Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport Minutes of Evidence


Further supplementary memorandum submitted by the Millennium Commission

12 MILLION VISITOR TARGET; CHRONOLOGY

1995

24 May

  The Commission agrees site selection guidelines which set the "brave but defensible" aim of a minimum 15 million visitors. Believe this only possible as Exhibition is a one-off, finite event. For site selection purposes, in particular regarding maximum site capacity, guidelines remark that a figure in excess of 30 million visitors unlikely and note total numbers will be determined by a range of factors.

July

  The first set of guidelines to potential operators issued by the Commission included in the site criteria the indicative target of achieving between 15 and 30 million visits over the year.

1996

18 January

  Commission announced preference for Imagination proposals—asked Imagination to develop proposals for Greenwich as well as NEC. Imagination's bid for the Birmingham site assumed 10 million visitors and detailed work was carried out in the first half of 1996 to examine viable budget and visitor numbers targets.

21 February

  The Commission announced its preference for an exhibition at Greenwich.

February-May

  ERA report to BA & Imagination on Exhibition capacity suggested a range of 10.9 million to 16 million visitors. Commission explored the feasibility of an Exhibition with an attendance target of 10 million or more, an arena for 12,000, and a three-year national programme.

16 May

  Commission adopt a more modest plan involving temporary buildings, with no arena or national programme and a visitor target of 10 million.

11 December

  The Commission rejected the business plan presented by Millennium Central Limited (later to become NMEC), which recommended a visitor numbers target of 13.5 million. This increase was a reflection of increased levels of interest reported by a MORI poll.

1997

January

  MCL business plan revised by MC staff. Visitor assumption reduced to 10 million. Indicative budget approved by Commission 13 January.

12 May

  NMEC business plan submitted to the Commission and government. It included a balanced budget which assumed ticket revenue of £136 million—with a visitor numbers assumption of 12 million.

9 July

  Commission agreed that the May 1997 business plan and budget represented a grant application and provided an acceptable basis on which to offer grant. Visitor assumptions remain at 12 million until 2000.

2000

9 February

  Commission consider revised budget information from NMEC which assumes 10 million paying visitors. Business plan is subsequently revised by NMEC to reflect this.

19 May

  Application for additional grant based on revised budget which assumes 6 million paying visitors. Business plan is subsequently revised by NMEC to reflect this.

MILLENNIUM COMMISSION

Visitor figures to the end of June

  Only one quarter of Millennium projects depend on paying vistors. Although it is relatively early days for most visitor dependent projects, the signs are encouraging. The following table shows the number of visitors (actual) against the expected (budget) up to the end of June for the major vistor attractions which have been open for more than a month.

  Slimbridge, National Forest Discovery Centre and Scottish Seabirds are all outdoor attractions and are suffering from the exceptionally bad weather we have had over the last month.


Budget
Actual
% difference

Tate Modern
387,692
1,063,161
174
Lowry
128,333
271,765
112
Eden
68,000
111,000
63
National Botanic Garden of Wales
37,100
54,774
48
Dyanmic Earth
347,000
512,000
48
Big Idea
31,358
45,208
44
Millennium Stadium
725,000
1,000,000
38
National Space Science Centre
4,050
4,650
15
Life (ICL)
30,249
30,995
2
Slimbridge
118,618
112,029
-6
National Forest Discovery Centre
116,649
102,030
-13
Scottish Seabirds
8,583
7,439
-13
Earth Centre
320,000
120,000
-63
Total
2,322,632
3,435,052
48

MP's perceptions of the Millennium Commission

  The Commission has carried out four surveys of MPs perceptions using the Harris Parliamentary panel.

1.  Does the Work of the Millennium Commission benefit your constituency?

1.1  Overall


November 1997
July 1998
March 1999
November 1999

Benefit
47%
54%
65%
76%
No benefit
43%
36%
24%
13%

July 2000


 
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Prepared 27 July 2000