Library, swimming pool and much, much more to be outsourced?

Looks like the whole Culture & Leisure show could be leaving Glenurquhart Road for pastures (outsourced) new. Here's a press release from the Highland Council:

'Highland Councillors are being asked to agree the principle of establishing an arms-length organisation to deliver all activity concerning its leisure and cultural services. The services involved are swimming pools, leisure centres, sports activity, arts and culture, heritage and museums, community centres, libraries, archives, youth work and adult learning. The Education Culture and Sport Committee will consider a report on Thursday 5 August which recommends the principle of outsourcing all of the Council’s leisure and cultural services. Already 17 of Scotland’s 32 councils have gone down the route of managing, usually sports facilities through this mechanism.
Feedback from recent public budget consultations backs up the Council Administration’s view savings achieved by doing this could safeguard the maximum number of services during the forthcoming period of financial cutbacks. Public responses have told the Council that it is critical that services continue to be run efficiently and that there is no significant increase in prices.
In his report to the committee, Hugh Fraser, Director of Education Culture and Sport, said the financial advantages of outsourcing are primarily through savings achieved where an arms-length organisation with charitable status qualifies for non-domestic rates relief. Some increased opportunities to raise funds exist and a pattern of reduced costs is the norm. Savings of £700,000 could be possible. He said: “The aim of establishing a single organisation covering all leisure and cultural activity currently run by the Council would be to provide high quality services to the public whilst at the same time making savings on running costs as a result of the charitable status of an arms length organisation. Speed is therefore of the essence. Key decisions are required over the next few months on a range of detailed issues. The aim would be for transfer to happen as early into the financial year 2011/12 as possible” The Committee is being recommended to establish a project board, comprising key members of the senior management team, to lead progress on developing the ALO. Early work would be the preparation of a Service Level Agreement between the Council and the new organisation; the range of buildings and assets to be leased to or managed by the ALO; proposed staffing transfers; central support; capital funding and building and grounds maintenance arrangements.'

Might be one way forward but where would you go if you had a complaint about any of the services provided? Would there be any need for any more involvement from Councillors? The shape or the brave new credit-crunched world in the Highlands is looming on the horizon.

Nairn Library not on the hit list?

The Press and Journal reports that a hit list of rural libraries has emerged after a Freedom of Information request from a member of the public. The paper reports:

'Responding to the FoI request, head of community learning and leisure Ian Murray confirmed yesterday that council officers had identified libraries at Plockton, Caol, Invergordon, Helmsdale, Ardersier and Beauly for possible closures that would save around £94,000.
The closure of 11 others – Bettyhill, Knoydart, Achiltibuie, Lochcarron, Cromarty, Golspie, Lairg, Broadford, Mallaig, Bonar Bridge and Muir of Ord – would save almost £100,000.
And in search of a total £666,000 saving within the libraries budget, a “large library” is being considered for closure leaving libraries in Inverness, Culloden and Wick in the frame.
The woman who submitted the FoI request did not wish to be identified. She said she sought the information because she felt communities should be aware of which libraries are threatened in order to have a proper opportunity to respond to the consultation. Councillors were, until now, unaware of the names on the list.'

One imagines that Councillors representing those areas on the list will be receiving a few phone calls, letters and e-mails from their constituents. The full Press and Journal article here.

The Scotsman reported recently that library closures in Scotland have increased over recent years even before the credit crunch kicked into local government funding. An interesting article highlighting the difficulties that libraries face here: Is your local library on borrowed time?