theatre, through silent film and television.

·        With regard to television, it was suggested that it was important not to focus solely on the early development of TV, but to look at the present day and future of the moving image. It was felt that seeking specialist advice on this aspect of interpretation may be valuable, although the difficulties associated with delivering this type of content without a dedicated curatorial resource were noted. It was noted that recent discussions with the BBC had very much focused on the future of television, and it was hoped that the BBC may be able to offer support around this.

·        It was noted that, once the Interpretation Strategy brief was finalised, an appointment would be made for a small scale consultancy exercise to inform the design process for the main HLF project.

·        With regards to the target audience, it was noted that the first line of this section should read: “The target audience includes the following groups:”.

Patrons event

·        This was now proposed for Spring 2014. It was agreed that details of the proposal would be circulated to the Board for comment prior to the next Board meeting.

Annual Review

·        The Board welcomed the Annual Review, which would be valuable in communicating with potential partners around the regeneration programme. The Board congratulated everyone  ...  view the full minutes text for item 318.

To update the Board on recent developments, in particular:

·        Commercial activity update

·        The events calendar

Emma Dagnes introduced the report as circulated. The following additional comments and points arose from the discussion of the Board:

Events

·        With regard to corporate events, it was reported that it was the unique nature of the venue in particular that was helping to attract new business, and that events of this nature were now a key focus for the sales team.

·        The Above and Beyond dance event was noted as having been particularly successful, with very positive feedback and a very low (two) number of noise complaints.

·        The number of spectators for the ice hockey matches was reported as very positive.

·        The Darts, Ping Pong World Championships and Snooker Masters were all being broadcast live on television, which would result in significant coverage for the Palace during these events.

Fireworks Update

·        The Back with a Bang Fireworks was listed as the top fireworks display in London in Time Out, Metro and The Evening Standard.

·        Tickets for the fireworks were on track to sell out in advance. There would be comprehensive communication both in the local area and online that the event was a sell out in order to discourage people from travelling to the venue without a ticket.

·        In response to a question from the Board as to whether the capacity of the event could be increased in future years, it was noted that this would depend on the success of the forthcoming event, and subsequent discussions with the Safety Advisory Group.

The Board congratulated the team for the positive report in respect of commercial activities, and particularly for the way in which the organisation of a paid-for fireworks display had been handled.

RESOLVED

That the contents of the report be noted.

To update the Board on recent developments and activities, in particular:

·        Fabric Conservation (incl Theatre)

·        HLF Project Progress

·        Commercial Development Opportunities

·        Regeneration Programme governance and team restructure

·        Forward 12-month programme for Property and Regeneration

Kerri Farnsworth introduced the report as circulated. The following points and comments arose during the discussion of the Board:

Victorian Theatre Stage Machinery

·        In response to a question from the Board, it was reported that, if it did not prove possible to make the reclaimed elements of Victorian theatre stage machinery (recently given by English Heritage) functional, the Palace had total discretion regarding the disposal of this equipment.

·        With regard to the work with the specialist theatre digital technology company as mentioned in paragraph 6.8 of the report, this type of project was welcomed as an excellent example of linking the history and future of entertainment.

HLF Project Progress

·        An approach had been made to Lord Hall, Director-General of the BBC, regarding developing a cultural partnership between the BBC and Alexandra Palace, the response to which had been positive. Richard Hooper was thanked for facilitating this approach.

·        Duncan Wilson advised that a BBC documentary maker had approached the Palace regarding the possibility of producing a documentary regarding the history of the BBC at the Palace, and the current regeneration proposals.

·        It was noted that the timetable for bringing a recommendation on the Design Team appointment to the special Board meeting on 19 November was very tight, and that the palace were working closely with the Council around this process.

·        Colin Marr reported that the Design Team appointment process had been discussed at the meeting of the Statutory Advisory Committee and Consultative Committee on 10 October 2013; it had been felt at that meeting that there was a need for a high level of transparency around this process and that the views of the Board needed to be taken into account. Duncan Wilson agreed with this view, but advised that the recommendation that would be presented to the Board would be the result of a strictly defined process and that the criteria for consideration of the recommendation were tightly defined by the process, which was governed by EU procurement law.

Commercial Development

·        It was reported that the feedback received from the soft market testing exercise had been in both verbal and written format.

·        It was anticipated that the Palace would be in a position to go out to the market formally in June or July 2014, and it was noted that this work would be supported by a 3 – 5 year improvement programme.

Forward Programme for Property and Regeneration

·        In response to a question regarding the match-funding business case to be submitted to LBH before December 2013, it was confirmed that this was being worked on and would need to include details of community benefits, as well as financial aspects. This would also need to align with the Council’s emerging corporate plan and cultural strategy.

RESOLVED

That the contents of the report be noted.

