Wilmslow Town Council has agreed to continue to support the Wilmslow Show and provide a grant to enable the 106th show to be held next year at its new venue which has resulted in significantly increase costs.
Last year the show relocated to Carnival Fields after 16 years at Wilmslow High School, which was prone to flooding, where it was allowed free use of the playing field. Holding the show in its new home has resulted in a considerable increase in cost. These include the cost of hiring the field from Cheshire East Council which is £650 plus £1000 deposit and the hiring of traffic management staff which CEC insists on, increased security, barriers, the cost of a shuttle bus for the Park and Ride and higher insurance rates as a consequences of cancellations due to bad weather.
To increase income, the show committee has agreed to increase entrance charges for the first time in 12 years. Adult tickets which have been £5 will be £7 if bought before the day and £8 at the gate, concessions which were £2.50 will be £4 in advance and £5 on the day and family tickets which were £12, will be £13 if pre- purchased and £15 on the day. Children under 5's remain free.
The show committee is also taking steps to lower costs, which include revising the number of competitions, reducing the size of the marquees and taking out the lighting in the horticultural marquee which saves £1500.
Councillor Frank McCarthy, who has been chairman of the show for the past 15 years, said "This is one of those things that is historic, probably for the past 50 to 60 years people have been bringing plants and things to the show up until about 10 o'clock on the Saturday night and this has involved putting lighting to do that. It's felt that the cost of lighting is such that it will not be an expectation that anybody to bring plants to bring them before it gets dark."
Councillor Angela McPake, who takes over as chairman of the show next week said "I think it's worth saying, one of the main focuses of our conversation has been about making sure we're doing stuff to help ourselves, just because we've always done it the same way doesn't mean we should always continue to do it the same way. So whether its reducing costs or upping income from the various stands - mindful of the fact we've got a community element to what we do which is obviously the free stalls we give to the charities on behalf of the town council.
"The committee would like the entrance to be free but the reality is we can't afford to do that but we think we can stand a small increase. We are quite keen that we continue to be able to offer free activities to people once inside with the intention that once you are in you don't need to spend any more, if you are on a budget. The fact that donkey rides and dog show were free and there were quite a number of activities for young children that were free is important to us."
She continued "I am fairly upbeat about the sort of conversations we have had about how we can continue to husband our costs and hopefully make it pay for itself better but we are not close to that at this stage."
To increase income, the show committee has agreed to increase entrance charges for the first time in 12 years and is also taking steps to lower costs, which include revising the number of competitions, reducing the size of the marquees and taking out the lighting in the horticultural marquee which saves £1500.
Last year Wilmslow Town Council provided a grant of £6500 and Councillor Keith Chapman suggested that they provide the same amount this year, rather than the £10,000 requested saying "Otherwise the show is actually amounting to 15% of our entire budget for this kind of activity and I just think it is far too much in terms of our overall spend."
Councillor Viveene Brooks said "I do feel that should give the Wilmslow Show our support and back it with the money because we've already cancelled now the Party in the Park, which was free for the people of Wilmslow, and I do feel it is a community event and as the Town Council we are duty bound to support it and make it a success."
Councillor David Jeffreys said "I don't want to be misinterpreted because I do want to support the show and I want it to go ahead. All I am saying is in future years we should cash flow projections, you just base it on a budget and say Wilmslow Town Council will make up the shortfall but at the moment the £10,000 is arbitrary."
Councillor Viveene Brooks added "I am disgusted with Cheshire East Council that they are charging us to hold a community based event that is principally the local people volunteering their services."
Town Councillors all voted in favour of approving the grant application for £10,000 to be used to meet the costs of the 2018 Wilmslow Show, with the exception of Keith Chapman who voted against and David Jeffreys who abstained.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
The rental cost of the field is probably the least of the concerns and is a red herring in my view.
The Wilmslow Show makes money from food concessions but we also donate a number of stalls free to local groups and provide free activities for Children, which we want to continue. The Town Council money allows us to do that- as well as fund the considerable extra infrastructure costs as a result of the move.
A number of our committee have worked on the Poynton Show so we are aware of their model. Their entry prices remain higher than ours even with the increase- with £10 for adults and £7.50 for concessions.
