Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Monday, 09 March 2009

Cabinet Update-5th March 2009

Voluntary Sector Support Funding 2009/2010

Cabinet has once again agreed to support the valuable work undertaken by a number of organisations within the voluntary sector in the Borough by providing a total of £553,869 funding for 2009/2010.

Organisations to benefit include:-

-Stockton Residents & Community Groups Association
julie.derbyshire@srcga.com

-Stockton International Family Centre
 info@sifc.org

-U.N.I.T.E.
melaniebaker@unite-mediation.org

-Catalyst
allison@catalyststockton.org

-Newton-Norton & Clarences Community Resource Centres
paul_mcgee@btopenworld.com

-Hardwick in Partnership Margaret Middleton
hardwickpartnership@hotmail.com

-Stockton District Information & Advice Service
ibartlett@stockton-cab.co.uk or cabstockton@btconnect.com

-The Corner House
jacky@cornerhouseyouthproject.co.uk    

-The Five Lamps
graemeoram@fivelamps.org.uk    

-The Billingham Partnership
kevin.pitt@ntlworld.com & manager@billinghampartnership.org.uk

For details of the services and advice provided by each of the above organisations, visit the web links provided above. For further details on the Council's support arrangements for the voluntary sector, contact Julie Nixon, Head of Housing, on 01642 527072, julie.nixon@stockton.gov.uk

Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) and Christmas Festival-2008 Review

Cabinet received a review of each of the above Festivals held in and around Stockton Town Centre during 2008.


SIRF



2008 saw the 21st Stockton International Riverside Festival hosted; with the Community Carnival and Riverside Fringe supporting the main programme. Results from the Visitor Survey undertaken during the Festival indicated:-

- Overall satisfaction at 96.2%, with the highest ever proportion (45%) in the very good, giving SIRF 08 the top 'very good' rating,
- 87.9% of visitors said the Festival has a positive effect on Stockton's image with only 0.9% saying it had a negative effect,
- 1,086 participants in the Community Carnival, an increase of 7% on last year,
- 41 groups participated, 17 new groups and 13 diverse groups, every ward was represented,
- Fringe footfall was an estimated 60,000, an increase of 20%,  
- SIRF and Fringe combined presented more than 240 performances,
- Flying Dragon Circus - successful collaboration with Beijing Chaoyang
- Mean spend per capita £41.70; equating to an estimated contribution to the local economy of between £1.5 and £2.8 million,
- Two Billingham International Folklore Festival groups took part in the Carnival.

Two large scale shows were presented on Trinity Green; Flying Dragon Circus, and World Famous & Terrafolk presenting 'Full Circle'.  This was the most popular part of the Festival with 57.4% of visitors saying it was their most liked event.

Flying Dragon Circus was commissioned for SIRF as a result of our 6 year partnership project with Beijing Chaoyang Intercultural Association.  This was the first time in several years that the Festival charged for an event with tickets £12.50 full price, £5.00 concession and £25.00 family ticket - 2 adults and 2 children go free. This didn't deter visitors as average audiences were 350 for each of the 8 performances, approximately 80% of capacity.

2008's Community Carnival was SIRF's largest to date - 1086 participants and 41 groups, including 17 new groups and 13 diverse groups.  The theme 'Germination - Stockton Sows the Seeds of Innovation' represents our first year as partners in Imagination Our Nation, a five year project where partners from across the country work to a shared vision in the run up to 2012 Cultural Olympiad. This partnership has enabled us to network with other carnivals and festivals leading to a group from Coventry Carnival coming to perform at our event. We plan to build on these exchanges in the future.

This year we delivered year two of our training programme for artists and community leaders to equip them with skills and techniques required for carnival production.  We also provided a programme of professional development for dance and music.  This resulted in the development of Carnival Crew Tees Valley (CCTV), a group of young dancers and drummers created specifically to perform at Stockton Carnival and events throughout the region and the UK.  They have also now performed at local events including Middlesbrough Mela, Darlington Carnival, Hartlepool Maritime Festival as well as nationally at Coventry Olympic Handover celebration and Thames Festival.  We will continue to develop this group as they are now an integral part of Carnival end event activity throughout the year.

The Fringe has grown dramatically this year and successfully shifted perceptions that its main role is to promote local bands.  The mix of headline bands, acoustic stage and comedy tent were excellent in bringing in both young and old. The events during the day were well attended by families with young children and the night time events by a wide range of ages.  Once again, the Fringe was located on the Riverside with additional events programmed in the Georgian Theatre

This year the Fringe undertook its own market research by interviewing 238 audience members over three days on Riverside.  Key findings were:

-Attendance figures were high; the site was filled to capacity on Saturday night (10,000 audience) and very near on both the other nights (8,500 on Friday and 9,500 on Sunday) and over the whole weekend attracted in excess of 60,000 people to the site;
-The Tees Valley area brought in 94.9% of the audience whilst the neighbouring counties (County Durham and North Yorkshire) brought in 1.8%; this suggests that the Fringe mainly attracts local people and mirrors last year's evaluation results;
-  The majority of comments about the music programming were positive and 92.5% of audience members when asked rated the programming either 'Excellent' or 'Good'.

