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Minutes of the Tourism Committee Meeting held in the Council Chamber, Town Hall on Tuesday 26th April 2022 at 6.00 pm
 
 
PRESENT:
 
East Ward:
 
Councillor Mrs J Gubb (Chairman)
 
South Ward:
 
Councillors Mrs S Langford
Councillor P Lawrence
Councillor S Inch
 
North Ward:
 
Councillor D Bushby
 
West Ward:
 
Councillor C Hawkins
 
IN ATTENDANCE:
 
Mrs L Dixon-Chatfield, Town Clerk’s Asst
 
 
083.   TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES AND REASONS FOR ABSENCE
 
No apologies had been received.
 
084.   TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA
 
There were no declarations of interest received at this point in the meeting.
 
085.   PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SESSION
 
There were no members of the public in attendance.
 
086.   MINUTES
 
Proposed by Councillor Bushby and seconded by Councillor Mrs Langford, the minutes of the meeting held on 8th March 2022 were approved and signed as a correct record.  
 
(Vote – For: 5, Against: 0, Abstentions: 1)
 
087.  TO RECEIVE UPDATES ON ORGANISING THE CELEBRATIONS FOR HM THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE.
The Chairman was pleased to confirm that, contrary to it being minuted at the Town Council meeting of 7th April that Mrs Ferguson would not be providing the buffet, everything was going ahead as planned.  She added that she and the Clerk had met with Mrs Ferguson this afternoon and discussed the matter and were assured everything was in hand.
 
The Clerk asked members to make their final decision on the bookmark design.  All was agreed and she advised that she would send off the design to the supplier.
 
The Clerk advised that she was in regular contact with SWEMS with regard to Bideford Fair.  
 
Members discussed the involvement of all Councillors at both events, the Chairman and Councillor Bushby agreed to encourage Councillors to attend at any subsequent meetings they chaired.  The Clerk would ask the Mayor to announce it at the next Full Council meeting.
 
The Chairman reported that she and Councillor Bushby, together with the Clerk, had met with Sonic Fireworks for a site visit at Pollyfield and that the Shamwickshire Football pitch would be used for setting up the fireworks.  This has been agreed with the Club and Councillor Bushby has discussed it with TDC who have agreed in principle.  The Clerk advised that she was ready to go with the licence, after a slight adjustment of timing.  
 
Members discussed the new timing for the fireworks which would be after the Beacon Lighting.  They agreed that it would be more practical to have the firework display at 10pm (Beacon Lighting at 9.45pm) and would finish at 10.10pm, then the band would finish off the evening. 
The Chairman and Councillor Bushby further advised that the cost of the fireworks had been increased to make a good show and that the extra cost would be absorbed within the Tourism budget as there was a significant sum from the cancelled Cream Tea event, the Decorative Bed (the backboard having been purchased through the Welcome Back Fund), Up Close Theatre events not going ahead for 2022.  
 
Costings for the Beacon Lighting Event –
 
Buffet           £1,000
Band             £  560
Fireworks     £4,000
Security        £  300
 
Budget for Beacon Lighting Event – 
 
Event itself                           £5,000
Events not going ahead       £2,150
 
Keeping within the Tourism budget.
 
All members were in favour and agreed the costs.
 
The Clerk advised that she would start work on the Souvenir Programme and would work with SWEMS to ensure all promotional material tied in.  Councillor Hawkins agreed to work with the Clerk on the promotional material.
The Clerk explained that the programme would be in a booklet form, A5, promoting the day and evening events and the Town Council itself.  They would be available throughout the Town in shops, cafes, restaurants, the Burton, Art Centre, Library, Affinity.  
The Clerk added that as soon as she had the compiled the final timings for the events, she would circulate to all Councillors requesting their attendance at the events and for the Mayoral Procession through the Town to Victoria Park. 
 
 
088.  TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON THE CREAM TEA EVENT FOR 2022
 
Councillor Lawrence explained that due to the lack of interest and with his recent personal commitments, the Cream Tea Festival would not be going ahead this year.  He added that the current financial climate, staffing issues, together with a post pandemic lack of confidence had very likely contributed to the lack of interested parties.  
 
Members asked him if he felt it could go ahead in 2023.  He asked that this be reviewed in the Autumn.
He further asked the Clerk to check that the Sponsor had been cancelled.
 
The Chairman noted this and thanked Councillor Lawrence for his time on this event.
 
 
089.  TO UPDATE ON CHUDLEIGH PICNIC
 
Members discussed moving forward with the format of this event, bearing in mind that last year was a Centenary of the Memorial at Chudleigh Fort.  
 
It was agreed to make this a Community Event and perhaps to promote it as Chudleigh Community Picnic; to invite Community Groups to set up in the Fort area ie Bideford Sustainability, Boxing Club, Men’s Shed, Railway Heritage Centre and groups that use the Pollyfield Centre.  This would show awareness of what is available East the Water.  The Bideford Archive Group would be invited again as they had been very successful last year, as well as ETW in Bloom and Hedwig’s Hotel.  The Clerk agreed to contact Community groups.
 
Members discussed food and Councillor Bushby suggested that a hog roast could be a good idea, with Ploughman’s boxes as an alternative.  It was agreed that the Cream Teas would not be available, but Hockings Ice Cream would be invited again as well as Swiss Miss who provided teas and coffees.  
All members agreed with these suggestions and that they would be free of charge.  But any cakes provided by Swiss Miss would be chargeable to the public. 
 
The Clerk would ask to borrow the giant games from the Pannier Market. 
 
Other suggestions were to invite the Town Band to play but to also have the same PA as last year which was most suitable for the occasion. 
 
Further updates would be brought forward at the next meeting.
 
 
090.  TO DISCUSS IDEAS FOR FUTURE EVENTS OR ACTIVITIES
 
Councillor Mrs Langford asked if all was being prepared for the Clean Up event on Sunday 22nd May.  The Clerk confirmed that she had been in touch with Asda and that their Champion was organising a group of volunteers to join in.  She added that she would carry out an inventory of the graffiti kits and tools.
 
There was a good deal of enthusiasm for one of the suggestions from the last meeting, Bideford’s Got Talent.  This could be held in the Pannier Market.  Councillor Bushby explained how successful the event had been and that they had been overwhelmed with applicants when it was held in the Conservative Club.
 
Councillor Bushby explained that he had a template for organising such an event.  Members discussed categories and the need to ensure that only amateurs could take part.  Prize money was discussed, and the Clerk agreed to ask the Town Clerk if this would be permissible.  
 
A ballpark date of late June 2023 was agreed by members.
 
Councillor Bushby reported that he had recently visited a National Trust property that used an electric vehicle for moving visitors around the venue.  He asked that this be included as an agenda item for the next full Tourism meeting.  
  
 
091.  DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
 
Members discussed the next scheduled meeting date which would be after the Jubilee event and agreed that meetings especially for Jubilee would need to be arranged.  
 
They agreed Tuesday 17th and 24th 2022 at 6pm to discuss matters related to the Jubilee celebrations.  They agreed to defer the scheduled meeting on 7th June 2022 for a week to Tuesday 14th June 2022 at 6pm.
 
 
 
The business of the meeting having been completed, the Chairman thanked the members for their attendance and the meeting concluded at 7.00 pm.
 
       
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                        
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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