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ITEM CA16
CABINET
- 17 JANUARY 2006
OXFORD CASTLE
- HERITAGE INTERPRETATION CENTRE
Report by
Head of Property
Introduction
- This report explains
the overall progress with the Castle project, and in particular the
proposals for the future management of the Heritage Interpretation Centre
(known as the Oxford Castleyard Project) including the Education Room.
Overall
Progress
- The main part
of the project has been substantially completed with the hotel and restaurants
opened and evidently trading successfully. There are still further works
to be completed on the main part of the scheme but it is currently expected
that the Council will be in a position to issue a Completion Certificate
by the end of February.
- The restoration
works to St George’s Tower, D Wing and the Debtor’s Tower, together
with the construction of a new tunnel linking St George’s Tower to the
crypt below D Wing, the demolition of part of the prison wall at the
base of the Mound, and the construction of the Tidmarsh Lane building
including the Café and Education Room, were all completed by
Oxford Castle Limited under the main scheme. Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)
finance has been secured by the Oxford Preservation Trust (OPT) for
the works necessary to complete the works to those buildings, construction
of the new shop and ticket office, and the external works to the ‘Castleyard’
so that the Heritage Interpretation Centre can be brought into use.
Those works are programmed for completion in early May.
- The County Council
has appointed an Education Officer who will be within the staffing structure
for the Centre for Oxfordshire Studies but will primarily be responsible
for developing the educational functions within the Heritage Interpretation
Centre.
Future
Management Arrangements
- From the outset
of the Castleyard project it was intended that Oxford Preservation Trust
would undertake the physical works through their grant from the HLF
and other funding and that the finished project would then pass to a
newly formed charitable company, the Oxford Castle Trust, which would
be responsible for running the Heritage Centre. As a condition of the
offer of a grant from HLF, OPT were required to review the proposed
management arrangements and in particular to consider working with a
commercial operator with the relevant experience to run the completed
project. A review of all of the options for future management was undertaken
and the preferred option was to work in partnership with an experienced
operator. Negotiations followed which are now likely to lead to an operating
agreement between OPT and the preferred operator, creating a partnership
for the running of the completed development, now to be called ‘Oxford
Castle – Unlocked’. The operators will pay a rent and profit share to
OPT but will take the risk should the business fail to make a profit.
Any rent or profit share received by OPT will be reinvested in the project.
- The operating
agreement and the reinvestment of the available monies will be administered
by OPT, via a newly constituted committee of OPT – the Castle Committee.
This has been formally agreed by the trustees. The Committee will consist
of the current six OPT Castle trustees who have been delegated the task
of delivering the current project. The County Council has the right
to appoint three trustees to OPT of their own choosing. They are currently
Councillors Keith Mitchell, Anne Purse and Tim Hallchurch. It is intended
that either one or two of these County Council trustees should be invited
to sit on the Castle Committee and OPT would like to encourage the Council
to appoint one of the three trustees for this specific purpose. In addition,
it is likely that there will be co-opted members of the Castle Committee.
These could include members of the current Oxford Castle Trust Working
Group which comprises the four initial subscribers to the company together
with other individuals who were approached as potential trustees. OPT
have indicated that a further co-opted member from the County Museums
Service would be welcomed.
- If these arrangements
are agreed then there will no longer be a purpose for the Oxford Castle
Trust. The Trust was established as a registered company some time ago
but has not yet been registered as a charity and no trustees other than
the four initial subscribers have been appointed. If the arrangements
outlined above for the establishment of the Castle Committee as a committee
of the Oxford Preservation Trust are put into place then it is intended
that the Oxford Castle Trust will be brought to an end.
Conclusion
- The arrangements
for a commercial operator to be appointed by Oxford Preservation Trust
to undertake the management of the Heritage Interpretation Centre will
ensure that appropriate experience and resources are applied to the
Heritage Interpretation Centre. Although the operator will be entitled
to recover a profit should the Centre be successful, a part of that
will be reinvested into the project and the operator will take the risks
commensurate with a commercial enterprise. This will also avoid the
need for the Oxford Castle Trust to be established as a registered charity
and for trustees to be appointed who would be required to take on the
responsibilities for managing a Heritage Interpretation Centre which
would require appropriate skills, commitment of time and acceptance
of risks. The establishment of the OPT Oxford Castle Committee with
members representing the County Council, will ensure that there is appropriate
monitoring and oversight of the management of the Heritage Interpretation
Centre.
RECOMMENDATIONS
9. The
Cabinet is RECOMMENDED, subject to the completion of the operating agreement
with the commercial operator, and the formation of the Oxford Castle
Committee of the Oxford Preservation Trust with one or two members nominated
by the County Council, together with other appropriate co-opted members:
- to
agree that the Oxford Castle Trust should be brought to an end;
and
- to
consider whether one or two of the present County Council trustees
of the Oxford Preservation Trust should be appointed to the
Oxford Castle Committee, and if so which they should be.
NEIL
MONAGHAN
Head of PropertyBackground
Papers: Nil
Contact
Officer: Neil Monaghan, Head of Property, Tel: 01865 815 712
January
2006
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