CER11 - Financial Savings 2024/25 – Leisure and Culture
| Title | CER11 - Financial Savings 2024/25 – Leisure and Culture |
|---|---|
| Council Resource | Community and Enterprise |
| Aims and Objectives | To assess the impact of reducing the amount of management fee currently paid to South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC). The Council currently pay a Management Fee to South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) to deliver leisure and cultural services. This budget currently totals £21.3m and it is proposed that this is reduced commensurate with the level of savings that the Council is required to make from its budget. The saving would remove c7% of the Council contribution to SLLC. This will have an adverse impact on SLLC’s income generation as well as an impact on its expenditure budget. This is in addition to their current budget pressures. Any proposal to balance the SLLC budget would require to be agreed by the SLLC Board. Therefore the councils decision to reduce the management fee has no direct equalities impact. The savings, if accepted, would reduce the management fee by £1..500m |
| Conclusion | South Lanarkshire Council needs to implement various cost-saving measures to address its budget shortfall for 2024-25. The management fee the Council currently pays to SLLC for the delivery of leisure and culture services is therefore being considered for reduction, and this, together with SLLC’s own existing pressures, is requiring the SLLC Board to make decisions to reduce leisure and culture. EQIAs have been prepared by SLLC on their proposals which include withdrawal from certain locations. As the management fee is not attached to any specific area of service delivery there is no evidence to say that there will be any specific impact on people in any specific protected characteristic. Whilst there is no direct equalities link to the reduction of the management fee on community facilities, or any evidence that this proposal will have a negative impact on any specific protected characteristic, it should be acknowledged there is the potential for SLLC to withdraw from a number of leisure and cultural facilities. If this is the case, then there is the potential for a negative impact across all protected characteristics. The EQIAs prepared by SLLC details any impacts for this characteristic. , To mitigate the effect of this proposal Community Asset Transfers (CAT) and service reprovision ( particularly in libraries) can be considered. In addition, some of the facilities identified may be able to access the Renewable Energy Fund (REF). Council funding is being made available to allow time before service is withdrawn for the community to consider working towards an approach to keep these venues open. Any changes in service delivery or withdrawal from particular venues/facilities will be subject to individual impact assessments undertaken by SLLC. Approved with amendment by Council meeting on 21 February 2024. Amended reduction in management fee is £0.750. |
| Completion date | 21 February 2024. |
| Contact Email address | equalities@southlanarkshire.gov.uk |
| Area | Council Wide |