Manchester s New Year s Eve

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Community and Neighbourhoods

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Community Events Sub Group

Manchester’s New Year’s Eve

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Chair’s Introduction

Manchester’s international profile as a premier destination for events, festivals and conferences is well established. The city offers a comprehensive programme of that includes major high profile events, such as Pride and the Manchester International Festival, as well as community events such as the St George’s Day Parade and Manchester Irish Festival.

The Council is committed to supporting a wide and varied programme of events that cater for the interests, needs and wishes of Mancunians. With this in mind, we investigated whether the people of Manchester wanted a New Year’s Eve event, what type of event they might like to see, and practical issues such as costs, economic impact and health and safety factors.

Through our Community Events Sub-Group, we have consulted widely with residents, business and key agencies such as Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, the NHS and Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority.

On behalf of the Sub-Group I would like to express our gratitude to those who have taken the time to contribute to our investigation, particularly to those Manchester residents who participated in our city centre and online consultations.

This report sets out our findings and recommendations and how we conducted our investigation.

Councillor John Flanagan,

Chair of the Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Community Events Sub-Group

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Headline Findings

• Manchester should host a New Year’s Eve celebration that is designed for the people of the city and is inclusive and family friendly.

• The City Council hosts and supports a comprehensive community events programme. New Year’s Eve is one part of a year round calendar which includes a major Christmas Events programme. This should be reflected in the proportion of the Council’s events budget that is used to fund an event.

• Cities such as London and Edinburgh invest millions of pounds into large-scale celebrations that promote international tourism and attract visitors from around the world. A Manchester celebration should be designed to allow Mancunians to mark the arrival of the New Year.

• A fireworks or a light display from a building in the City Centre could be celebrated across the city and could be enjoyed by thousands of people without the need for ticketing and restricted numbers.

• An event must be subject to detailed contingency and emergency planning involving all relevant agencies to promote public safety.

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Recommendations

As a result of our investigation, we request that the Council’s Executive consider the following:

Recommendation One

Manchester should mark New Year’s Eve in a way that is inclusive and family friendly. A Midnight Fireworks display or a light/laser show are therefore the Sub-Group’s preferred models.

Recommendation Two

The City Council already hosts a number of important community events and festivals throughout the year. It is important that funding for other community events is not affected and so it is recommended that a New Year’s Eve event should cost no more than £50,000.

Recommendation Three

Although the most appropriate location for a fireworks display or laser show may not be Albert Square, the Town Hall clock should ring at Midnight to herald the arrival of the New Year

Recommendation Four

The Executive Member for Arts and Leisure, in consultation with the Assistant Chief Executive (Culture), is requested to investigate both of the Committee’s preferred models and submit detailed proposals to the Communities and Neighbourhoods

Overview and Scrutiny Committee in September 2008 including the implications of each option for the Events budget

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Membership of the Community Events Sub-Group

2007/8

Councillor John Flanagan (Chair) Councillor Paul Ankers

Councillor Sandra Bracegirdle Councillor Pat Karney

Councillor Norman Lewis Councillor John Longsden Councillor Mick Loughman Councillor Eddie McCulley Councillor Nigel Murphy

2008/9

Councillor John Flanagan (Chair) Councillor Paul Ankers

Councillor Sandra Bracegirdle Councillor Pat Karney

Councillor Norman Lewis Councillor Mick Loughman Councillor Eddie McCulley Councillor Damien O’Connor

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Our Task

On 30 January 2008 the City Council recommended that the Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as part of their forward assessment of events, investigate the costs, economic benefits, health and safety aspects of a New Year’s Event in Manchester.

The City Council also authorised the City Centre spokesperson and the Chair of the Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consult with residents in the city centre.