I was in attendance at this meeting as a member of the public. Whilst Councillor David Jeffreys might have personally considered that the grant being requested was a “shortfall" and "an arbitrary" figure, he was informed that it was not a shortfall or an arbitrary figure by both Councillors Frank McCarthy and Angela McPake.
I hope this brings some clarification.
But we don't have a cinema in Wilmslow. I trust you don't want Wilmslow precept to be used to support businesses outside of the Parish of Wilmslow.
Or am I incorrect?
Oliver - we're on side on the one #scandal
If you had attended the meeting on Monday night you would have heard the discussions about next years budget proposals. And how last years accounts had been signed off by the external auditor.
In answer to your question, "Does anyone know how much the cinema project cost and how much has been allocated for next year’s?". The answer is yes. The Town Council do, and this information is available on request from the Town Clerk.
email:
Previous years accounts are also available to view at http://bit.ly/2zvuKUh
Here’s my “tongue in cheek” response.
Don’t you realise that the Cinema in the Carrs is a free to attend event?
WTC are therefore already doing what you’ve suggested.
WTC does NOT have to provide £10000. It has chosen to give a grant of £10000 following an application and assessment by both the finance committee and the full town council. If you had been at the meeting on Monday night you would have heard the debate and the reasons for and against the decision.
I had two concerns.
Firstly that there were no income/expenditure estimates for the forthcoming event (just costs from previous years) on which to base our decision. Without an estimate of 2018 costs it appeared to me that the approach was just 'we'll ask for 10 grand because we know they'll give us that because they have done previously'. That is the wrong approach. However, I was assured by Angela who is taking over the chair of the show from next year that this had been done but wasn't visible to us and that it will be presented that way in future.
Secondly, every year this grant application arrives and every year we say that we are supportive but the show has to start to stand on its own feet and every year we are told that they are looking at ways to reduce reliance. It doesn't seem to happen. The show should be coming up with a strategy to ensure that it covers its own costs and then only come to Wtc with evidence that there is a genuine shortfall in funding. From the application there was evidence that they'd increased entry fees to increase revenue but no evidence of increasing revenue by other means or cost reduction. I had however asked a friend who owns a very successful events company to look over the previous years costs for me and she confirmed that they were reasonable for the type of event so that went some way to allaying my concerns. In addition, Cllr Frank McCarthy also explained at the meeting that this year they had cut out some costs such as lighting in the horticulture marquee which was quite a large ticket item so that added further confidence.
On that basis I decided to abstain (I think for only the second time since joining the council).
As town council I think we are all supportive of the show but we shouldn't be relied upon for funding to ensure it goes ahead.
With all the money thrown at the show wouldn’t it be cheaper in the long run to grant the high school money for decent drainage. This would be a great community benefit and the school could offer the fields out to other community events.
Traffic management problems would be solved, children get to use the field more frequently and the show could continue in almost every weather eventuality.
The cinema in the park seems to be costed at £10k. Two hundred attendees @ £50 a head. Cheaper to send them to Cineworld with a slap up dinner! Even if 500 attend it’s still £20 a head. Just doesn’t add up.
Why not put the money into forming a community cinema like Macclesfield has? Low prices affordable tuck shop classic, art and contemporary films - what’s not to like? That money would easily fund the capital equipment costs. Thereafter it could be self funding.
Seems WTC is only happy if it can use its money to demonstrate how much it is needed through branded support. The grants are not supposed to be used to promote WTC, it’s illegal to use grants in return for marketing and branding
Glad to see all grant application and accounts now finally published but in the process it was taken *very* personally.
Holding to account does not mix well with requests for grant applications.
I do, however, have a powerful professional projector and screen I could lend out to get things started if any groups are interested.
Doesn't the Old Dancer do a cinema night?
Some people will think that's we've allocated too much to events, etc but my view is that it adds a great deal to the town and does make Wilmslow a better place to live.
I'm often wrong but... did the incoming Chair man/woman/person vote to give £10k of our money to a one-day loss-making (year after year) event which she was about to become the Chair (etc) of?
Was it same with the church organ grant plan that mysteriously disappeared and the chair huffed and puffed saying that membership of a religious congregation is nothing to do with the council. Which is true, unless the councillors are voting to rent offices from the church and to give thousands in grants whilst also members of the congregation.
Cllr Angela McPake
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