CABINET – 17 TH JUNE 2014

LEICESTER CATHEDRAL – REINTERMENT OF KING RICHARD III

REPORT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

PART A

Purpose of Report

1. The purpose of the report is to request approval for the County Council to underwrite in part the early stages of the internal reordering of Cathedral (internal building works) in preparation for the reinterment of Richard III in spring 2015.

Recommendations

2. It is recommended that:

(a) the County Council provides funding of £250,000 to assist with the underwriting of costs to be incurred by in commissioning the first stages of the internal reordering of the Cathedral in preparation for the reinterment of King Richard III;

(b) it be noted that the Leicester City Mayor has indicated that the City Council will be making a similar contribution to the underwriting and that the Cathedral’s major fund-raising in regard to the reordering of the Cathedral will be launched later in June 2014.

Reasons for Recommendations

3. Leicester Cathedral has already raised a significant sum to assist with the underwriting but that sum is not sufficient to allow for the early commissioning of contracts for the reordering and therefore the City and County Councils have been asked if they could assist in the underwriting.

Timetable for Decisions (including Scrutiny)

4. An early decision is required in recognition of the timescale set out above.

Policy Framework and Previous Decisions

5. The Cabinet at its meeting on 13 th September 2013 approved a contribution of £250,000 towards the development of Leicester Cathedral Gardens, recognising that the Diocese covers the City and County and the anticipated reinterment of Richard III in the Cathedral.

Resources Implications

6. The contribution of £250,000 can be met from the 2013/14 revenue budget underspend.

Circulation under the Local Issues Alert Procedure

7. None.

Officer to contact John Sinnott – Chief Executive Chief Executive’s Department Tel: 0116 305 6000 E-mail: [email protected]

PART B

Background

8. Following his death at the Battle of Bosworth in August 1485 it was known that the body of Richard III had been brought to Leicester. In September 2012 a skeleton was exhumed by the at Grey Friars, and there were strong suggestions that it was the skeleton of Richard III. DNA confirmation was provided by the University in February 2013, a licence having been granted earlier by the Ministry of Justice for the remains to be reinterred in Leicester.

9. As is widely known, a challenge was launched by way of judicial review to the decision of the Ministry of Justice to grant the licence. The challenge was launched by an organisation calling itself the Plantagenet Alliance. Judicial review proceedings were lodged with the Court in May 2013 and a judgement was delivered on 23 rd May 2014 dismissing the claimant’s application for judicial review.

10. Prior to the judgement, Leicester Cathedral issued a press release on 1 st April 2014 in regard to the reordering of the Cathedral. The following is an extract:

“The Dean and Chapter of Leicester Cathedral are delighted to announce that their revised proposals for internal reordering have been approved by the Cathedral Fabrics Commission for England. These proposals will allow the mission and the work of the Cathedral to grow and take into account changes that will allow for the reinterment of King Richard lll. They also include improvements to the layout of the building for worship and for two new stained glass windows.

The agreed changes to the inside of the Cathedral have taken account of the views of a number of specialist bodies, including English Heritage and the 20th Century Society, and also those of members of the public. The first submission in September 2013 required a number of revisions which the CFCE discussed at their recent meeting on 20 March 2014. Once the outcome of the Judicial Review is known these plans will be made public.

The Dean, the Very Revd David Monteith, is very pleased: “I am so delighted that our respectful yet imaginative proposals have been accepted. These permissions open up the way for major changes in the Cathedral which will help us become more effective in our witness and service. Our consultants and staff have worked very hard to develop the architectural vision for a great cathedral at the heart of a great city and county”.” It is noted from the Cathedral’s press release that the benefits of the reordering extend beyond the reinterment and will mean substantial improvements in the workings of the Cathedral.

11. The arrangements for reinterment are a matter for the Church authorities but the co-ordination of related events is being undertaken by the Cathedral Quarter Partnership Board. This is chaired by the Bishop of Leicester and includes in membership the City Mayor, the Leader of the County Council, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Leicester and the Dean of Leicester. A programme of events surrounding the reinterment which will, inter alia, focus on the King’s death at Bosworth Field and the bringing of his body to Leicester, is in the course of preparation. The short and longer term benefits to the City and County, not least in promotional and economic terms, are clearly significant and the Leader has made clear that the County Council will provide all possible support to ensure lasting outcomes.

Proposal

12. Without underwriting of costs, it will not be possible for the Cathedral to commission the necessary contracts to allow the internal reordering of the Cathedral to be completed by spring 2015. It is therefore recommended that, in the spirit of partnership, the County Council provides underwriting of £250,000 for this purpose, recognising the recent and future fund-raising by the Cathedral and also the matching commitment from the City Mayor to underwrite. A major fund-raising initiative is to be launched by the Cathedral later this month, from which it is expected that the County Council’s funding will be repaid.

13. The County Council’s £250,000 contribution would be met from a carry forward from the 2013/14 revenue budget underspend.

Equal Opportunities Implications

14. None arising from this report.

Background Papers

Report to the Cabinet, 13 th September 2013 - 2013/14 Medium Term Financial Strategy Monitoring. http://politics.leics.gov.uk/Published/C00000135/M00003634/AI00035622/$6201314MediumTermFinancialStrategyMonitoringPeriod4.doc.pdf