The Community Events Sub-Group of the Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee were tasked with undertaking this

investigation. The Sub-Group’s terms of reference were:

1) To consult with residents to establish whether a New Year’s Eve event should be held and if so, the type of event that people would want to see; 2) To identify different options for an event with reference to arrangements in

other UK cities;

3) To consult with key stakeholders, including statutory agencies and businesses, to seek their views on the possibility of a New Year’s Eve event establish the cost and health and safety implications of different event options;

4) To make recommendations to the City Council’s Executive about whether a New Year’s Eve event should be held, the type of event that would be successful and cost effective and reasons for the Sub-Group’s preferred model.

How we did it

The Community Events Sub-Group met on two occasions to consider reports and evidence from a range of different sources to inform our recommendations.

Additionally, we hosted a consultation event for city centre residents to submit their thoughts on what a successful New Year’s Event might look like.

The Sub-Group reported its interim findings to a specially convened meeting of the Communities and Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee to discuss the outcome of the consultation process. Members of the Sub-Group also undertook a fact-finding visit to meet with representatives of the City of Edinburgh Council and Lothian and Borders Police to establish the scale, costs, public safety and economic impact of the city’s Hogmanay celebrations. This report details the evidence that we considered to inform our recommendations.

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Consultation: What you told us

Our first task was to consult with residents, business and public services about the possibility of an official New Year’s Eve celebration and the type of event that people might wish to see.

Manchester Residents

Manchester residents were asked to submit their views on the possibility of holding an official New Year’s Eve celebration event in the city centre by way of an online questionnaire on the Council’s website.

The consultation ran from 25 February until 7 March 2008 and a total of 476 responses were received via the online survey, 332 of which were from

Manchester residents. We noted that this represented less than one per cent of the city’s population and that responses were also received from residents across Greater Manchester and further afield.

Of these respondents, the majority indicated that they would support an official New Year’s Eve event (435 of 476 total, 296 of 332 Manchester residents), with a similar number advising that they would be likely to attend. Over three quarters of those in favour of an event had expressed a preference for it to be held in Albert Square and at Midnight and that respondents had ranked fireworks,

entertainment and security as important factors to be considered should an event take place.

Consultation Event with City Centre Residents - 4 March

The Sub-Group recognised that in addition to its broader strategic importance as the hub of Manchester and surrounding areas, the City Centre is also a

neighbourhood in its own right.

City Centre residents were therefore given the opportunity to submit their views and discuss relevant issues with the Sub-Group at a special meeting held at the Town Hall.

Each table was be hosted by two or three elected Members, facilitated by a Council Officers, followed by a question and answer session. Discussion focused on a number of key questions:

Do you support the idea of an official New Year’s Eve event for Manchester?

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What do you think would be the mark of a successful New Year’s Eve event?

Following a lively discussion, the group identified a number of key issues to be taken into account:

• An event should be inclusive and family friendly.

• A fireworks or a light display from a building in the City Centre could be celebrated across the city

• Effective crowd management and security should be a priority in view of previous experiences with alcohol related disorder during outdoor events; • The City Council would need to establish whether Manchester residents

would attend an official event. Many people prefer to celebrate New Year’s Eve locally.

• An event could be sponsored by businesses rather than funded by the City Council.

• The impact on City Centre Residents should be considered, particularly in relation to noise

Pubs, Clubs and Restaurants

Four representations from Pubs, Clubs and Restaurants were received. Three of these supported the idea of celebrating the New Year, but did not specify the type of event that they would wish to see. One club owner expressed concern about the potential for crime and disorder were an official celebration to be held.

Round table discussion with Public Service Providers: Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and NHS

Discussions with key public services focused upon a range of factors associated with an official event, particularly public safety and cost, and supported with reference to previous large events hosted in Manchester City Centre.

The merits of various locations were debated, including particularly Albert Square, Spinningfields, Piccadilly Gardens, Castlefield and Exchange Square with reference to relative capacities of each venue and public safety considerations.

Albert Square, with an approximate capacity of up to 10,000 people, would enable public services and the City Council to manage an event most effectively.

