TOURISM, CULTURE AND COUNTRYSIDE SERVICE PLAN Key Priorities and Improvements for 2009 – 2011 Directorate : Environment Service : Tourism Culture & Countryside Head of Service: Paul Murphy Lead Member : David Thomas 1 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Tourism, Culture and Countryside became part of the Environment Directorate on May 1 2008, moving across from the Lifelong Learning Directorate. The service is made up of the following :- Countryside Services – comprises an integrated team of different specialisms including: Biodiversity and Nature Conservation; Archaeology; Coed Cymru; Wardens, Countryside Recreation and Visitor Services; Heather and Hillforts; and manages the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), initiatives on Walking for Health, Open and Coastal Access, and owns and manages 2 Country Parks and a further 22 Countryside Sites. The Services’ work is wide-ranging, is both statutory and non-statutory in nature and involves partnerships with external agencies and organisations in most cases. The work of the Service within the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) and Heather and Hillforts HLF project is a good example of the essential collaboration and the close co-ordination needed in our activities. The Countryside Council for Wales, as a key funding and work partner, also guide and influence our work through jointly set objectives and outcomes. Heritage Services – responsible for the management and development of the County's heritage provision including Nantclwyd y Dre, Plas Newydd, Llangollen; Rhyl Museum; Ruthin Gaol; and the Service’s museum store.Each venue has a wealth of material and is an ideal educational resource. The service also arranges exhibitions and works closely with local history and heritage organisations, and school groups. Arts Service – responsible for stimulating and encouraging individual and community awareness, involvement and participation in the arts, through a programme of exhibitions, workshops, performances, classes and residencies particularly in the field of visual arts but also small scale theatre, dance and literature. The Service also commissions public art, provides advice for artistic practitioners and community groups and undertakes consultancy and contract work for other Authorities and organisations concerned with cultural activity. Marketing & Tourism Department – The Marketing & Tourism Department consists of two units which merged in 2006. The Marketing & Customer Service Unit oversees and delivers the marketing, communications and customer service for Countryside, Arts, Leisure, Libraries, Heritage and the venues managed by TCC. This includes representation of 2 DCC and its sites on external groups relating to Tourism, Events and Culture. The Tourism Unit is responsible for the promotion of Denbighshire as a tourist destination. This is primarily achieved by working through the official Marketing Areas of the North Wales Borderlands and Rhyl & Prestatyn, and through partnership working on a pan-north Wales and a pan-Wales basis. Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl – seats 1000+ hosting a varied programme of musicals, comedy, dance, drama, community shows and an annual pantomime. The theatre also host conferences, functions and seminars in their function suite. Royal International Pavilion, Llangollen – the home of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has a year round arts programme including dance, opera, world music, comedy, food and drink and is host to a broad range of festivals and fairs. Ruthin Craft Centre – recently redeveloped through Arts Council of Wales lottery funding, the new Centre has three galleries, six artist studios, a retail gallery, education and residency workshops, tourist information gateway and café. 1.2 Our lead member is Councillor David Thomas, based in Rhyl. He is responsible for Regeneration, Convergence and EU Funding, International Development Forum; Tourism, Culture, Countryside and Clwydian Range AONB; Biodiversity; Housing Enforcements and Area Renewals; Rhyl Going Forward; Town Strategies and is a member of North East Wales Spatial Plan Ministerial Group; Mersey Dee Alliance; North Wales Economic Forum; Taith Board. His key objectives are as follows: Delivery of Denbighshire’s Economic Growth Strategy Establishing Denbighshire’s Regeneration Partnership which will be represented on the Local Service Board Integrating Culture/Heritage and Tourism into Regeneration Services Producing Town Strategies to help shape Denbighshire’s revised Community Strategy Collaborative projects which have delivered efficiency gains 3 2.0 Corporate Strategies 2.1 As a service, we respond and engage with the following corporate strategies and