SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL Cabinet Report 8 Report of: Lee Adams, Deputy Chief Executive ______________________________________________________________ Date: 9 March 2011 ______________________________________________________________ Subject: Decommissioning of the Register Office Ceremony Rooms ______________________________________________________________ Author of Report: Gillian Richards, Superintendent Registrar 203 9426 ______________________________________________________________ Summary: This report outlines a proposal to enhance the ceremony experience offered by Sheffield Registration Service. It is proposed to: Decommission the existing Register Office Ceremony Rooms and license them as Approved Premises Improve the ceremony rooms in keeping with the grandeur of the building Enhance the overall experience by extending the times ceremonies are offered, having fewer ceremonies taking place at the same time and offering private pre-ceremony interview facilities for brides and grooms Implement cost recovery charges for ceremonies in the decommissioned rooms Commission a bespoke Register Office Room within the existing Register Office space, where ceremonies can still be offered at a statutory fee thus giving couples greater choice ______________________________________________________________ Reasons for Recommendations: A review of Sheffield Registration Service has established opportunities for the Council to enhance and extend the service it currently offers to the citizens of Sheffield. This proposal will also enable the Council to recover the actual costs of providing ceremonies whilst still delivering its statutory function. Recommendations: Cabinet to: Authorise the Council’s Proper Officer for Registration Services, [the officer with statutory responsibilities for registration matters on behalf of the Local Authority] to take such steps as may be necessary to decommission all three of the Register Office Ceremony Rooms including seeking approval from the General Register Office for the relocation of the Register Office rooms and applying for them to be become Approved Premises. Authorise the Deputy Chief Executive, as Proper Office for Registration Matters, to review and set fees for civil ceremonies, based on cost recovery. ______________________________________________________________ Background Papers: Category of Report: OPEN/CLOSED* Statutory and Council Policy Checklist Financial Implications YES/NO Cleared by: Paul Foster Legal Implications YES/NO Cleared by: Cathryn Essam Equality of Opportunity Implications YES/NO Cleared by: Lyn Vickers Tackling Health Inequalities Implications YES/NO Human rights Implications YES/NO: Environmental and Sustainability implications YES/NO Economic impact YES/NO Community safety implications YES/NO Human resources implications YES/NO Property implications YES/NO Area(s) affected All Relevant Cabinet Portfolio Leader Cllr David Baker, Deputy Leader Relevant Scrutiny Committee if decision called in Strategic Resources & Performance Overview Scrutiny Committee Is the item a matter which is reserved for approval by the City Council? YES/NO Press release YES/NO Decommissioning of the Register Office Ceremony Rooms 1.0 SUMMARY 1.1 This report outlines a proposal to enhance the ceremony experience offered by Sheffield Registration Service. It is proposed to: Decommission the existing Register Office Ceremony Rooms and license them as Approved Premises Improve the rooms in keeping with the grandeur of the building Enhance the overall experience by extending the times ceremonies are offered, having fewer ceremonies taking place at the same time and offering private pre-ceremony interview facilities for brides and grooms Implement cost recovery charges for ceremonies in the decommissioned rooms Commission a new Register Office Room, within the existing Register Office space, where ceremonies can still be offered at a statutory fee thus giving couples greater choice 2.0 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SHEFFIELD PEOPLE 2.1 The Council’s policy on Choose and Use means giving individuals a greater choice. This will mean that the Council will be better able to meet people’s needs and wants. 2.2 This proposal will provide: Greater choice in use of Register Office services An enhanced ceremony experience by extended opening hours to include Saturday afternoons. Extension of ceremony time to 45 minutes The availability of a suitable room where a bride or groom can wait prior to their ceremony, unseen by their guests Improved decoration of the Ceremony Rooms and waiting area in keeping with the grandeur of the Town Hall and in compliance with its listed status Continued provision of a statutory Register Office function in a designated bespoke room at the fee set by the Government 3.0 OUTCOME AND SUSTAINABILITY 3.1 The overall outcome from approving decommissioning of the ceremony rooms will be that the customer will have greater choice and an enhanced experience. The service will achieve its priorities while recovering actual costs. It therefore plays a major part in the Council’s medium term business strategy for the period 2011-14. 