Minutes:
The Committee considered the undernoted report:
“1Purpose of the Report
1.1 In February 2013 Members were updated in regard to the Council’s engagement with the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) and their related championship events. The purpose of this report is to seek approval from Members to bid, and if successful, stage a major piping championship event in 2014 and 2015. In addition to request permission from Council to engage and work with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) in creating a bid to secure the World Pipe Band Championship for the period 2016 to 2018.
1.2 On the 16 October 2012 the Committee agreed to bid for the RSPBA Champion of Champion event in 2013. Unfortunately the Council was not successful in securing this event. This information was reported at February’s Committee and Members agreed that a further report be brought back to Council.
2 Key Issues
Belfast International Piping Championship
2.1 Officers have met and engaged in discussions with the RSPBA in regard to a new championship that the Association wish to create. This event would be a replacement to the Cowel Championship which comes to a close this year. The new event would be one of the Associations ‘big five’ competitions which include: the World; European; British; Scottish and All-Ireland events.
2.2 RSPBA has indicated that it would be their intention to look for bids for an event that would be equivalent to the European and British competitions. They have also indicated that this new opportunity would take place in June 2014 and 2015. The RSPBA have indicated that the annual cost to Council would be circa £180,000 and would include an annual £80,000 fee to the RSPBA. It is estimated between 100 and 120 bands would attend this event and bring in an estimated £212k to £1.3m additional economic activity to the city.
2.3 Officers have also investigated the current market rate for such bids. Evidence of this process indicates that the above figures would be on a par with other potential bidding regions and cities.
2.4 Senior RSPBA Officials have also indicated that any bid from Belfast should focus on a one day competition and that their preferred site would be within Stormont estate. This is despite Officers encouraging the Association to look at a range of BCC owned parkland.
2.5 World Pipe Band Championship, 2016-18
Officers are also seeking approval to engage with NITB in developing a bid for the Championship. This event is estimated to currently generate between £10-11 million for Glasgow. With the average total cost of staging the event £550,000 per year. From this the RSPBA would be paid around £110,000 as a fee. Given this information Members are asked to consider that BCC and NITB develop a bid based on a figure of £600,000 per year – if approved this would be split equally amongst both parties. Given the economic benefits it would mean a £16.00 return for every £1 of public sector investment for the city.
3 Resource Implications
3.1 Financial
- As Members may be aware the Council has set-up a special reserve fund for events in the period 2013-15. Within this a sum of £240,000 has been allocated for a piping event.
- The total two year cost would be £360,000 to bid and deliver the 2014 and 2015
- Belfast International Piping Championship (BIPC)
- A BCC input of £300,000 per year commitment to bidding for the World Pipe Band championships in 2016, 2017 & 2018. This would be subject to match funding from NITB or other government departments.
4 Recommendations
4.1 That officers bid to host the Belfast International Piping Championship in 2014 and 2015 at a cost £240,000 over two years which would include an annual fee to the RSPBA and, if successful, that costs would be met from within the Council’s reserve for this purpose.
- Should the Committee wish to increase its offer to £360,000 then a request would have to be made to the SP&R Committee for the additional funds.
- Develop a bid for the 2016-18 World Championship at a cost of £300,000 per year. This would be subject to match funding from NITB or other government departments. And if successful to stage the event in the stated years.
The Committee agreed that a bid be prepared to host the World Championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and to request that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee agree to increase the specified reserve by £120,000 to accommodate the proposal to host a Belfast International Piping Championship in 2014 and 2015 at a cost of £180,000 per annum.