Glasgow City Council 22Nd September 2016 Executive Committee
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Item 5 Glasgow City Council 22nd September 2016 Executive Committee Report by Councillor Archie Graham, Depute Leader of the Council Contact: Duncan Dornan Ext: 70988 The Willow Tea Rooms Project – Capital Grant Request Purpose of Report: The purpose of this report is to: i. Advise Committee of the £9.0m Willow Tea Rooms restoration project and its value to Glasgow, and ii. Seek approval for a capital grant of up to £250,000 to support the Advanced Works contract to deliver this project. Recommendations: The Committee is asked to: i. Note the details of the Willow Tea Rooms restoration project and its value to Glasgow, and ii. Approve a capital grant of up to £250,000 to support the Advanced Works contract which will enable the building to be open to the public during 2018 and play a key role in celebrating 150 years since the birth of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Ward No(s): Citywide: Local member(s) advised: Yes No consulted: Yes No PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: Any Ordnance Survey mapping included within this Report is provided by Glasgow City Council under licence from the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfil its public function to make available Council-held public domain information. Persons viewing this mapping should contact Ordnance Survey Copyright for advice where they wish to licence Ordnance Survey mapping/map data for their own use. The OS web site can be found at <http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk> " If accessing this Report via the Internet, please note that any mapping is for illustrative purposes only and is not true to any marked scale 1. Introduction 1.1 The importance of Charles Rennie Mackintosh for Glasgow lies in the significance of his remarkable architectural and design legacy which is known throughout the world. His reputation and global standing reflects his role in the development of “modernism” in architecture and of what became known as the “Glasgow Style”. His fame rests on his conception of architecture as a total work of art, and on his instantly recognisable style as a designer of chairs, decorative panels, furniture and interiors. Glasgow’s unique advantage in relation to Mackintosh is that the major contribution of all aspects of his output can only be found in the city. 1.2 There are eight Mackintosh legacy sites in Glasgow, in addition to the Hill House in Helensburgh, which are considered to be top-heritage assets. The significance of this is demonstrated when compared with other international cities with a notable contribution of Architectural assets, for example, Chicago has only one Frank Lloyd Wright building to visit and a group of houses to enjoy from the outside and Barcelona considered to be the international benchmark in this category with seven Gaudi sites. 1.3 Glasgow’s Mackintosh assets are a source of major public value for the city and represents, in a tourism context, a significant economic opportunity as a unique selling point and key strength in Glasgow’s positioning as a cultural tourism destination. 1.4 This has been recognised in the soon to be published Tourism Strategy where ‘Mackintosh’ is one of four priority themes. 1.5 The fire at Glasgow School of Art and the subsequent restoration project has attracted international attention and put the spotlight on Glasgow’s Mackintosh assets. 1.6 2018 presents a major opportunity to highlight these assets as it is the 150 year anniversary of Mackintosh’s birth. The stakeholders involved in the nine sites are currently working together to develop a programme of activity to celebrate 2018 and to use this to launch a ten year Mackintosh plan that will support investment, build capacity and ensure the Mackintosh opportunity is fully realised. 2. Willow Tearooms proposal 2.1 The Willow Tea Rooms in Sauchiehall Street was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for Miss Catherine Cranston and opened on 29 October 1903. The building is of international significance and of particular interest as Mackintosh had total control of the architectural and decorative elements ranging from the remodelling of the structure itself down to the design of the cutlery and the waitress uniforms. 2.2 The Willow Tea Rooms Trust was established in June 2014 to restore, preserve, sustain and create lasting legacy for the Willow Tea Rooms for future generations with objectives to: Undertake the repair and restoration of The Willow Tea Rooms as designed by Mackintosh in 1903; Provide facilities that are appropriate to the use and significance of the building, that will continue to ensure a sustainable future; Share this 20th century architectural masterpiece with the public; Celebrate the lives and achievements of Miss Cranston and Charles Rennie Mackintosh in the building they created together, and Act a catalyst and focal point in the regeneration of the famous Sauchiehall Street. 