Agenda item

Report on Two Petitions Relating to Relocation of Carousel

This report presents information on two petitions received by the Council in regard to the relocation of the Carousel as part of the Christmas 2015 attractions, which were previously presented to Corporate & Scrutiny Management Committee in November 2015 as part of their regular schedule of Petitions. 

Minutes:

Members considered a report which presented information on two petitions received by the Council in regard to the relocation of the carousel as part of the Christmas 2015 attractions. These petitions had been previously presented to Corporate and Scrutiny Management Policy and Scrutiny Committee (CSMC) in November 2015 as part of their regular schedule of petitions and had been referred to this committee as the issues raised fell within the committee’s remit. Members were asked to consider whether any further action was necessary in relation to the petitions.

 

Members noted that both petitions had been referred to Make it York who had taken the decision to relocate the carousel as part of a plan to improve the city’s 2015 Christmas attractions. Make it York had expressed concerns that some of the phrasing of the petitions had been misleading and confirmed that there had been no plans to “ban” the carousel, but that the operator had been invited to use a pitch which he used frequently during the year.

 

Councillor Warters had registered to speak under public participation and addressed the committee. He stated that he wanted to ensure fairness and give committee members the opportunity to ask the carousel operators, who were in attendance,  any questions which they felt relevant in the same way that they were invited to ask questions of the Director of Make it York. He expressed the view that, after 28 years of the Christmas carousel operating in St Sampson’s Square and over 3000 signatures requesting its retention in that location, the committee should request a full report to consider the reasons behind this change to York’s Christmas offer. He stressed that any report and potential actions needed to be concluded in a timely manner to ensure that Christmas planning for 2016, both for Make it York and the carousel operators was not overly disrupted.

 

Make it York’s Managing Director advised Members that they had been tasked with doing things differently and taking a fresh creative approach to how Christmas worked in York including enhancing the Christmas market and broadening the breadth of the Christmas offering. The decision to move the carousel to the Eye of York had been taken with the best intentions in mind  and with the idea of spreading things out across the city to include Coppergate, Kings Square, the Eye of York, Judges lodgings, and the ice trail throughout the city, rather than limiting it to Parliament Street. He advised that feedback from traders, retailers and the public had been positive and that Make it York would review what had happened last year with view to making Christmas even better next year. He stated that they were also in discussions with York Museum Trust to extend their offer at the Eye of York, Coppergate and the Museum Gardens.

 

In deciding what action to take, Members felt that, while it was not their role to advise on what Make it York should do, it was important to ensure that an agreement was reached in time for next Christmas. The Managing Director of Make it York advised Members that he was happy to have an early meeting with the carousel operators with regard to next year’s plans. Members agreed the need for continued dialogue with Make it York around a number of ways to make York a positive destination, including ensuring there were suitable children’s events and entertainment so that the needs of families and children were met.

 

Resolved:  (i)      That receipt of the petitions and the actions detailed in the report and annex be noted.

 

                   (ii)      That it was agreed that appropriate action had already been taken or was planned, therefore no further consideration of this particular issue by the scrutiny committee was necessary.

 

Reason:     To ensure the Committee carries out scrutiny’s requirements in relation to petitions.

Supporting documents:

 

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