BSL Launch Recite Me assistive technology myaccountMyAccount login image

myaccount (Council Tax)

is currently unavailable. Sorry for any inconvenience

Public performance reports

Leisure and culture

The Council Plan Connect, outlines our objectives for 2022-27. Connect Outcomes should not be seen in isolation, they interact with each other and as we achieve success in one, we move closer to success in others. In delivering our vision to ‘improve the lives and prospects of everyone in South Lanarkshire’ our priorities show how our work links with our partners including our Community Planning Partners. 

For daily updates, stories and what’s going on in your area, visit our information and news website South Lanarkshire View.

Each year we produce Annual Performance Spotlights which summarise how we have performed in achieving our Connect Outcomes. To complement these, we have created a suite of individual Public Performance Reports which focus on key areas of council business. This report outlines the performance of our leisure and culture services and how these link to our health and wellbeing outcome. 

The council has an important role to play in promoting the health, wellbeing, and learning environment of the population of South Lanarkshire. This is achieved through the provision of community learning and recreational activities within our museums, libraries and arts centres, and through the promotion of healthier lifestyles via our sports and leisure centres and outdoor recreation. These services are delivered by South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) which was set up in 2010 to operate leisure and culture services on behalf of the council.

More information about SLLC, including the SLLC Annual Report, can be found via the following link SLLC - About us.

SLLC is responsible for the operation and management of indoor leisure facilities, including swimming pools, an ice rink, and athletics tracks. Through its development work, the service aims to increase opportunities for individuals to get engaged in physical activity. This is achieved through working in local schools and communities, in partnership with clubs, volunteers, sports councils and national governing bodies.

There are a number of indicators collected and reported that show the extent to which our facilities are being used:

Attendance at facilities managed by the Sport and Physical Activity section of SLLC – Target 2.27 million

What this means This indicator shows the attendance figures at facilities managed by the Sport and Physical Activity section of SLLC – this includes swimming pools and other indoor sports and leisure facilities.
Why this matters This indicator measures the extent to which the council is achieving its aim of encouraging everyone to participate in activities which will lead them to a healthier lifestyle and which will ultimately have a positive impact on the health outcomes of the residents and visitors of South Lanarkshire.
Our performance and how we compare Comparator 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23    Are we improving?
SLLC 0.199 million 1.519 million 2.51 million Yes
Scotland N/A N/A N/A
How we have performed in improving this public service Attendances have increased by 65% on the previous year. It is anticipated that as work to develop new ways of delivering services and adapt to what continues to be challenging times, that growth next year will continue at a slower rate

Satisfaction with leisure facilities

SLLC saw an improvement of 1.7% to 69.7% on previous year satisfaction rates taken from the household survey, it should be noted that the household survey does not necessarily mean those completing the survey have used our services.  SLLC conducted a Customer Satisfaction Survey in 2022/23 to assess actual service delivery, nearly 3,000 customers responded (12% of members across services), with very positive feedback saying - service delivery 95%, staff performance 97% and value for money 95%.

Outdoor recreation and country parks

SLLC is also responsible for outdoor country parks and outdoor learning and adventure, including sports pitches, an indoor synthetic pitch, bowling greens, golf courses, a water sports centre and seasonal activities.

Attendance at Outdoor Recreation and Country Parks services – Target  million

What this means This indicator shows attendance figures at the council's outdoor recreation and country parks service.
Why this matters Like the indicators above, this indicator measures the extent to which the council is achieving its aim of getting more and more people to take part in sporting and leisure activities.
Our performance and how we compare Comparator 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 Are we improving?
SLLC 1.567 million 2.185 million 2.45 million Yes
Scotland N/A N/A N/A
How we have performed in improving this public service Throughout 2022-23 there has been continued growth overall which has surpassed pre-covid attendances. Customer behaviour has shown a positive move towards increased use of Outdoor Recreation and Country Parks service.

SLLC manage the library service, all with ActiveIT Learning Centres (free internet access). We also provide reference and enquiry services, family history and genealogy resources, and online library services. Working in partnership with key stakeholders to improve the learning experience for children and young people, the service makes a significant contribution to the Curriculum for Excellence agenda. 