To update the Board on matters relating to management of the Park and on the Advisory and Consultative Committee’s advice on two planning applications in the Park, and for the Board to consider granting Landlord’s consent for the proposals.

Duncan Wilson and Kerri Farnsworth introduced the report as circulated. The following issues and points arose from the discussion of the Board:

Planning Applications – Little Dinosaurs

·        Planning drawings were still awaited in respect of the application, and the Palace had made it clear that they would not grant any permission without suitable drawings.

·        Colin Marr advised that the SAC and CC had suggested that the Board and Alexandra Palace management should set out strong guidance regarding what they would and would not accept in respect of tenant planning applications, so that expectations were clear before applications were made. Duncan Wilson noted this point, and advised that nevertheless it would not be possible to support any application where the applicants concerned had not provided sufficient information.

·        The Board hoped that the temporary withdrawal of the application was an indication that the tenant accepted the need to work more closely with the Palace in future.

·        Duncan Wilson proposed that, once full drawings were submitted by the tenant, the Palace consult with Colin Marr and Denis Heathcote as Chairs of the Consultative Committee and Statutory Advisory Committee respectively to ensure that the drawings submitted were consistent with the views of those committees, following which the Chair of the Board would be consulted regarding approval of the application. The Board indicated that it was content with this approach.

Planning Applications – The Garden Centre

·        Colin Marr advised that, while the SAC and CC had considered this a model application, they had raised some concerns regarding the wildflower meadow, and had been satisfied with the response provided by the applicant. The issue of the need to control the use of the proposed building had also been raised, and Duncan Wilson confirmed that permission from the Palace would be required for any sub-tenancies at this location and control would therefore be exercised.

·        With regard to rental values, the Board was asked to note that where a tenant makes improvements to their premises, the Palace was entitled to review the rental value of the premises, but must take into account the amount expended by the applicant in delivering the improvements. Tenants would be engaged as part of any rent review process of this nature, and any proposed changes would be reported back to the Board.

RESOLVED

i)             That the report and updates on the Grounds Maintenance Contract and Dog Control Orders be noted.

ii)            That the Board:

a)    Confirm its general consent to the proposal from the operator of Little Dinosaurs, having taken into account the advice from the Advisory and Consultative Committees;

b)    Grant Landlord’s Consent subject to agreement by Officers of detailed drawings consistent with this submission, and subject to clearance with the Chairs of the Advisory and Consultative Committees and the Chair of the Board.

iii)           That the Board:

a)    Approve the proposals from Capital Gardens Ltd, having taken into account the advice from the Advisory and Consultative Committees, and subject to Officers having finalised the details for Landlord’s Consent.

b)    Note the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 321.

To advise the Board of the results of the Trust for the five months ended 31 August 2013.

Nigel Watts introduced the report as circulated. It was reported that the £41k positive variance against budget, before Regeneration and gift aid, was largely due to timing, but that it was likely that any underspend would be spent by the end of the financial year. The Regeneration budget underspend was also reported as being largely associated with timing, particularly the length of the recruitment process for professional advisers; there may be a small underspend within Regeneration by the end of the financial year, but it was hoped that this could be carried forward into the following year.

RESOLVED

That the performance of the Trust for the five months ended 31 August 2013 be noted.

There were no unrestricted items of urgent business.

Special, Tuesday 19 November 2013, 6.30pm

Thursday, 13 February 2014, 7.30pm

The next meetings of the Board were scheduled for:

Tuesday, 19 November 2013, 6.30pm (Special)

Thursday, 13 February 2014, 7.30pm

Items 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18 are likely to be subject of a motion to exclude the press and public from the meeting as they contain exempt information as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972; Para 2 – Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual and Para 3 - information relating to the business or financial affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

RESOLVED

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of agenda items 14 to 19 as they contained exempt information as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972: Paragraph 2 – information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual and Paragraph 3 – information relating to the business or financial affairs of any particular individual person (including the authority holding that information).

SUMMARY OF EXEMPT ITEMS

MINUTES

RESOLVED that the restricted minutes of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board held on 16 July 2013 be approved as a correct record.

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF REGENERATION AND PROPERTY

The contents of the report were noted.

REPORT ON FRAC/APTL BOARD DISCUSSIONS – FINANCIAL ITEMS

The recommendations of the report were agreed.

UPDATE ON HISTORIC DEBT

The recommendations of the report were agreed as amended.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

The recommendations of the report were agreed.

ANY OTHER EXEMPT BUSINESS THE CHAIR CONSIDERS TO BE URGENT

There were no items of exempt urgent business.

The meeting closed at 10.10pm.

To confirm the exempt minutes of the Alexandra Palace and Park Board held on 16 July 2013 as an accurate record of the proceedings