Coventry City Council make takeover bid for Godiva Festival

Coventry City Council has announced that it wants to take it's management services back in-house from city centre management and promotions company CV One including the Godiva Festival.

The event, which claims to be the Midlands' biggest three-day FREE community festival and has played host to acts including Kasabian, The Fratellis, Shed Seven, Mercury Rev, and The Enemy, has been run by management company CV One for the last 10 years.

However Coventry City Council has proposed that it wants to take over the running of city centre car parks and local events, including the Godiva Festival, from CV One, withdrawing their services and the council budget for them from 2012.

The BBC reports, (here), quotes Councillor Linda Bigham, cabinet member for city development, saying, "CV One has played an important part in helping put Coventry on the map over the past decade, and has... led the way in developing events like the Godiva Festival which are now fixtures on the regional festival scene. But during these tough economic times we have to look at everything we do to make sure we're delivering value for money for local people. Bringing these services back in-house will deliver savings."

The Council says taking back the services will enable £500,000 savings and end duplication between the organisations, with funds redirected to frontline services threatened by government spending cuts.

Of the Godiva Festival, Council leader John Mutton is quoted as saying in the Coventry Telegraph, (here), "That is an event we would certainly want to keep. It's a major event which attracts people from all over the country."

The council has revealed a report is due to be considered by the council's cabinet in November, and by full council in December, with the changes to the services finalised by April next year.

Godiva Festival is held annually in July and attracting over 85,000 people to an eclectic mix of rock, hip-hop, folk, comedy, poetry, and world music. In addition to live musical the free and ticketless event also hosts an annual carnival, a fairground and many more family and community based activities and entertainment.

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