(Report of Chief Executive)
Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting of 24 January 2016 on the outcome of a review of the future funding of Christmas lighting displays and hanging basket provision in Tonbridge.
The Cabinet resolved that:
The recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be endorsed as follows:
(1) no change be made to the current arrangements for Christmas lighting grant support in the parished areas but these be reviewed again when necessary;
(2) alternative funding options for Tonbridge Christmas lights and hanging baskets be explored for 2017/18. If these options are found not to be viable, the Council, as a last resort, be recommended to review the listed functions within the Council’s adopted Special Expenses Scheme with a view to including the functions within that scheme from 2018/19;
(3) a range of potential funding options be explored, including seeking direct support from local traders and achieving additional income generation from new events, markets, advertising and street trading concessions; this funding to be additional to any existing income already generated or planned for in the town centre;
(4) the target income figure for 2017/18 be set at £17,000, being 50% of the annual costs of both the Christmas lights and hanging baskets; and
(5) a review of the progress achieved with the above initiatives be undertaken in the third quarter of 2017/18.