SAVINGS of up to £300,000 could be made by the borough council if it put its leisure services into the hands of a specialist trust.
That is the verdict of Councillor Jane Potter who chairs the borough’s overview and scrutiny committee.
Coun Potter (Con, Astwood Bank & Feckenham) was speaking after raising the issue at a full council meeting when she asked how much the authority was spending on consultants looking into the various options on the running of leisure services.
“There are substantial savings to be made by going down the leisure trust route,” she said.
“We visited Labour-controlled Cannock and there we discovered that they had not only saved a considerable amount of money but established close links with local health services, were doing amazing things with cancer patients and boosting participation by residents by 38/39 per cent.”
She added a leisure trust would offer instant expertise yet the council would still retain overall control.
“We would like to think we could make £300,000 in savings, which is roughly what the council taxpayer puts into running the service, which would make it cost-neutral.
“Given the dire financial straits the authority is in, I am amazed they are not pursuing it.
“It would not be a case of selling off the crown jewels, we would still retain the assets, so it’s a win-win situation.”
However, council leader Coun Bill Hartnett (Lab, Church Hill) said the authority was following the instructions set out by Coun Potter’s own committee.
“We are the only council in the county where there is a committee where the opposition is in the majority and we are following their instructions and currently we are waiting for further information on the options available to us.”
The council has so far spent £4,202 on consultancy fees for options on leisure services.
