The council's existing five-year commercial licence agreement with Rowen Events Limited for the annual winter-themed event at Beecraigs Country Park, Linlithgow (currently named Beecraigs Festive Forest) comes to an end on 31 December 2023, after this year's programme.
All councils have a legal requirement to obtain "Best Value" when selling or leasing land and property assets and council officers recognise that there are currently numerous examples of similar events successfully taking place across the United Kingdom.
It is proposed that the opportunity to host further events at Beecraigs Country Park from December 2024 and beyond should be made available to the market. The opportunity will be open to the current licence holder and other interested parties.
Council Executive today approved recommendations to openly advertise the commercial licence opportunity for an annual winter-themed event at Beecraigs Country Park, Linlithgow from winter 2024 onwards. The annual event will not be a council event, rather it will be a commercial event delivered by the licensee by agreement on council-owned land.
Interested parties will be required to identify and deliver environmental community-focused benefits as part of this agreement which may include local tree-planting or habitat enhancement projects. Interested parties will also be encouraged to use local suppliers and vendors in the delivery of their event and details of how they intend achieve this will have to be provided in their offers.
The council will require the future licensee to pay a refundable deposit of £6,000 per annum to cover the potential cost of any damage caused to the country park as a result of the event taking place, and also cover any additional cleaning or utility costs. The five-week marketing exercise will begin in January 2024. It is hoped that a new agreement is in place by summer 2024 with the first winter event under the new licence taking place next winter (Dec 2024).
Please read the full committee report here:
https://coins.westlothian.gov.uk/coins/submissiondocuments.asp?submissionid=56649
