Issue - meetings

The Chair welcomed the witnesses to the Scrutiny Panel meeting.  He asked Mr Colin Parr (Head of Governance – City of Wolverhampton Council) how the new Market Contract was progressing.  In response the Head of Governance stated that the current contract was reaching the end of its life.  The contract presently covered three markets on Dudley Street.  It included the delivery of the Sunday Market and other themed markets across the City including the Tettenhall “Make it or Bake it Market”, which had been very successful in the last few years.  The Council would be going out to tender the following week. 

The Head of Governance stated within the new contract there would be additional days built in for the prospective promoter to have more themed markets, festivals and fayres akin to the “Make it or Bake it event.”  Pop up markets were a key component of the offer in a number of towns across the country and not just in the region.  The new contract would have in-built flexibility not just for the standard themed market programme but a wider range of smaller themed markets, which was acting upon a specific request from community groups. 

The Chair stated that the “Make it or Bake it event” was only held twice a year and questioned whether this was part of the tendering process.  The Head of Governance confirmed that the “Make it or Bake it event” was part of the contract.  The Chair stated that the event had been started by local people in the community with a focus on selling items that had been built in the home locally in Tettenhall, which gave it a unique special feel.  He asked whether this would be subsumed into a greater contract with more events and therefore lose its originality.  In response the Head of Governance said a promoter had supported the “Make it or Bake it event” under the themed market contract.   It would not be subsumed as part of the contract as it was already part of the themed markets programme delivered by an external promoter.  He confirmed the status quo would be maintained. 

The Chair asked the Head of Governance for his opinion on having more events, fayres and festivals in the Tettenhall area and whether he thought there would be good public support.  In response, the Head of Governance stated that a few years ago there had been proposals to hold more events in Tettenhall.  These had potentially not been sympathetic to the make-up of Tettenhall and the wants of the community, resulting in some negative feedback.  He hoped, with the “Make it or Bake it event” and the events held in the City Centre recently, that perceptions had changed.  If there was a will from community groups and Members in Tettenhall to have more themed markets, craft fayres and festivals, he believed he would be able to commercially find promoters to work with community groups willing to deliver.  He believed he could find promoters for cheese festivals,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5