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A closed, ticketed event would facilitate more effective crowd control, particularly access to and from the site. However, by its nature such an event would incur costs to attendees and would not be consistent with the city’s inclusive and family friendly approach to events.

Reference was made to the displacement effect that may arise by holding an event in another location in the city centre by people continuing to gather in Albert Square, which could feasibly lead to resources being divided between two locations.

The Sub-Group also explored the potential impact of adverse weather conditions, referring to high profile cancellations of events in other cities and noted that this was a key consideration in relation to health and safety aspects of fireworks display as part of the Christmas Lights switch on.

Greater Manchester Police advised that a significant increase in staffing would be required to police the event, with an initial estimate of approximately 60 Officers. The cost of this operation would be set in accordance with guidance from the Association of Chief Police Officers.

NHS representatives indicated that an event would impact on Emergency Care provision and would also require a considerable increase in staffing at the busiest time of year. Whilst the full impact of an event would only be measured retrospectively, a well-managed and controlled operation would reduce the impact on health services in the immediate term. It was likely that an event would also impact on attendance patterns for a number of days afterwards. Issues with patient transport, particularly on bank holidays such as New Years Day, were also highlighted. All attendees emphasised that an event would need to be subject to comprehensive contingencies and emergency planning.

Transport

Public Transport into and out of the city is a central factor in successful event planning. The Sub-Group therefore commissioned an outline summary of key transport issues from Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive. Consultation between GMPTE and Transport Operators commences in

July/August before consideration by the PTA Transport Network Committee in October. In 2007 a range of bus services were in operation in addition to a

Metrolink service. It was assumed that this level of service would be repeated for 2008 but would need to be factored into the planning process for any event. Should it be felt that additional bus services would be necessary this would incur additional costs. There may be in an increase in alcohol related incidents and also alcohol-related anti social behaviour and additional costs may be incurred should there be a need to escalate police presence at stops.

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The Sub-Group noted that it would be difficult to ensure, without some form of advance information on ticketholders' travel intentions, whether buses could cater for the total demand and whether the service pattern would suit the needs of attendees. Premium fares apply on late night buses, which may prove prohibitive to families and large groups due to cost.

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New Years Eve in other UK Cities

We investigated how other UK cities celebrate New Year’s Eve and where possible sought to establish the relative costs of these events.

The office of the Mayor of London did not take the decision to stage an

organised large-scale event on New Years Eve until 2003. Prior to this they had facilitated the traditional gathering in Trafalgar Square and provided a level of support to the Millennium Celebrations.

In 2003 in the region of £3.9m was contributed by the public sector via the

Greater London Assembly Group to the creation of a New Years Eve celebration: • Firework display at the London Eye (£1m borne by VisitLondon and

GLA)

• Free post midnight transport - tube, bus and rail services between 23:45 and 05:00 – (£1.7m borne by Transport for London)

• A Visit London promotional campaign (£1.2m borne by the London Development Agency (LDA))

Of the £1m allocated for the actual event, £273k was directed to the fireworks and light display, £131k to insurance costs and the balance to safety costs and fees.

The 2003 event provided a platform for future events – with free public transport and a midnight spectacle to be retained.

In 2007, the costs of staging the London Eye fireworks and lighting event was identified at £1.535m – with increased budgets for actual content and additional viewing areas created and extra giant screens positioned. These costs were met by the LDA. NatWest were engaged as sponsors to meet a significant element of the costs of providing the free tube transport between 11:45pm and 04:40am. People start arriving in the viewing areas from 20:00 with a programme of

projections on buildings in the area the main source of additional content prior to the midnight display. Alcohol is permitted on site provided it is brought in via plastic bottles or cans.

In the region of 250,000 are able to view the display from controlled vantage points – and an estimated 700,000 people across London were able to view the fireworks event. The BBC , the official broadcast partner, has previously

indicated that 10.1m viewers tuned in for the midnight chimes and firework display.

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Post-Millennium, Birmingham City Council used to organise a large-scale public realm concert for New Years Eve, but dropped it from their programme in 2004 because of declining attendance and increased costs.

