A SUM of £75,000 has been set aside by Redditch borough council to investigate the setting up of a leisure trust to run some of its services – and net a hoped-for saving of £440,000 in the process.
The investment was agreed at Monday night’s full council meeting (February 20) part of a budget package designed to save £2.8million over the next four years.
Under the scheme the borough’s ‘crown jewels’ like the Abbey Stadium, Palace Theatre, Forge Mill Needle Museum, community centres and Pitcheroak Golf Course would be run by a trust on behalf of the council.
In interviews after the meeting portfolio holder for leisure services, Councillor Pat Witherspoon (Lab, Church Hill) said getting the process right was crucial: “We are moving forward quickly but we also have to be careful because we cannot afford to make mistakes,” she said.
“This means us retaining ownership of the buildings, staff being protected with the company making a profit but us getting some back too.”
Coun Witherspoon said she hoped there would be a report on the table by early summer to consider the options.
Coun Jane Potter (Con, Astwood Bank, Feckenham) said the savings could be considerable but finding the right provider was crucial: “they will need a proper organisation that’s dedicated to leisure services that has all the economies of scale and expertise to run it effectively.”
However Coun Paul Swansborough (Ukip, Winyates) questioned whether putting a venue like the Palace Theatre in a leisure trust is the right solution: “It’s something that’s inherent in arts and culture – it’s very hard to make anything like a profit. On the Continent they invest in culture and the arts, over here it needs to be subsidised and protected,” he said.
