Minutes:
It was moved by Councillor L Bones and seconded by Councillor L Bartoli that:
Restaurant Week
North Tyneside has some of the best restaurants in the North East, with many award winning eateries being joined by new start ups in recent years. Neighbouring authorities like Newcastle and South Tyneside organise annual or bi-annual restaurant weeks as a way to boost the local tourism economy and show off local businesses in the area. Newcastle Restaurant Week is one of the North East's most popular leading food events, which celebrates some of the very best restaurants in the city.
North Tyneside has so far had sporadic success with the same concept, with the last restaurant week being held before the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then many new eateries have opened their doors and with the cost of living on the rise our local businesses could really do with a boost. North Tyneside Council is uniquely placed to bring together leading groups such as the Business Forum and the LEP to create an event similar in scale and success to that of Newcastle Restaurant Week.
North Tyneside Council therefore asks the Mayor and Cabinet to:
• begin work to introduce a Council-organised restaurant week in North Tyneside next spring as part of the wider culture and leisure offer
• offer free parking in council run car parks during restaurant week to encourage visitors to our borough
• Work with Nexus to reduce ticket prices for those travelling on the metro to visit our local restaurants in that week
• Use Council social media to advertise the event across the borough
An amendment was moved by Councillor C Johnson and seconded by Councillor Samuel that:
The first bullet point be amended to read: ‘Work with already established partners to introduce a restaurant week in North Tyneside next spring as part of the wider culture and leisure offer’
Bullet point three be amended to read: Explore with Nexus to reduce ticket prices for those travelling on the metro to visit
An additional bullet point to be added to read: ‘Review restaurant week 2023 and consider whether it would be more advantageous to have it organised by the council in future years.’
The amended motion therefore read:
Restaurant Week
North Tyneside has some of the best restaurants in the North East, with many award winning eateries being joined by new start ups in recent years. Neighbouring authorities like Newcastle and South Tyneside organise annual or bi-annual restaurant weeks as a way to boost the local tourism economy and show off local businesses in the area. Newcastle Restaurant Week is one of the North East's most popular leading food events, which celebrates some of the very best restaurants in the city.
North Tyneside has so far had sporadic success with the same concept, with the last restaurant week being held before the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then many new eateries have opened their doors and with the cost of living on the rise our local businesses could really do with a boost. North Tyneside Council is uniquely placed to bring together leading groups such as the Business Forum and the LEP to create an event similar in scale and success to that of Newcastle Restaurant Week.
North Tyneside Council therefore asks the Mayor and Cabinet to:
• Work with already established partners to introduce a restaurant week in North Tyneside next spring as part of the wider culture and leisure offer
• offer free parking in council run car parks during restaurant week to encourage visitors to our borough
• Explore with Nexus to reduce ticket prices for those travelling on the metro to visit our local restaurants in that week
• Use Council social media to advertise the event across the borough
• Review restaurant week 2023 and consider whether it would be more advantageous to have it organised by the council in future years.
The amendment, on being put to the meeting, was approved unanimously.
The substantive motion, on being put to the meeting, was approved unanimously.