For the last three years Birmingham has fired fireworks off a tall building (not the Town Hall) in the city centre at a cost of £12k plus fees.

The Newcastle/Gateshead Initiative organises a Winter Festival that takes in activity from the Christmas Lights Switch On through to New Years Eve. The majority of the funding for the Winter Festival comes from Culture10 – into which both Newcastle and Gateshead direct funding alongside One North East and, up until this year, the Northern Rock Foundation.

The cost of the Winter Festival is £500,000, with Newcastle directing an additional £30k on top.

For the last couple of years it has developed an afternoon/early evening event starting at 14:00 and finishing with a pyrotechnic show at 18:15. The activity attracts between 10,000 and 12,000 people on the day.

Leeds has previously staged midnight fireworks events in Millennium Square in

the city centre, but due to a number of factors, not least the impact of adverse weather conditions (which has on at least two occasions led to postponement or serious delay) decided in 2007 to trial an afternoon event around the main pedestrianised shopping street.

The afternoon activity centred around a programme of street theatre from 14:00, culminating in a pyrotechnic display at 17:30 – from two firing sites to the west and east of the main shopping street. Costs are not yet known for this event.

Glasgow organises a 15,000 capacity outdoor concert event in George Square

on December 31 with named acts and local support artists. In 2007 the headline acts included The View and Amy MacDonald. Tickets were priced at £10 per head – the proceeds of which are designed to meet the core running costs for the event. The event runs from 20:30 through to 01:30. A special Hogmanay bus transport service is in operation from 21:00 and provides return buses from midnight to 04:00. Tickets are £6 and must be bought in advance.

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Case Study: Edinburgh

Members of the Sub-Group met with elected Members and officers from the City of Edinburgh Council to establish the economic impact of the Hogmanay

celebrations, cultural factors associated with the winter festivals programme, costs of hosting the event and public safety considerations.

The delegation was accompanied by Superintendent Mark Burtonwood, Greater Manchester Police, Mike Parrott, Events Manager and Kate Brown, Scrutiny Support Officer.

At the City of Edinburgh Council, the delegation met with Festival and Events Champion Councillor Steve Cardownie and Convenor for Economic

Development Councillor Tom Buchanan, as well as officers from Public Safety and the Edinburgh Winter Festivals Team. The delegation also met with three officers from Lothian and Borders Police.

We learned that whilst the culture of ‘Hogmanay’ is strong in Scotland and spontaneous outdoor gatherings were commonplace, it was not until 1993 that Edinburgh staged its first organised Hogmanay event with the following

objectives:

• To attract tourists to the city in a traditionally off peak period • To enhance Edinburgh’s national and international profile • To provide a structure for ‘local’ Hogmanay celebrations.

By 1996 it was estimated that up to 300,000 people were gathering in the main streets of Edinburgh for the free to access New Years Eve celebrations. A decision was taken on safety grounds to create ticketed access to a defined site and to limit capacity.

For the Millennium a venue capacity of 180,000 was established, this has subsequently been reduced to a capacity of 100,000 attendees for the Street Party on December 31. In 2004/05 a paid pass and ticket system was introduced. The origin of attendees to the Hogmanay event in 2006/7 were is as follows:

Edinburgh Residents 28% Elsewhere in Scotland 18% Elsewhere in Britain 33%

Overseas 21%

The celebration has now evolved into the headline event of the city’s winter festivals programme, which includes Edinburgh’s Christmas. Hogmanay celebrations commence on 29 December and this year’s programme included activities such as a torchlight procession through the city, the Night Afore

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Monster Ceilidh, the Hogmanay carnival itself and on 1 January, the One O’Clock Bike Ride and Triathalon.

