Decision details

To agree that the Cheltenham Trust can close the Wilson on one day a week on a Monday from 1 July and approve a variation of the Management Agreement accordingly.

1.            Background

1.1  The Cheltenham Trust has approached the council to consider closing the                       Wilson, one day a week, from 1 July 2018. The current opening times are:

Monday - 9:30am to 5:15pm

Tuesday- 9:30am to 5:15pm

Wednesday - 9:30am to 5:15pm

Thursday - 9.30am to 7.45pm

Friday - 9:30am to 5:15pm

Saturday - 9:30am to 5:15pm

Sunday - 11am to 4pm

1.2  The proposed closure on a Monday will reduce the number of hours that the Wilson is open to 46.25 hours over the six days.

1.3  The Trust will seek opportunities to generate further funding through group bookings; behind the scenes tours; corporate hires; school and college learning days; opportunities to hire different parts of the building as other similar facilities have done across the country. The one-day a week closure will enable more access to professional networks to position the Trust, enable project work to take place; The one day a week closure will also save the Trust an estimated £30k per annum. The café will remain open, and also the mezzanine, there will be more opportunities for hire of the mezzanine.  It is important that the Trust seek a more financially sustainable model that enables broader activities to take place across the venue in support of the overall business plan.

1.4  In addition the Trust will build on the Breaking New Ground project where communities are invited into the venue to use spaces in new ways; Star College for example used a gallery for a workshop; however due to the nature of the disabilities, it was difficult to fully integrate the students with the public.  The Trust will develop stronger relationships with communities in safe spaces dedicated to their activity to grow confidence.

1.5   The Trust proposes to close on a Monday, visit figures for Sundays are similarly low to Mondays; however the opportunity to grow tourism at weekends is a prominent strategic opportunity that the Trust is supporting; therefore a Monday would be a better day to close in order to achieve the activity above and enable as many tourists to visit on Sundays as possible. 

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