4.0 Background and Reason for the Proposal 4.1 A change in the law to allow ceremonies to take place in Approved Premises such as hotels and stately homes has led to an increase in customer expectations. As a consequence, many couples also want more from their Register Office Ceremony. Informal feedback from couples planning Register Office Ceremonies this year has shown that many of them would prefer: A Saturday afternoon ceremony Not to be seen by partner or guests prior to the ceremony Fewer ceremonies to be taking place at the same time. The opportunity to personalise their ceremony Enhanced facilities e.g. decor It is not possible to finance these changes within the current statutory restrictions. The fee for a Register Office Ceremony is set by Central Government and cannot be varied locally. This fee is currently £40 and does not cover the full cost of providing a ceremony. Decommissioning the existing Register Office Ceremony Rooms and licensing them as Approved Premises will enable the Council to set fair charges which recover all costs. The increased fees will allow enhancements to both the rooms and the service offered to couples. Legally the Council must continue to provide a Register Office where ceremonies can still be offered at the statutory fee. This room must be able to accommodate, as a minimum, the Superintendent Registrar, the Registrar, the couple and 2 witnesses. 4.2 It is proposed to: Decommission the existing Register Office Ceremony Rooms License these rooms as Approved Premises Set appropriate fees for ceremonies within these rooms Commission a bespoke statutory Register Office Ceremony Room, with associated waiting area, within the existing Register Office space, where ceremonies will still be offered Monday to Saturday at the statutory fee 4.3 A small number of Council-owned venues are already licensed as Approved Premises e.g. Town Hall Reception Rooms, Weston Park Bandstand and Sheffield Botanical Gardens. Enquiries with the Council’s Licensing Service indicate that there are no barriers to licensing the existing Ceremony Rooms as Approved Premises. 4.4 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Sheffield Register Office conducted 783 marriage and civil partnership ceremonies last year, generating an income of £31,320 at the current statutory fee of £40. Under the proposals the fee will rise to recover the cost of providing each ceremony. However, it is expected that the Decommissioned Ceremony Rooms will remain amongst the most affordable venues for civil ceremonies in the region. Sheffield Registration Service also attends at over 30 other local venues such as hotels, football clubs etc. In addition to the charges made by the venue, couples pay a fee for the attendance of the registrars A comparison of the proposed cost of providing a civil ceremony, excluding reception etc. in the newly decommissioned Ceremony Rooms against popular local Approved Premises is as follows: Venue Weekday cost * Weekend cost * Register Office £110 £130 Ceremony Rooms Whirlowbrook Hall £975 £1055 Kenwood Hall £775 £855 Hilton £675 £755 Holiday Inn £625 £705 SUFC £725 Not offered at weekends Cutlers Hall £725 £805 Novotel £575 £655 Mercure St Pauls £825 £905 Leopold Hotel £425 £505 Norfolk Arms £575 £855 Niagara £295 Not offered at Conference and weekends Leisure Centre * This charge includes the fee for the attendance of the registrars. A number of local Approved Premises do not offer ceremony only services and couples have to take up a ‘full package’. These include Whirlow Grange, Sheffield Park Hotel, Tapton Hall, The Garrison, Staindrop Lodge, Mosborough Hall, Bradfield Village Hall, Whitley Hall. 4.5 This decommissioning approach is being reflected across the country as local authorities aim to enhance the ceremony experience and reduce the net cost of providing the registration service. Current cost comparisons are as follows: Sheffield £40 East Riding of Yorkshire £100 - £160 Leeds £130 - £140 North Yorkshire £100 - £200 York £85 - £220 Rotherham £75 4.6 Fees have been reviewed with Finance to ensure a fair and clear charging policy based on cost recovery. The proposed fees for civil ceremonies and civil partnership formations are: Decommissioned Ceremony Rooms Monday to Thursday - £110 Friday and Saturday - £130 Statutory Register Office Rooms Monday to Saturday - £40 4.7 A number of couples have already booked ceremonies for the coming