Visitor Information Centre Bognor Regis

The request was successful.

Please answer re the above facility's relocation to the Regis Centre run by Arun Arts and the former location in Mountbatten Court:

1. The date of the relevant Service Level Agreement with Arun Arts and its duration
2. Termination provision - notice etc
3. Confirm no rent payable by Council to Arun Arts
4. State any payments made by Arun to Arun Arts as regards setting up of relocated facilities
5. Insurance provision by Arun
6. Confirm Arun Arts volunteers will staff the facility
7. Regarding the former location in Mountbatten Court, prior to the arrangement with the newspaper, 12 month salary and oncosts for final year fully run by Arun
8. Confirm that the Mountbatten Court premises are now occupied by the Arun Arts charity shop formerly in the Regis Centre premises
9. Is this covered by the main Service Level Agreement? If not, what is the basis for occupation, including duration and rental if any?
10. Will rates be paid by the charity?
11. As the charity shop may be regarded as an ancillary trading activity, would full business rates be payable or does Arun propose to give discretionary relief?
12. Does the business rates arrangement for this shop follow those applied to other charity shops in the town?
13. What was the last grant or similar payment made to Arun Arts, for what purpose (e.g. running costs, marketing etc) when and how much?
14, What are the reporting arrangements re the tourism/visitor facility, how is this carried out and by whom?

A copy of the SLA would be appreciated.

Thank you
Yours faithfully

Jan Cosgrove

Infomanagement, Arun District Council

Dear Mr Cosgrove

 

Thank you for your Information Request received on 7 February 2018.

 

REQUEST:

 

Visitor Information Centre, Bognor Regis

 

Please answer re the above facility's relocation to the Regis Centre run
by Arun Arts and the former location in Mountbatten Court:

 

 1. The date of the relevant Service Level Agreement with Arun Arts and
its duration
 2. Termination provision - notice etc
 3. Confirm no rent payable by Council to Arun Arts
 4. State any payments made by Arun to Arun Arts as regards setting up of
relocated facilities
 5. Insurance provision by Arun ? If this refers to insurance under lease
then ADC insure the premises and recharge this to the tenant
 6. Confirm Arun Arts volunteers will staff the facility
 7. Regarding the former location in Mountbatten Court, prior to the
arrangement with the newspaper, 12 month salary and on costs for final
year fully run by Arun
 8. Confirm that the Mountbatten Court premises are now occupied by the
Arun Arts charity shop formerly in the Regis Centre premises
 9. Is this covered by the main Service Level Agreement?  If not, what is
the basis for occupation, including duration and rental if any
10. Will rates be paid by the charity?
11. As the charity shop may be regarded as an ancillary trading activity,
would full business rates be payable or does Arun propose to give
discretionary relief?
12. Does the business rates arrangement for this shop follow those applied
to other charity shops in the town?
13. What was the last grant or similar payment made to Arun Arts, for what
purpose (e.g. running costs, marketing etc) when and how much?
14. What are the reporting arrangements re the tourism/visitor facility,
how is this carried out and by whom?

 

A copy of the SLA would be appreciated.

 

RESPONSE:

 

 1. The SLA is still being finalised and checked. It is proposed that it
will be a one year agreement from February 2018 that will be reviewed
annually.

 

 2. It is proposed as a 3 month notice of termination on either side

 

 3. No rent payable, but the Council has a side letter providing a rent
reduction of £3K in return for the services delivered under SLA. 

 

 4. No payments made

 

 5. If this refers to insurance under lease, then the Council insures the
premises and recharges this to the tenant.

 

 6. Arun Arts volunteers will provide assistance and support to visitors
that use the VIP.  There is no expectation that they will permanently
staff it.  The VIP is designed as a self-service facility.  The Arun
District Council Tourism Officer will continue to monitor and support
the VIP.

 

 7. The former VIC closed in 2011 and the Council no longer has this
information.

 

 8. Unit 4 Place St Maur is occupied by Arun Arts.

 

 9. Rental sum is £8000 p/a and the lease length is 5 years. (note side
letter for VIP service operation in accordance with SLA see answer to
item 3 above)

 

10. If the company is a Registered Charity they will be awarded 80%
Mandatory rate relief and this can be topped by a maximum 20%
discretionary rate relief, which the Charity will need to apply for.

 

11. See response to Question 10.

 

12. If the charity is a Local charity they will be awarded 80% Mandatory
rate relief and this can be topped by a maximum 20% discretionary rate
relief, which the Charity will need to apply for.  If the charity is a
National charity then possibly no further relief other than Mandatory.
However all applications are considered on their own merit.

 

13. The most recent grant awarded to Arun Arts was agreed this month by
Cabinet on 12 February 2018.  The full details can be found on the
Council website using the following web link:  

 

[1]https://www.arun.gov.uk/cabinet-meetings

 

Report title – Grant to Arun Art

 

14. The Bognor Regis VIP will continue to be the responsibility of the
Arun District Council Business Tourism Officer who will monitor the
provision.

 

Copy: This has not been finialised.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the way your request for information has been
handled, you can write asking for a review of the Council’s response,
within the next two months, to the Information Management Team at: Arun
District Council, Arun Civic Centre, Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, West
Sussex, BN17 5LF (email [2][Arun District Council request email]).

 

If, having exhausted our review procedure, you remain dissatisfied with
the handling of your request or complaint, you will have a right to appeal
to the Information Commissioner at: The Information Commissioner's Office,
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF (telephone: 0303
123 1113; website [3]www.ico.org.uk).  There is no charge for making an
appeal.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Information Management Team

Arun District Council

 

 

 

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References

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