Agenda item

Councillor Jeff Beck presented the final report and recommendations arising from a scrutiny review into Shaw House. Councillor Beck thanked everyone who took part in the review and drew the Commission’s attention to the following points from the report:

·        The Council’s use of the building had left many rooms underused, and the budget contributions did not reflect the true worth of the space used;

·        There was considerable scope for development of the house, maintaining it for the future whilst also bringing in revenue;

·        Although some clearing and tidying had been undertaken, a more complete restoration of the gardens would be required;

·        The car parking arrangements would need to be addressed, and to improve the appearance of the house, it had been recommended that the front car park be returned to a grassed garden;

·        The Council’s registration service was based within Shaw House, and this meant that whilst wedding ceremonies could take place, the house was not permitted to hold wedding receptions. It was therefore recommended that the administration of registrations be moved;

·        There were insufficient catering facilities on site to allow the preparation and service of full meals which meant that the house was not desirable as a conference venue and would not meet the needs of those holding a wedding reception. It was also difficult for outside caterers to operate in the house as there were no reheating facilities;

·        The location of the toilets in the basement was not appropriate for all events;

·        The Task Group were in accord with the findings of the Cultural Asset Working Group;

·        The house was Grade 1 listed and conditions therefore limited alterations to the house;

·        The Task Group was of the view that the house was an important attraction for West Berkshire, but it required greater self funding. There was a need for greater expertise with regard to marketing and the Task Group recommended that the Council engage with an external consultancy to obtain the required expertise.

Councillor Jeff Brooks, as Vice Chairman of the Task Group, added the following points:

·        The Task Group had run after the Cultural Asset Working Group, and whilst in broad agreement with the findings set out in the subsequently developed business plan, the Task Group felt there was a lack of ambition for the potential of the building;

·        It was considered that assistance would be required to help market the building and to hold successful events. Examples of where this was needed were the lack of signage to inform the public that the house was open to them, the insufficiency of information on the internet; and that schools were not encouraged to visit;

·        The Task Group were disappointed that the operating subsidy of £150,000 continued to be required and that it would be a number of years before this would reduce significantly due to a slow increase in income;

·        Further investigation would be required to establish the allowable level of income under the Heritage Lottery Fund rules;

·        Whilst financial stability was important, it was equally important that the house be maintained for the benefit of West Berkshire.

The Chairman referred to the recommendation to return the front car park to grassed gardens, commenting that this might be to the detriment of wedding parties who would likely wish to drive up to the entrance of the house.

Councillor Garth Simpson agreed that there appeared to be a lack of ambition for the house and commented that the current décor and look of the house limited the price that companies and individuals would be willing to pay to hire rooms. The gardens must be improved in order to leverage maximum income. Councillor Simpson suggested that the coach house could be converted into a permanent high class restaurant which could also cater for functions. Councillor Simpson asked if the terms of the funding could be examined to understand the level of flexibility in investments aimed at making improvements to the house.

Councillor Brooks agreed that the level of flexibility could be examined further, and commented that the cottage at the back of the site would lend itself to becoming a catering facility. By introducing some capital investment to convert the building and upgrade other areas, a greater level of income generation would be enabled. It should be the intention of the Task Group to transform Shaw House into a ‘go to’ destination.

Councillor Virginia von Celsing told the Commission that the Heritage Lottery Fund considered Shaw House to be only partially complete. Councillor von Celsing believed that whilst improved marketing would be helpful, it was the garden and car parking that needed to be addressed first. Whilst the building did not provide an attractive setting, people would not be interested in visiting. Councillor von Celsing informed the Commission that Officer time was insufficient to manage both the museum and Shaw House, and currently Shaw House was not being prioritised. Councillor von Celsing had been informed that film and television interest would be limited due to the noise from the A34.

Councillor Hunneman asked whether the registration service could be moved elsewhere on the site to enable wedding receptions to take place. Councillor Brooks replied that the service would need to be relocated off site, but added that moving the service into the town centre would benefit residents who would find it easier to get to, and would enable the use of Shaw House for wedding receptions.

Councillor Mason asked whether the recruitment of volunteers would enable schools to access the building in a shorter timescale. Rachael Wardell advised the Commission that schools would not visit Shaw House unless it linked to their curriculum, and considered that Shaw House’s offering would need to be broader to attract schools.

Having considered the report and the discussion, Councillor Webb made the following comments:

·        The recommendations were welcomed and were considered to be an appropriate way forward;

·        By opening the house to the public for 200 days a year, commercial opportunities might be lost;

·        Catering facilities would be required;

·        The management of the property should remain within the Council, however marketing expertise might be an area to consider outsourcing;

·        Further conversations should take place with film and television companies. Councillor Webb believed that noise would not always be a factor as companies could make arrangements for this.

Councillor Webster raised the following points:

·        Assistance from another area of the Council could be provided to enable the application for the remainder of the Heritage Lottery funding to be made;

·        Noting the number of full time equivalent employees, Councillor Webster asked that their roles be examined to ensure they remained appropriate and fit for purpose;

·        Highclere Castle was offered as an example of how working with a television company could be successful, and why this should be pursued;

·        Councillor Webster agreed that the house was underutilised and that improved marketing would assist this, but commented that consultancy fees would be expensive and it would be likely to be more cost effective to employ someone, perhaps on a temporary basis, with expertise in this area;

·        It was important that progress be made to ensure the house was not in the same position in five years time.

Councillor Brooks advised the Commission that the Task Group had not found that noise was a reason for film and television companies refusal to use Shaw House. Instead the reasons given had been a lack of exclusivity in that they could not use the location if other activities were also taking place. The Task Group had recommended that this be reviewed further, suggesting that time could be set aside to allow exclusive access for filming.

Councillor Brooks expressed his hope that the English Civil War might be included within the educational curriculum, and this would raise interest in schools visiting the house.

Councillor Brooks reported that there were tensions between those wishing to maintain the historical integrity of the building and those wishing to improve its business opportunities. This conflict might prove daunting to a new employee brought in to market the house and should be considered alongside this decision.

The Chairman suggested that the recommendations within the final report be amended slightly to reflect the discussion, and that the report then be submitted to the Executive.

The Commission agreed.

RESOLVED that the recommendations within the final report be amended to reflect the Commission’s debate, and then be submitted to the Executive.