Issue - meetings

(i)         note that Aberdeen Inspired would circulate the additional information available to Members outwith the meeting;

(ii)        note the findings of the Christmas Village 2019 Evaluation Report;

(iii)       note the 2019 Accounts contained as Appendix 2 for information; and

(iv)       agree that due to issues relating to Covid-19, Committee recommends to the City Growth and Resources Committee that Council no longer proceeds with a Christmas village for 2020 as planned, and instructs the Chief Officer – City Growth to work with Aberdeen Inspired and other stakeholders to consider alternative uses for the funding budgeted to support the city centre at Christmas and report back to City Growth and Resources Committee.

With reference to article 6 of the minute of its meeting of 28 May 2019, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – City Growth which presented the evaluation on the 2019 Christmas Village as required by the Council’s Funding and Service Provision Agreement with Aberdeen BID Company Ltd (trading as Aberdeen Inspired), which ran from 16 September 2019 to 20 February 2020, to enable the Committee to monitor the service delivery against expected outcomes.

Mr Adrian Watson, Chief Executive, Aberdeen Inspired was in attendance and answered questions from Members.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)       monitor the Christmas Village 2019 Evaluation Report contained as Appendix 1 against the expected outcomes; and

(b)       note the 2019 Accounts contained as Appendix 2 for information.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to note that Aberdeen Inspired would circulate the additional information available to Members outwith the meeting;

(ii)        to note the findings of the Christmas Village 2019 Evaluation Report;

(iii)       to note the 2019 Accounts contained as Appendix 2 for information; and

(iv)       to agree that due to issues relating to Covid-19, Committee recommend to the City Growth and Resources Committee that Council no longer proceeds with a Christmas village for 2020 as planned, and instructs the Chief Officer – City Growth to work with Aberdeen Inspired and other stakeholders to consider alternative uses for the funding budgeted to support the city centre at Christmas and report back to City Growth and Resources Committee.