Issue - meetings

The Director of Economy & Place to present a report which seeks approval for two temporary uses of part of Castle Car Park during 2019, as a pop-up theatre (the Rose) and a Viking Hall.

Resolved:  (i)      That the proposed uses of part of the car park be approved, subject to planning permission and other relevant statutory approvals and, in the case of the Viking Hall proposal, the additional measure set out in paragraph 38 of the report.

Reason:     To enable these proposals, which represent significant additions to York’s overall cultural offer, to proceed.

                   (ii)      That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director, Legal & Governance, to draw up the necessary leases.

Reason:     In order to move the process forward.

The Assistant Director, Communities & Equalitiespresented a report which sought approval for two proposed temporary uses of part of the Castle Car Park during 2019. 

The first proposal was from Lunchbox Theatrical Productions (LTP), for another season of the pop-up Rose theatre and ‘taste village’ successfully hosted on the site in 2018. The relevant dates were 26 May to 10 September 2019, inclusive of set up and take down.  About 153 car park spaces would be needed, with LTP to pay the council at a rate of £1,047 per day. The second was from Bifrost Entertainments, to install a Viking themed theatrical experience on the car park between 8 January and 3 May, with a Viking Great Hall and courtyard theatre.  This would need about 100 spaces.  The charge would be £136,500 in total, with payment to be scheduled in stages and a deposit paid upfront, to reflect the fact that this was a new type of venture with greater commercial risk.  Both proposals were considered to fit with the Castle Gateway masterplan for the area, as detailed in paragraphs 13-15.

In response to questions from Members, officers confirmed that Bicroft must make their initial payment before coming on site and this would depend on sufficient advance ticket sales.  A large number of school children had attended shows at the Rose, as indicated in paragraph 5 of the report, and LTP were working closely with York Museums Trust to address the issues with visibility of the Castle Museum mentioned in paragraph 7.

Resolved:  (i)      That the proposed uses of part of the car park be approved, subject to planning permission and other relevant statutory approvals and, in the case of the Viking Hall proposal, the additional measure set out in paragraph 38 of the report.

Reason:     To enable these proposals, which represent significant additions to York’s cultural offer, to proceed.

                   (ii)      That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director, Legal & Governance, to draw up the necessary leases.

Reason:     In order to move the process forward.