Discussion with Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street
Chair welcomed the Mayor to the meeting who then highlighted some key points around the cultural agenda:
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The Mayor expressed his thanks to the sector for continuing to deliver valuable services even with restrictions set by Covid-19
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CLB was also thanked for their contribution and support for the work of West Midlands Cultural Response Unit
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Imbalance between investment in some parts of the region, particularly Black Country. The Mayor referenced his recent conversations with Arts Council England to address this and welcomed the help of CLB in feeding into these conversations as the sector representative advisory body
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Importance of major events in providing opportunities for the cultural sector to grow and benefit from legacy impacts
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Importance of ensuring that ‘levelling up’ and further Government support will also benefit the cultural sector
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Key projects already happening in the region, particularly in the screen and content sector that help to develop the wider cultural infrastructure in the region. Further work on the UKStudios is still needed.
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Overall, ensuring that the cultural sector can play a key role across many different agendas, given its ability to contribute some of the key economic and social agendas.
The Mayor also answered questions from CLB members:
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In relation to opportunities around the Levelling Up Fund
announced in the Spending Review, there is not yet enough detail to determine what the opportunities might be for the cultural sector. The Mayor is however keen to ensure that WMCA can steer the direction of these funds.
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In terms of planning & housing, there are no plans for WMCA to advocate for formal planning powers due to potential lack of political support and possible issues with implementation. In terms on the Planning White Paper consultation, there are some concerns around changes to Section 106 as well as lack of acknowledgement of infrastructure development beyond housing. These issues were also highlighted in the official WMCA submission.
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In terms of Town Plans, it was recognised that these are more local initiatives and therefore it was difficult to have a joint strategy for cultural developments within these. Often the plans are also indirectly linked to the cultural sector. However, the WMCA is encouraging the inclusion of cultural infrastructure and initiatives where this is relevant to the plans.
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In relation to Commonwealth Games, the Mayor noted that the cultural programme provided a key opportunity to connect with local communities to ensure everyone was able to take part and engage with the Games.
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In response to the question about digital poverty, digital inclusion and skills development, the Mayor noted that this was an important area of work and some initiatives were already taking place.
- The Mayor also expressed his support for heritage initiatives, particularly where this was linked to built infrastructure. It was recognised that further work may needed in this area particularly around heritage at risk. Adam and Salla to scope how this work could be progressed, as well as link up with key stakeholders.
The Chair thanked the Mayor for attending the meeting. The Mayor expressed his commitment to using CLB as the key advisory body for any future initiatives relating to culture and the WMCA and would welcome another conversation in the future.
Action:
- Adam & Salla to consider actions around heritage