Agenda item

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Customer, Culture and Community Engagement and the recommendation of the Place and Resources Overview Committee of 26 March 2026.

That the Dorset Cultural Strategy 2026 – 2031 be adopted.

Reason for the decision

The Cultural Strategy would help to increase the opportunities of securing new investment into Dorset and maximise the leverage value of the council’s own investment in arts, heritage and culture. This Cultural Strategy would be the foundation on which Dorset Council would set its own funding criteria, ensuring that all grant recipients were contributing to its priorities and ambition.

The Cabinet Member for Customer, Culture and Community Engagement presented the Cultural Strategy 2026 – 2031, which had also been considered by the Place and Resources Overview Committee on 26 March 2026.

Culture played a vital role in enriching people’s lives and strengthening the places in which they lived. The new Cultural Strategy provided a framework to support and sustain the cultural infrastructure to deliver lasting social and economic benefits while helping to attract internal and external investment.

In response to questions about sports and leisure facilities, the Cabinet Member said that while these were important, he was satisfied they were already covered by existing strategies and there would further consideration through the Leisure Strategy review.

It was proposed by Cllr R Hope and seconded by Cllr S Clifford

Decision

That the Dorset Cultural Strategy 2026 – 2031 be adopted.

Reason for the decision

The Cultural Strategy would help to increase the opportunities of securing new investment into Dorset and maximise the leverage value of the council’s own investment in arts, heritage and culture. This Cultural Strategy would be the foundation on which Dorset Council would set its own funding criteria, ensuring that all grant recipients were contributing to its priorities and ambition.