Access to the event is controlled by a ticket and pass system. 57,500 passes at £5 each allow access to the Street Party, 22,000 Party packs at £20 each (pass with additional benefits) extend that capacity – and alongside this 9,000 tickets at £42.50 gain access to the Concert in the Gardens and 5,000 tickets at £37.50 gain holders access to the Ceilidh in the Gardens. Further details are set out below:

A) The Candlit Concert in St Giles Cathedral 7.30pm onwards, £16 plus booking fee

An evening of Classical Music

B) The Hoog and Hoog Royale at the Assembly Rooms 9pm-2am £50-60 plus booking fee

Indoor Party Night including Ceilidh and DJ with food and drink payable on the night. This does not include passes to the street party.

C) The Street Party

10pm-1am £5 (payable in advance, wristband required)

Three Live Music Stages, two large screens. Up to 100,00 people in attendance.

D) Ceilidh in the Gardens

10pm-1am £35 plus booking fee. Includes wristband for the Street Party

Large outdoor Ceilidh with various bands. E) Concert in the Gardens

10pm-1pm £35-40 plus booking fee including wristband for the Street Party.

Concert with established acts, which in 2007/8 included Kasabian, Calvin Harris and Idlewild.

The stages are live between 22:00 and 01:00 and at Midnight, eight tonnes of fireworks are fired from Edinburgh’s seven hills.

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To control the celebrations, in the region of 440 stewards and 350 police officers are deployed to the event area and up to 50 additional cleansing staff engaged across the event.

• The event has been cancelled twice in the last five years (2003 and 2006) due to adverse weather conditions.

• Key headline sponsors have pulled out in recent years (Scottish Power in 2005, Royal Bank of Scotland after 7 years in 2007) • Revellers are officially encouraged not to bring children under 12 to

the Street Party.

• The Scottish Government funding ceased in 2007 and public sector funding from 2008 onwards will be the responsibility of Edinburgh City Council.

• For the first time since officially organised events began in 1993, the level of attendance in 2007 was below 100,000 at 95% of the target capacity. This scale down reflects a 53% decline in

attendance from Millennium Eve levels across eight years. • Attendance at the Street Party peaks between 11.30pm and

12.30am, and before and after these times numbers are considerably lower than the 70-80,00 estimate.

Costs

Investment in the Winter Festivals (based on report figures from 2007) indicate that public sector funding met 52% of expenditure (City Council £532k and Scottish Government Cities Growth Fund £774k), whilst ticket income generated £899k (35% of budget) and Sponsorship and earned income £329k (13%) – a total Winter Festivals budget of £2.534m – of which it is estimated 65% is directed to Hogmanay (approx £1.65m), 12% to Edinburgh Christmas, 13% to festival management, 9% to Marketing and PR and 1% to insurances.

Income is secured through other routes, particularly the drinks sponsor and media sponsorship with local press and radio, though these result in minimal financial investment.

The City of Edinburgh Council is also working with hoteliers to explore the possibility of introducing an additional tax on rooms let during the Hogmanay period. This money would be reinvested into the Hogmanay programme. Lothian and Borders Police put the cost of policing the 31 December as £180,000. This is based upon staffing costs from 4pm until 5am on 31

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December/1 January. They do not operate a cost recovery programme for any of the city’s 800 events.

Economic Impact

According to City of Edinburgh Council estimates, the impact for 2007/8 has increase from 2006/7 figures. The value of tourism output is estimated to be 33.4 million. This includes the impact on retailers, hoteliers and other businesses within the city.

Area Output Income Employment (FTEs)

Edinburgh 4.5 1.0 59 Christmas Edinburgh and Lothians 4.2 1.1 55 Edinburgh 29.0 6.8 428 Hogmanay Edinburgh and Lothians 29.2 7.2 407 Edinburgh 33.4 8.3 487 Total Edinburgh and Lothians 33.4 8.3 461

Gross value added is an estimate of the additional wages and profits that are created in Edinburgh as a result of hosting the events. For tourism expenditure, GVA is estimated to be around 37% of tourism output. Estimates of output and GVA are as follows:

Output m Gross value Added Employment (FTEs) Winter Festivals 2007/8 33.4 12.4 461 Winter Festivals 2006/7 31.2 11.5 470

The City of Edinburgh Council identifies Edinburgh’s strong international programme for Hogmanay as a key factor in attracting a high proportion of visitors over this period.

