Cabinet - 26 January 2012
Report of the Chief Executive
Electoral Division affected:
All
Proposals to Commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II
Contact for further information:
Paul Bond, (01772) 534676, Office of the Chief Executive,
paul.bond@lancashire.gov.uk
Kieran Curran, (01772) 536068, Office of the Chief Executive,
kieran.curran@lancashire.gov.uk, OCE
Executive Summary
Following a notice of motion at Full Council on 15 December 2011, this report sets
out a number of options that the County Council might take to assist communities
across the County to celebrate the 60th year of the Her Majesty's reign and develop
a fitting tribute to the Duke of Lancaster's special relationship with the county.
Recommendation
Cabinet is recommended to consider the proposals set out in the report for
celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and to authorise the Leader of the County
Council to approve the final projects and the funding of the associated costs.
Background and Advice
Celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of The Queen’s accession to the throne in
February 1952 will culminate over an extended bank holiday weekend on 2 – 5 June.
The Queen is already the second longest reigning monarch in British history with
only Queen Victoria reigning for a longer period. In 1897, the County Council marked
Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee by commissioning a marble statue funded by
public subscription, currently located adjacent to Cabinet Room 'D' in County Hall.
Lancashire enjoys a particularly strong historic, constitutional and commercial
connection with the monarchy. As reigning Sovereign, Her Majesty is also the Duke
of Lancaster, a title that dates back to the 14th century and includes 11,500 acres of
land between Preston and Lancaster managed by the Duchy of Lancaster. The
Queen is Colonel-in-Chief of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment and has visited the
county throughout her reign. She is also patron of Lancashire County Cricket Club
and the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society, among others.
The Duchy of Lancaster
In order to mark the special significance of the Queen’s reign to Lancashire, the
Duchy of Lancaster has established a Diamond Jubilee Committee to produce a
programme of events and projects appropriate to the occasion. A County Council
representative sits on the committee and we are working closely with the Duchy to
support the production of several events and initiatives in Lancashire throughout
2012, including:
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County Service of Thanksgiving at Blackburn Cathedral – organised on the
Lord Lieutenant's behalf by the County Council (details to be announced).
School visits by Deputy Lieutenants of Lancashire to deliver talks on the
Diamond Jubilee and Lancashire's unique relationship with the monarchy.
High demand has been reported for these visits.
The Thames Pageant, a flotilla of boats, led by The Queen, will sail down the
Thames on 3 June; one boat from Lancashire has registered to take part so
far.
Beacon Initiative – Her Majesty will light a National Beacon on June 4 as part
of similar nation-wide celebrations and the Duchy is preparing to organise a
beacon-lighting ceremony in Lancashire.
Information on these and other, national, initiatives will be available through a
new Lancashire Diamond Jubilee Website currently under construction at
www.diamondjubileelancashire.com. The county council could consider
lending professional support for development of the site or provide
promotional space on www.lancashire.gov to link to Jubilee-related
information from the Duchy.
Duchy of Lancaster's Schools Competition for students in years 7-11, inviting
schools "to explore The Queen's historic links and 'special relationship' with
Lancaster and Lancashire as a whole."
Other projects under consideration by the Duchy include plans to promote both the
Woodland Trust's efforts to plant 60 Diamond Jubilee Woods across the nation (one
per county) and Fields in Trust's Queen Elizabeth II Challenge (see below). The
Duchy's Diamond Jubilee Committee may also consider a public competition to
identify a suitable gift for Her Majesty.
Given the unparalleled links between the monarchy and Lancashire, it is therefore
appropriate for us to follow and support the Duchy's lead proposals. Providing
additional considerations in this regard could be the most effective and efficient
method of producing successful Jubilee events in Lancashire. For instance, in-kind
contributions could take the form of logistical support (e.g. event management, web
design and development) while more tangible support may be suitable for other
potential initiatives, such as commemorative items for schools.
Proposals for consideration
The county council will be heavily involved in the organisation of any Royal visit(s)
that may take place during the year and in the organisation of the County Service of
Thanksgiving. Notwithstanding these efforts, the county council ought to consider
how it might specifically mark the Diamond Jubilee.
The significance of the Diamond Jubilee in British history, the close ties forged
between county and monarchy and the opportunity in 2012 generally to promote
Lancashire to the nation also makes the case for a more tangible approach to
marking Her Majesty's achievement. Lancashire's historic legacy ought not to be
taken for granted and there is no guarantee that future generations will acknowledge
our unique place.
The County Council's Arts Development Team has therefore been asked to produce
an assessment of the viability of a public art project that could be developed
alongside other Jubilee initiatives to create an appropriate and proportionate tribute
to Her Majesty's reign. Any such project would include consultation with the involved
community and seek to enhance existing county council priorities (e.g. supporting
young people, promoting local economic development, volunteering, and improving
public spaces).
Commemorative Projects
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The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge – A national campaign by Fields in
Trust (formerly the National Playing Fields Association) to protect 2012
outdoor recreational spaces across the country with a target for Lancashire of
14 new sites. Currently a total of 19 sites in Lancashire have been nominated,
spread across half of the district council areas in Lancashire. None of the sites
are owned by the county council (the sites are either privately or district
council owned) although the county council has held discussions with one
district council regarding the possible donation of county land to the scheme.
