Issue - meetings

This report seeks to explain the relationship between BCP Council and BH Live, who provide a range of leisure, conferencing and Cultural services. The report makes a number of recommendations for improving the contractual and governance arrangements.

The Corporate Director of Regeneration and Economy presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix ‘A’ to these Minutes in the Minute Book. A copy of BH Live Annual Report was also attached with the agenda.

For clarity the Chairman informed the Committee that he did not have a role in BH Live that required declaration and that this had been confirmed by the BCP Council Monitoring Officer.

The report, focussing on issues of governance within BH Live, set out the relationship between BCP Council and BH Live which provided a range of leisure, conferencing and cultural services. The specific roles for councillors as Trustees on the main Board and as members of BH Live Enterprises were set out and the potential for possible conflict explained although new arrangements for contract monitoring were reported to have been put in place since BCP Council was established.

The report described the mission and role of BH Live and explained how the relationship between it and the BCP Council, including issues around ownership of buildings and facilities, was managed. 

With the consent of the Chairman, Councillor Bartlett addressed the meeting raising a series of issues about governance of BH Live based upon his experience as a newly appointed member of BH Live Enterprises. He cited a number of areas in respect of which he considered further clarification was required and referred to the Business Planning and Financial Planning processes which were in place.

The Chief Executive confirmed that the Council had a specific responsibility to its members appointed to these roles and that guidance about performance in that capacity was required and was in the course of preparation and would be made available to councillors as soon as possible.

RESOLVED that

under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act and that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs such interest in disclosing the information.

Exempt Business – Confidential.

The Committee considered a range of issues relating to contractual arrangements in place between BCP Council and BH Live and to operational and commercial factors.

The Committee returned to public session and it was

RESOLVED that:-

(a)  the Council provides greater clarity over the role and expectations of councillors who are members of the BH Live Board and its subsidiaries;

(b)  a report on BH Live (alongside similar organisations such as SLM and Lighthouse) be brought to Overview and Scrutiny Board at least annually;

(c)  given the incomplete information at this stage it would be prudent to defer further discussion until all relevant information can be made available so that a detailed set of governance recommendations can be made.

Voting: Unanimous.