Public Safety

The City of Edinburgh Council and Lothian and Borders Police lead a multi agency group ‘EPOG’ which is responsible for overseeing the planning and delivery of the event.

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Represented on this group are officers from emergency planning, public safety, waste management, children and families services, health and social care, roads service and the winter festivals team. The specific roles and responsibilities of each agency are clearly defined, with principal responsibility for safety resting with the event organisers: Unique Events and the City of Edinburgh Council. Strong emphasis is placed upon effective communication, the importance of a thorough debrief to respond to lessons learned and improve year on year and proper contingencies to plan for every eventuality, including cancellation. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations have been cancelled twice within the past four years due to adverse weather conditions. The cancellation procedure is agreed by agencies as part of the detailed contingency planning.

The City of Edinburgh Council’s Public Safety Team and Lothian and Borders Police highlighted significant public safety factors associated with the Edinburgh event, including crowd control and issues with alcohol and fireworks. Members noted that the City of Edinburgh Council had three social workers at the event to respond to the needs of vulnerable adults and young people, enabling the police and stewards to focus on public safety.

In 2007/8, alcohol was served from within the cordon from paid bars serving restricted products including lager and wine (no spirits). The conditions of the licence prescribed the maximum alcohol by volume of these products and the number of pints available was restricted to 100,000.

Although this was the first time alcohol was served from within the cordon, there were no restrictions on bringing alcohol within the cordoned area previously, though for a number of years there had been a no glass policy, with decanters available at each entry point to enable people to take their drinks through rather than consuming excessive amounts of alcohol before they enter the site.

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Costs

In light of the results of the consultation process and meetings with key public service providers, the Sub-Group commissioned draft estimates of the costs of each of its preferred models. We noted that these costs were not definitive and would require more detailed investigation and consultation with public service providers if an event was to proceed.

A full breakdown of these costs is provided at Appendix One.

OPTION ONE: Albert Square - based on a 10,000 capacity ticketed event

including musical entertainment and fireworks.

The estimated costs of this event would be approximately £301,000. Income generated by ticket sales and possible sponsorship would mean a cost to the City Council of £186,000. This estimate includes performance fees, core

infrastructure, pyrotechnics, marketing and health, safety and welfare personnel.

OPTION TWO: Heaton Park. Based on a 16,000 capacity ticketed event

including musical entertainment and fireworks.

The estimated costs of such an event is £385,000. Income generated by ticket sales and possible sponsorship would mean a cost to the City Council of £201,000. This estimate includes performance fees, core infrastructure, pyrotechnics, marketing and health, safety and welfare personnel.

OPTION THREE: City Centre. Based on a free to view midnight fireworks

display from a location in the city centre.

The estimated costs of such an event is £50,000 and includes pyrotechnics and core infrastructure and safety.

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Conclusion and Recommendations

From our consultation with Manchester residents, we found that the majority of respondents were generally supportive of the prospect of some form of New Year’s celebration. There was, however, no clear preferred model for the type of celebration that Manchester’s residents would wish to see.

We considered how other UK cities marked the arrival of the New Year, noting the general decline in numbers since the millennium experienced by all of the cities that we considered. From the variety of different models in operation, including the nature, size, scale and purpose of each event, it became clear to us that any Manchester New Year’s Eve celebration would have to reflect the

culture of our city.

Detailed investigation into Edinburgh’s Hogmanay revealed that this celebration forms part a four-day festival within an established Winter Festivals programme, including Edinburgh’s Christmas. The stated purpose of Hogmanay festival is to raise the city’s national and international profile and promote and encourage tourism. This capitalises on Edinburgh’s existing culture of Hogmanay and is viewed as an international event along with celebrations in other capital cities such as Sydney and London.