The 2009 SIRF will take place between 29th July and 2nd August, the biggest ever Carnival will process down the High Street on Saturday lunchtime and the Festival will culminate with a spectacular finale on Trinity Green. For further details; including employment opportunities available during the Festival contact jan.doherty@stockton.gov.uk

Christmas Festival



Cabinet took the decision in April 2008 to approve an outline proposal to develop a themed 4-day Christmas Festival & Market of regional significance to be held in Stockton over a 3 year period. It was hoped that this would build upon the Stockton Sparkles Christmas Festival started in 2006, as well as enhancing and supporting the retail offer in Stockton Town Centre during Christmas as well as complementing the retail offer in Stockton during the Christmas period.



As a result, the Council, in co-ordination with external partners and contractors, hosted an event from Thursday 27th November-Sunday 30th November 2008 consisting of:-

-Stockton Market;
-Crafters Market, operating from 28 decorated log cabins;
-Farmers Market; including cookery demonstrations;
-Circus, with Christmas theme, attended by 4500 people;
-Street Theatre, including a mechanical Polar Bear;
-Victorian Fair;
-World Fair, including African drumming, belly dancing, salsa;
-Fireworks;
-Staged entertainment provided by Tees Music Alliance;
-Stockton Sparkles, including reindeer parade, Christmas land train, and Christmas Light switch on.

Results from the Visitor Survey undertaken during the Festival indicated:-

- Over 92% of all respondents felt that the Events had a positive effect on the way they view Stockton Town Centre.
- The vast majority (85%) of respondents described the Events as positive. Over half said that this was their first visit to the Stockton Christmas Events
- Nearly one in ten respondents said that they attended with someone who lived outside of the Tees Valley with Saturday the most frequently attended day.
- The level of satisfaction with the accessibility of events was positive and less than 8% of respondents who had someone in their party who suffered from a long term illness or disability, were dissatisfied with the access arrangements.
- Over three quarters of all respondents visited the Crafters Market Fair at the Parish Gardens, this also proving to be the most liked attraction throughout the Festival.
- Other activities most liked included the Christmas Circus and selected Street Entertainment.
- The average spend per person attending the Festival was £28.60 including travel, refreshments, merchandise or other expenditure and any accommodation.

Feedback was also received from businesses and traders that took part, which would be analysed and taken forward into preparations for the 2009 Christmas Festival event. Early results show record takings in many of our retail outlets. One leading Castlegate Centre store reported a 72% increase in visitors during the Christmas Festival week and a 54% increase in takings during this time, while Wellington Square reported a 24% increase in people shopping during December 2008 in comparison to December 2007. It was however evident from feedback that market traders participation in the festival over 3 days did not result in significant increases in trade, especially on the Thursday and Friday. It is therefore proposed that the normal Wednesday and Saturday markets, and to a lesser extent the Friday market, be continued without disruption and that traders are not invited to commit to attending all days of the 2009 Christmas festival event. It was also suggested that, in consultation with local businesses, the 2009 festival should be held during the last week running up to Christmas when shops are open late until 8.00pm (Friday 18th December to Thursday 24th December 2009).

For further details of this year's event, please contact the Town Centre Manager on 01642 526035; e-mail:
regeneration@stockton.gov.uk


Stockton Heritage Strategy and Action Plan

Cabinet, appreciative of the fact that there are many local and regional strategies in existence relating to heritage and activities which celebrate our history, has given the go ahead to utilise available new technology to connect and reveal aspects of our history, and to release a wealth of knowledge and information from local people.

This was to entail the development of a new encompassing strategy for heritage, based around five heritage themes:

- Early Stockton, iron-age, Roman and Saxon Stockton
- Railway and engineering heritage including petrochemical industries
- Our World War I and II contribution
- Plaques, trails and interpretation in the landscape
- Recent/Living history and community interest in heritage

An overarching Heritage Strategy would exist as a written document published online, providing a framework for the work of various Council Services, community groups and heritage agencies.  A new micro site within Stockton.gov.uk would allow people to add comments and pictures, driving an ever-increasing body of information on our Heritage and living history. A dedicated officer and member working group was established to oversee the project, commencing with preparation of an implementation plan by Summer 2009.

For further information about the proposed Stockton Heritage Strategy, contact Reuben Kench , Head of Culture & Leisure, tel. 01642 527040.


Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy Review


Following extensive consultation with a range of stakeholders including elected members, the trade, disability groups and the general public, Cabinet has approved a revised Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy.

Included within the policy was a proposal to allow the random drug testing of drivers from July 2009; the application of Euro IV emission standards for new  vehicles; new standards to be applied for tinted windows; training requirements for drivers/private hire operators re NVQ and BTEC qualifications to be obtained within twelve months of next licence renewal; and refusal to renew licences of vehicles categorised as 'accident damaged' on their V5 document.

Details of the complete revised hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy can be obtained from http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/stockton/licguide.htm#taxi or by contacting David Kitching, Trading Standards & Licensing Manager, tel. 01642 526530; dave.kitching@stockton.gov.uk.