3. Project Summary 3.1 The Willow Tea Room’s regeneration project at 215 and 217 Sauchiehall Street will restore the building, recreate and preserve the famous and much loved A and B listed Tea Rooms. The creation of an integrated world class interpretation, exhibition and learning facility will inspire, educate and deliver a living, breathing, touchable, heritage experience that will appeal across the age spectrum. The main aim is to restore and preserve this iconic piece of Glasgow’s heritage for the benefit of the citizens of Glasgow and visitors from Scotland and beyond. The property will be maintained to ensure social, cultural and economic outcomes for people who live in the city and visitors to Glasgow. The project will allow visitors to use an authentic Mackintosh interior as a functioning tea room as was originally intended. 3.2 The buildings are currently in a very poor state of repair and continue to deteriorate. They are in desperate need of urgent work, water is coming through the main roof and the gallery roof is sagging and dry rot is spreading. There is no heating source in the Willow Tea Rooms building and the electrical wiring is in a poor condition. 4. Capital Grant Request 4.1 In 2014, as the landlord and tenant had gone into receivership, a private individual, Celia Sinclair, funded the purchase of The Willow Tea Rooms to prevent the forced sale of the building, and probable loss of its contents to collectors. The building is now protected and in the ownership of the registered charity The Willow Tea Rooms Trust. 4.2 Details of project costs and funding are set out below: Total project costs £9.0m Expenditure to date £2.2m Balance required £6.8m Balance Funded by: Heritage Lottery Fund £3.8m (TBC Sept 2106) Scottish Government Regeneration Grant £1m Private Philanthropists and Trusts £2m £6.8m 4.3 Letters of support have been received from Monument Trust, The Robertson Trust, The Hugh Fraser Foundation, The Cargill Trust, The Mickel Fund and Scottish Enterprise. The Business Plan illustrates that this is a financially sustainable project that will generate significant revenue from the Tea Rooms with surpluses which will maintain the building's future in perpetuity. 4.4 An Advanced Works Package has been tendered and costed at £650,000. This is ready to start immediately and will ensure the entire project can complete in June 2018 and play a substantial role in the City's Mackintosh offer which is a key element of the City's Economic Plan. 4.5 The details of the Advanced Works Package are as follows: Cost £650,000 Funded by: Glasgow City Heritage Trust £200,000 (confirmed) Dunard Fund £175,000 (confirmed) Other sources £ 25,000 (confirmed) 4.6 By contributing the necessary £250k grant to this advance works package Glasgow City Council will show strong support to the overall project and contribute significantly to the case for HLF funding which is due to be considered in September 2016. Grant support to the advance works will be made contingent of a successful outcome of that HLF funding application. A financial contribution of £250k represents good value against an overall investment of c£9.0M in one of Glasgow’s most significant cultural assets. 5 Policy and Resource Implications Resource Implications: Financial: Executive Committee is asked to approve capital funding of up to £250,000. This amount can be contained within the Council’s capital planning. Legal: Terms and conditions relative to the grant to be confirmed. Personnel: Not applicable Procurement: Not applicable Council Strategic Plan: This project contributes to the Vibrant City theme of the Council’s Strategic Plan. Equality Impacts: EQIA carried out: Yes / no? Outcome: Sustainability Impacts: Environmental: Re-use of existing building and assets. Social: Securing the long term future of an accessible asset for the people of Glasgow and visitors to the City. Economic: Contributes to vibrancy and tourism strategy 6. Recommendations The Committee is asked to: 6.1 Note the details of the Willow Tea Rooms restoration project and its value to Glasgow. 6.2 Approve a capital grant of up to £250,000 to support the advanced works contract which will enable the building to be open to the public during 2018 and play a key role in celebrating 150 years since the birth of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. .