Manchester already has a comprehensive events programme including

Manchester International Festival and so should not seek to compete with large-scale international New Year’s Eve celebrations held in capital cities such as London and Edinburgh.

If the city is to celebrate New Year’s Eve, the event should be designed for the people of Manchester rather than as a mechanism for promoting tourism.

Manchester should therefore look to an inclusive and family friendly model that is accessible to as many Mancunians as possible.

Having ruled out a large-scale event such as Edinburgh, we discounted the need to gauge the possible economic benefits of an event and concentrated instead on the costs and health and safety implications of a number of different models. Principally these were a closed, ticketed event in the City Centre and a midnight fireworks or light/laser display in the city centre.

We received advice from Greater Manchester Police and other key public

agencies indicated that Albert Square would be the most appropriate location for a large, ticketed event. We also took into consideration the findings of the review into arrangements put in place by the Local Organising Committee to deliver the

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UEFA Cup Final on 14 May 2008, including provision of facilities for ticketless fans.

We consider that closed event could only be experienced by a limited number of people who are willing to pay for it. This is inconsistent with the need for

Manchester to provide an open and inclusive event that can be experienced safely by as many people as possible.

The cost of such an event would be at least £300,000. We recognise the

competing priorities facing the City Council in providing value for money services and are aware of the need to focus our limited resources to deliver the priorities for a better Manchester that are set out in our Community Strategy. We are also fully supportive of the comprehensive community events programme and would not wish for funding to any of these events to be affected by the need to

subsidise a New Year’s Eve event that could only benefit a few thousand people. On balance therefore, we have identified a free to view midnight fireworks display or light show as our preferred option if an event is to be held. We commend this model for the following reasons:

1. Inclusivity: A fireworks display could be experienced by anybody in the city centre or surrounding areas at midnight. The location of the display should be selected in a way that would maximise the number of people able to experience it as safely as possible. Whilst the most appropriate location may not necessarily be Albert Square, we recommend that the Town Hall clock should chime at midnight to mark the arrival of the New Year. 2. Cost: At a quarter of the cost of a large scale ticketed event, a fireworks

display would offer considerably more value to Manchester Council Tax payers and minimise the impact that a New Year’s Eve celebration would have on other community events

We therefore ask the City Council’s Executive to consider the following recommendations:

Recommendation One:

Manchester should mark New Year’s Eve in a way that is inclusive and family friendly. A Midnight Fireworks display or a light/laser show are the Sub-Group’s preferred models.

Recommendation Two:

The City Council already hosts a number of important community events and festivals throughout the year. It is important that funding for other community

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events is not affected and so it is recommended that a New Year’s Eve event should cost no more than £50,000.

Recommendation Three

Although the most appropriate location for a fireworks display or laser show may not be Albert Square, the Town Hall clock should ring at Midnight to herald the arrival of the New Year

Recommendation Four

The Executive Member for Arts and Leisure, in consultation with the Assistant Chief Executive (Culture), is requested to investigate both of the Committee’s preferred models and submit detailed proposals to the Communities and

Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee in September 2008 including the implications of each option for the Events budget

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Sub-Group would like to thank the following people: Superintendent Mark Burtonwood, Greater Manchester Police Inspector Mike Schofield, Greater Manchester Police

Inspector Chris Hill, Greater Manchester Police Dr Jim Butler, Pennine Acute Trust

Simon Brown, Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s University Hospital Trust

Nicola Marsden, Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s University Hospital Trust

Craig Bridge, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

City of Edinburgh Council

Cllr Steve Cardownie, Deputy Lord Provost and Festival and Events Champion Cllr Tom Buchanan, Convenor of Economic Development

Tom O'Brien, Group leader of Building Standards and Contingency Planning: Public Safety

John McNeil, Senior building standard surveyor, Building Standards and Contingency Planning: Public Safety.

