SCC Cabinet Full Business Case 20 Mar 13

Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society’s Comments

for Somerset County Council Cabinet Committee

On 20th March 2013

Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society (SANHS) is grateful for this opportunity to comment on the Heritage Service Review – Full Business Case. The Heritage Service has been and remains a key ‘partner’ in the care and maintenance of the Society’s Castle Estate and of the three priceless collections on loan to the Council. The financial and operational viability of any successor organisation is therefore of prime concern to us.

We welcome in principle the decision to retain a consolidated heritage service, but feel this may create many conflicts of interest within the trust. We are pleased that SANHS has been recognised as the major partner for the proposed Trust. However we are concerned that, although we have been advised of the timescales for the review process, we have not been consulted on any detail and we can foresee as many as 70 – 80 issues for SANHS within the proposals.

Of most concern to us is the continuing well-being of our Collections and castle estates for which we, as Trustees, are responsible in law to the Charity Commissioners. We recognise that within the document it is proposed that our Museum Collection, which accounts for well over 25% of the items managed by the Heritage Service, should be ring-fenced to remove it from risk should the proposed Trust fail. We would expect the same arrangements to be made for the Society's Castle Estate, our Archive and Library Collections.

Professional and legal advice will be essential to protect the Society’s interests during what we believe, even with co-operation by all parties; will be an expensive and protracted process. We are grateful therefore for the recognition in Appendix A and in earlier correspondence between the Society and the Council that our costs will be met, although the £5,000 suggested for "Third Party Cost" is not viable. To speed the negotiations, however, we feel this agreement will need to provide for the Council taking responsibility for settling the Society’s costs directly, so avoiding any impact on our very limited cash flow.

The Society expects a full and detailed consultation with those responsible for taking this plan forward to the Gateway Report and will seek advice from the Charity Commissioners and from Arts Council England as required. We hope negotiations with the Council will lead to an agreement which protects and enhances the value of heritage within the historic county of Somerset.