As noted, the Duchy of Lancaster is working with Fields in Trust to raise
restricted funds for improving select QEII Fields so the county council would
need to liaise with the Lord-Lieutenant if this option was pursued. In addition,
the county council could encourage councils to get involved with the scheme
and cross-promote the initiative via web or social media content developed
with the Jubilee in mind.
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Diamond Jubilee Woods – The Woodland Trust is promoting and supporting
extensive tree planting throughout the UK to commemorate the Jubilee,
including the creation of a number of major new woodlands. With HRH The
Princess Royal as Patron, the Jubilee Woods project aims to create hundreds
of new Jubilee Woods and 60 special Diamond Woods, one per county,
"transforming our landscape in a generation and providing a lasting and
meaningful tribute for many years to come."
The county council can get involved in this project in three ways: (a) Where
possible, encourage schools and community groups to apply for free tree
packs from the Woodland Trust and promote the scheme so schools and
others can plant trees themselves; (b) Identify one-acre sites suitable for
planting as a Jubilee Wood, with support from the Trust and (c) Create a
Diamond Wood with the Trust after identifying a suitable, 60-acre site. Grant
funding may be available.
Specimen trees and advice on planting and maintenance could be made
available through the appropriate directorate or partner. For example, the
county council has previously worked with Myerscough College in this area.
We may, however, struggle to identify appropriate and suitable sites for the
Diamond Wood programme due in part to our existing commitments to plant
trees as part of wider community agreements (e.g. waste recycling).
Nevertheless, the county council could assess its capacity for involvement in
the scheme.
Commemorative Items
To mark previous royal events, the county council has made some funds available to
pay for commemorative items for Lancashire schools. Commercial sponsorship is
also a possibility.
Lancashire Schools
In addition to specimen tree planting or commemorative items, it may be appropriate
for Lancashire schools to mark the Diamond Jubilee in other ways such as essay,
poem or art competitions or exhibitions. While other councils have looked at
publishing winning entries in a formal tribute book, the Duchy's competition on the
role of the Duke of Lancaster in Lancashire in 2012 may be a more suitable platform
for us. However, Children and Young people have been invited to draw up specific
additional plans for any county-council-led activity specifically for schools in
conjunction with other organisations involved in the Jubilee. Other councils, for
instance, plan a sponsored uniform-free day to raise funds for education projects in
other Commonwealth nations. Also, county council representatives could accompany
Deputy Lieutenants on their visits to Lancashire schools.
Community and Street Parties
The county council’s schools, residential care homes, cultural and community
centres will be encouraged to initiate their own celebratory events and the libraries
and archives will be making supporting information available. Advice from the
Secretary of State to local authorities regarding street parties will be made widely
available.
As these proposals are worked up it is intended that information on these and others
organised locally will be available on any dedicated website/social media.
Museums and Records Office
Proposals are being developed by the Lancashire Museum Service and the
Lancashire Record Office.
Timing
While celebrations will take place nationally throughout the year, there are a number
of factors to consider alongside the list of options set out above. When considering
which, if any, of the above options the county council may wish to pursue the dates
of the following events should be noted:
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Any possible Royal visit to Lancashire
Preston Guild (Guild week August 31 – September 2012)
Olympic Torch relay (a week after the Jubilee weekend)
Lancashire day – 27 November 27 (this could give a unique perspective)
Next Steps
A list of detailed proposals is being developed and will be available prior to the
meeting of Cabinet.
Consultations
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Implications:
This item has the following implications, as indicated:
Risk management
There are no significant risks associated with the proposals set out in the report.
However, there is a possibility of reputational risk if the county council decides to
forego an appropriate public response to the Diamond Jubilee.
Financial Implications
The costs of the options set out in this report have not been assessed at present as
projects are not sufficiently defined. Similarly, no specific budget has been allocated
for this activity in order to provide a framework within which an overall proposal can
be developed. The Cabinet may therefore wish to consider earmarking a sum from
county fund balances to support this work. While the appropriate amount is a matter
of judgement, an initial suggestion might be £60,000 (£1,000 for each year of The
Queen's reign).
Any funds allocated for this purpose would be held within the Corporate Expenditure
Budget with spending approval required from the Leader of the County Council.
As noted above, the Duchy of Lancaster is planning a range of events across
Lancashire with the county council's support and as such the Cabinet may wish to
consider making a financial contribution towards the costs of running the events.
If the County Council decided to plant a Jubilee or Diamond Wood then grant aid
may be available from the Woodland Trust. However, consideration would also need
to be given to meeting the ongoing maintenance costs associated with such an
undertaking as it would be undesirable for such a high profile scheme not to be
properly maintained. Estimates of ongoing maintenance costs conducted by other
county councils suggest up to £20,000 (net of grant aid) may be needed per wood
over three years. There is no budgetary provision for such ongoing maintenance.
Any representations made to the Cabinet prior to the issue being considered
in accordance with the Public Notice of Forward Plans
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