activities:- Strategy/Activity Key Dates 2009 Link Corporate Improvement Plan Welcome to Denbighshire County Council - Improvement Plan Corporate Risk Register March/April and Sept/Oct Corporate Governance Action Plan Agreed at Council 17/3/09 Asset Management Plan August/September Asset Management Group Meetings 7 May, 2 July, 3 September, 5 November Community Strategy Update summer 2009 Welcome to Denbighshire County Council - Community Strategy Health and Well Being Strategy Welcome to Denbighshire County Council - Health Social Care and Well -Being Full Council Meetings 12 May, 30 June, 28 July, 22 September, 1 December Cabinet Meeting Dates 26 May, 23 June, 14 July, 8 September, 29 September, 27 October, 24 November, 15 December Environment Scrutiny Meetings 14 May, 18 June, 16 July, 17 September, 15 October, 12 November, 10 December Business Continuity Plan Update Each service to review quarterly Focussed Agenda Board Meets fortnightly SCALA SLA Runs from 1/4/09 for 3 years. Annual review meeting tba. 4 but are also working towards the following:- 2.2 Service Specific Drivers and Priorities Ref Priorities Objective Performance Lead Target Deadline Measure Officer TCC1 Review Service Structure Secure capacity to deliver all Adequate and SMT 05/09 05/09 service core areas for 09/10 whilst fully funded awaiting results of commissioned staffing in place reviews: Secure funding for and appoint an Appointment HoS Agree Appt by 'asset management and funding' made funding Aug 09 post at PO1/PO2 level: by May 09 Assess the possible creation of Agreement of HoS Creation of Sep 09 new fully self funded post relation proposal with sustainable to budget monitoring and income GL/MH/GW post generations possibly linked to new asset manager position. TCC2 Review cultural assets Secure a three year funding HoS SLAs Sep 09 and produce policy for approach rolled out externalisation Identify assets for disposal/closure/ externalisation Link with Focussed Agenda Board Reduce the county funding of the portfolio Review SLAs with external 5 Ref Priorities Objective Performance Lead Target Deadline Measure Officer facilities to reduce DCC contribution by 2012. Produce recommendations for Env Report to Env. Scrutiny Oct 09 Scrutiny Committee Scrutiny. Paper Policy Feb 2010 agreed TCC3 Develop evidence base for Produce robust system for Assess existing SMT sub- June 09 service driver outputs in measuring jobs created or evidence base group to maintaining and supported by areas with service in be developing quality conjunction with TPNW/ACW/ Agree a policy to chaired sustainable jobs for CyMAL/CCW. provide data in by HOS Sept 09 County residents gap areas Produce a report to feed into the Jan 10 Focussed Agenda TCC4 Develop evidence base for To produce a report which shows SMT sub-group Scope out June 09 the contribution of County the relevance of integrating culture chaired by Interim the existing Tourism, Cultural and into the LSB strategy: Head of Arts LSB Visitor Economy to Local framework Service Board Agenda Meet with Sept 09 LSB WAG Adviser 6 Ref Priorities Objective Performance Lead Target Deadline Measure Officer Make recomms Oct 09 TCC5 Rhyl Strategic Agree a cross sector service Set up inter- SMT sub- Plan June 09 Regeneration Area approach to maximise support for departmental group agreed for this strategic initiative working group. chaired consult. by Produce and Gareth Submitted Sept 09 agree plan. Owen to Reg Imp Board 2.3 Service Workforce Planning 2.3.1 Succession Succession planning has been identified as a risk in TCC. Issues include a lack of opportunity to appoint staff into vacancies and flat organisational structures. To address these issues the following actions have been identified:- Review service structure Develop a succession plan for the service Redevelop JDs of existing staff for smarter working and better use of resources Ensure cover for maternity leave Ensure quicker recruitment of key roles 7 2.3.2 Salaries and Recruitment Many posts within TCC are grant-funded. If the grant funding is not renewed, it does not necessarily follow that the work undertaken is not required. This significant risk to service can only be mitigated by securing on –going funding. 2.3.3 Sickness Absence Continue to ensure that TCC’s good record on sickness absence is maintained through flexible and smarter working priorities. 8 3.0 Major Accomplishments for 2008/2009 3.1 We contribute to all Denbighshire’s Corporate Priorities but we directly influence three more than the others as can be evidenced by the matrix of our major accomplishments for 2008/09:- Regenerating Our Communities - R Modernising Education - ME Responding to Demographic Change - DC List of Major Accomplishments Corporate Priorities R ME DC The Ruthin Craft Centre re-opened