To receive apologies for absence, including notifications of any changes to the membership of the Committee.

Apologies for absence were received from Penny Burnside and Councillor Cowell. 

In accordance with the wishes of the Liberal Democrat Group, the membership of the Board had been amended for this meeting by including Councillor Baldrey instead of Councillor Darling.

To consider the call-in notice received in relation to the Mayor’s decision on the above item.

The following papers are attached as background information:

• Briefing Note on the Call-in
• Record of Decision, 19 July 2011
• Report to Council, 13 July 2011

The Board considered a report relating to the options for the future delivery of tourism, marketing, and events support within the Bay.  The report detailed the reasons for a call-in by ten Members of the Council of the decision by the Mayor on 13 July 2011 to instruct Torbay Development Agency to identify the strategic delivery options for the future delivery of tourism, marketing, and events support (assuming the retention of the Riviera International Conference Centre) and report back to full Council within four months.

The Call-in Promoter (Councillor Parrott) set out the reasons for calling in the decision and four of the Call-in Supporters present also addressed the Board about their concerns regarding the decision.  The Board was advised of the concerns of another Call-in Supporter who was unable to be present at the meeting.  The Board heard that the call-in was due to concerns including a lack of consultation or involvement of the tourism industry in the Mayor’s decision, the change of tourism strategy so shortly after the establishment of the English Riviera Tourism Company Ltd (ERTC), the cost of an options review, the value in a review of the Riviera International Conference Centre (RICC), the high risks of undertaking such a review identified in the report to Council on 13 July, and a lack of evidence to support the Mayor’s decision. 

The Board heard representations from and questioned invited witnesses.  The witnesses appearing before the Board were the Chief Executive Officer, ERTC, the Managing Director, RICC, the Executive Lead Member for Tourism and Environment (and a Council-appointed ERTC Board member) and the Executive Lead Member for Safer Communities and Transport (and the Council-appointed RICC Board member). 

The Board was advised by the Chief Executive Officer, ERTC, that the public sector strategic options review proposed would harm the local tourism industry and lead to a loss of private sector participation and financial support for the new tourism strategy.  The Board was advised by the Managing Director, RICC, that the proposal to explore options was unsettling, backward-looking, and that company structural changes were not required to achieve closer working.  The Managing Director, RICC, informed the Board that there would not be financial benefit in merging the ERTC and the RICC and the options review was not required and potentially costly.

The Board was informed by the Executive Lead Member for Tourism and Environment that the Mayor’s decision would produce closer working relationships between the ERTC and the RICC and was not intended to break up the ERTC.  She advised the meeting that the options review would examine all options.

The Board was informed by the Executive Lead Member for Safer Communities and Transport that the purpose of the options review was to examine how closer working between the ERTC and the RICC could be achieved.

In response to questions, the Board was advised by the Chief Executive Officer, ERTC, that greater efficiency and co-ordination between organisations did not require a four-month review and the other two high-level options identified  ...  view the full minutes text for item 204.