Edinburgh Winter Festivals

Paul Philip, Programme and Operations

John-Paul Murphy, Marketing and Communication

Lothian and Borders Police

Chief Supertintendent Cliff Anderson PS Tracy Lehany

PS Graeme Dignan

Manchester City Council

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Arts and Leisure Mike Reardon, Strategic Director, Neighbourhood Services

Margaret Stephenson. Head of Events Unit

Fiona Sharkey, Head of Regulatory and Enforcement Services Mike Parrott, Events Manager

Mair Wallroth, Programme Manager, Corporate Performance Group Kate Brown, Team Leader, Scrutiny Support

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APPENDIX ONE Option 1 - Provisional Budget

Event New Years Eve – Albert Square (Ticketed event @ £10 per ticket) Time 21:00 – 01:00

Concept: Stage based Music Event (mainstream artists) Audience Manchester Residents, 10,000 capacity Performance:

Headline Artist 65k

Act B 15k

Act C 5k

Additional Content 3k Ticket Management + promotion 35k

Sub – total 123k

Pyrotechnics

Display 18k

Town Hall Safety Measures 4k Fire-watch + safety crew 3k

Sub – total 25k

Core Infrastructure

Stage 9k

Power & Distribution 2.5k

PA 6k

Screens + engineers 15k

LX 10k

Barrier + gates 6k Road closures + signage 5k Viewing Platforms 5k

Toilets 7.5k

Plant + vehicles 1k

Site Security 2k

Cleansing 5k

Fire Extinguishers etc 1k

Sub – total 75k

Health, Safety & Welfare personnel

Stewards (125no – 80% DL) 21k First Aid

(2 ambulance + crew + 16 FA’s) 6k

Police (2 x PSU) 40k

Production Mgt 2k

Crew (x 6) 4k

Event Staff 3k

Control & Mgt Co-ordination 1k Safety Management 1k

Sub- total 78k

Event Expenditure 301k Income:

Net Ticket Income - 85k Media support/ sponsor (10%) - 30k

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Option 2 – Provisional Budget

Event New Years Eve – Heaton Park (Ticketed event @ £10 per ticket) Time 21:00 – 01:00

Concept: Stage based Music Event (mainstream artists) Audience Manchester Residents, 16,000 capacity Performance:

Headline Artist 85k

Act B 20k

Act C 5k

Additional Content 3k Ticket Management + promotion 45k

Sub – total 158k Pyrotechnics Display 19k Safety Measures 2k Safety crew 1k Sub – total 22k Core Infrastructure Stage 12k

Power & Distribution 6k

PA 14k Screens + engineers 20k LX 10k Barrier + gates 8k Cabins 6k Site Lighting 6k Viewing Platforms 5k Toilets 12k Plant + vehicles 1k Site Security 4k Cleansing 4k

Fire Extinguishers etc 1k

Reinstatement 3k

Sub – total 112k

Health, Safety & Welfare personnel

Stewards (150no – 80% DL) 30k First Aid

Police 40k

Production Mgt 3k

Crew (x 8) 5k

Event Staff 3k

Control & Mgt Co-ordination 2k Safety Management 1k

Sub- total 93k

Event Expenditure 385k Income:

Net Ticket Income - 136k Media support/ sponsor (12.5%) - 48k

(26)

Option 3 – Provisional Budget

Event New Years Eve – Cathedral Gardens Time 00:00 – 00:06

Concept: Central Fireworks Display

Audience Manchester Residents / city centre users Pyrotechnics Display 20k Safety Measures 1k Safety crew 1k Sub – total 22k Infrastructure + Safety

Power & Distribution 1k

PA 1k Barrier 2k Cabins 1k Site Lighting 2k Site Security 1k Cleansing 1k Stewards (40no) 10k First Aid

Police 4k

Production Mgt 1k

Crew (x 4) 2k

Control & Mgt Co-ordination 1k

Sub – total 28k Event Budget 50k