Agenda item

To consider a request by Councillor Paul Leadbetter for the following decision of the Executive Leader on 11 December 2012 to be called in:

Chorley Remembers – Coach House Gallery

A copy of the call in request form which includes the call in procedure is attached, along with a copy of the above report which was approved by the Executive Leader on 11 December 2012.

The Executive Leader will be present to answer any questions.

Members were advised of the request submitted by Councillor Paul Leadbetter for the call in of an Executive Member decision on 15 December on Chorley Remembers – Coach House Gallery.

The call in request was made on the following grounds:

·         The report does not address whether the Council’s proposed exclusive use of the gallery to a sole organisation meets the original Heritage Funding condition requirements of that the gallery is for community users.

·         The report does not address users concerns relating to a lack of disabled access in Astley Hall

·         The report removes the widely accepted principle that the gallery is for all user groups and no equality assessment impact has been undertaken.

The Committee heard further representations from both Councillor Paul Leadbetter and a member of the public who was speaking on behalf of a number of voluntary organisations who had made use of the gallery in the recent past.

Both representations wished to make it clear that their objections did not imply any criticism of ‘Chorley Remembers’, it was directed entirely at the actions of the Council, in particular what they felt was a lack of a proper, inclusive consultative process from the outset, a failure to consider alternative options and failure to canvass the opinion of users of the Coach House Gallery.

Councillor Alistair Bradley – Leader of the Council responded as follows:

Exclusive use of the Coach House Gallery has not been given to one organisation as the Chorley Remembers exhibition has been gifted to Chorley Council and the Council will be responsible for managing the exhibition.

The HLF funding for the Coach House includes use as a museum / exhibition space.  The HLF have visited the Coach House and are supportive of the proposed changes.

At Executive Cabinet on June 21st approval was given to use part of the Coach House to accommodate the Chorley Remembers project.  This decision was based in part upon the accessibility of the Coach House that would enhance the overall offer to visitors as it provides disabled access.

There is no disabled access in Astley Hall, but the two alternative rooms in the Coach House have disabled access. The proposed changes to the Farmhouse to provide additional exhibition space would also include disabled access.

Although no separate equality impact assessment as such has been undertaken for the changes to the gallery, it has been given consideration and the proposed changes will mean there is improved access for visitors to the Chorley Remembers exhibition and for the alternative exhibition space for use by local artists in the Coach House and Farmhouse.

The Chair of the Committee thought that a key factor was to establish the timeline of consultation that had taken place before the decision had been made by the Leader and asked for an officer of the Council to clarify this for the Committee.

The Members of the Committee asked further questions of the Leader and the Executive Member (People) around the consultation processes that had taken place and who had been consulted and why. Members expressed some concerns about the consultation that had been undertaken and felt that lessons could be learnt for the future.

RESOLVED – That whilst it is acknowledged that there could have been some improvement on the consulting process, the request to call in the decision of the Executive Leader on Chorley Remembers – Coach House Gallery be refused.