The deadline for questions to be submitted to the Monitoring Officer is 4 September 2023.
Minutes:
Question from Councillor T Trent
There seems to be a lot of figures being bandied around social media. What is the actual cost to BCP Council of the Bournemouth Air Festival, net of any additional income from the four-day event. Can this be clarified for us and the wider public.
Response by Councillor Millie Earl, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Connected Communities
Thank you, Cllr Trent. I'm aware that there has been a considerable amount of misinformation across social media and in the press peddled by our current and former Conservative colleagues, so I would like to take the opportunity to clarify the financial position relating to the Bournemouth Air Festival.
The events team have worked closely with the Council finance team to start to calculate the cost of the 2023 Bournemouth Air Festival to the Council. The estimated cost currently calculated incudes the direct expenditure and income related to the delivery of the Air Festival, as well as Council staff time to support the festival and the net position of income from wider services during the festival such as from across our seafront and car parking services. It must be emphasised that after an event on the scale of the Air Festival, it takes time to receive final invoices and income from all the activities delivered, therefore the current figure is estimated. Currently the cost to the Council of the 2023 Bournemouth Air Festival is estimated to be £480,000, as mentioned this is a current draft position of the cost, the final position will alter.
Over the coming weeks all costs and income linked to the delivery of the 2023 Air Festival will be finalised.
The task and finish group are reviewing the options for the future of Bournemouth Air Festival, a paper will be brought to Cabinet later this year, at this point we will also be able to provide the final cost of the 2023 Bournemouth Air Festival to the Council.’
Supplementary question from Councillor T Trent
For clarification does the estimated figure include the ultimate cost of the staff that have been transferred from other duties, and who will be having overtime/ time off in lieu and things like that. Is that actually part of the figures because I wasn’t quite clear on that part of the answer.
Response by Councillor Millie Earl, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Connected Communities
I'm happy to provide the information but want to be clear that this is an estimation.
As a council, our expenditure specifically on the air festival is approximately £900k. Our income specifically from the air festival is approximately £500k.
We have estimated around £190k of staff time is used for the air festival – including those in seafront, events, comms and other teams across the council.
We have estimated we bring in £110k from car parking and seafront services that we may not bring into this level if it wasn't for the event.
This means the approximate net cost of the Air Festival in its entirety this year is £480,000.
I just want to stress again that this is an estimate, and the final figures will be published when we have them.
I am though, certain, that the net cost to the council, and by extension, the BCP tax payer, is more than £400,000 - this is significantly more than our Conservative colleagues would like residents to believe.