SLLC directly manages Low Parks Museum which includes Hamilton Mausoleum. However, like the library service, the work of the museum service extends further than this: from working closely with schools in the provision of learning programmes and activities off site, to informal learning opportunities provided through holiday activities, family activities, adult learning and special events. The museum collection includes 150,000 objects which feature in temporary and permanent exhibitions.

Number of library and museum visits – Target - 1.28 million

What this means This indicator shows the extent to which library and museum services are reaching their potential service users.
Why this matters

This indicator measures the extent to which the council is achieving its aim of encouraging everyone to take part in cultural or learning activities that make them feel better, sometimes healthier, but always happier. Learning is not confined to classrooms or educational establishments. It can take place in museums and libraries.

Our performance and how we compare Comparator 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23    Are we improving?
SLLC 0.471 million 0.956 million 1.23 million  Yes
Scotland  N/A N/A  N/A
How we have performed in improving this public service

Library attendances have increased by 49% on the previous year, with virtual attendances now overtaking physical attendance figures. This trend is expected to continue while physical attendances have not returned to pre-covid numbers.  Museums attendances have improved by over 44% on previous year and again, with a sustained change in behaviour there is a large increase in the number of virtual customers.

Satisfaction with libraries and museums

SLLC saw an improvement of 0.6% to 66.3% on previous year satisfaction rates taken from the household survey, it should be noted that the household survey does not necessarily mean those completing the survey have used our services.  SLLC conducted a Customer Satisfaction Survey in 2022/23 to assess actual service delivery, nearly 3,000 customers responded (12% of members across services), with very positive feedback showing satisfaction with service delivery at 95%, staff performance at 97%, and value for money at 95%.

SLLC is responsible for the management of cultural venues including: The Town House Hamilton, Rutherglen Town Hall, East Kilbride Arts Centre, Village Theatre East Kilbride, and Lanark Memorial Hall.  As well as the major venues, SLLC manages community halls and centres; community wings; community managed halls and integrated community facilities.

Attendances at cultural venues – 1.47 million

What this means This indicator measures attendances at cultural venues including halls, schools and arts venues.
Why this matters Our aim is to get more and more people taking part in cultural activities which make them feel better, sometimes healthier but always happier. By taking part, individuals can become more creative, healthy and enthused. 
Our performance and how we compare Comparator 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23   Are we improving?
SLLC 0.147 million 0.806 million 1.43 million Yes
Scotland N/A N/A N/A
How we have performed in improving this public service

There was a 78% increase on attendances in comparison with the previous year.  The main cultural venues have fully recovered from the impact of the pandemic however, customer use of community halls and school lets remains considerably behind pre-covid attendances (83% recovery against pre-covid figures).

Performance is generally measured through a programme of internal auditing, undercover mystery visits, through general customer feedback and via our more formal ‘Have Your Say’ comments and complaints policy. Excellent communication processes are imperative to ensure we are fully aware of our customer needs/expectations to allow the appropriate service delivery moving forward.  Health and Safety updates/visits continue to be undertaken to ensure standards are maintained and services are safe to operate.

External verification of the standards of our facilities and the service we deliver is further evidenced through VisitScotland awards. VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourist board. Working closely with private businesses, public agencies and local authorities. VisitScotland provides quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to industry partners to help the industry meet - and strive to exceed visitors' expectations. SLLC have 7 accredited sites.

Rating Venue
3 Star Accredited Rating

Calderglen Country Park

James Hamilton Heritage Park

4 Star Accredited Rating

Chatelherault Country Park

Low Parks Museum

Lanark Memorial Hall

5 Star Accredited Rating

Town House Hamilton

Rutherglen Town Hall

There were 145 formal complaints recorded throughout the year. Over 97% of all issues raised were resolved at our frontline with only 4 escalating to ‘stage 2’ of our process. The top 5 areas of concern to customers were based around programming 27 (18.6 %), communication 16 (11%), maintenance 15 (10.34%), booking process 14 (9.65 %) and customer behaviour 12 (8.27%).

SLLC conducted an online customer satisfaction survey during 2021-22 to gauge customer perception of our services overall. 1,037 responses were completed with 95% (985) highlighting they were very satisfied or satisfied with service delivery and 89% (922) said they would recommend SLLC to a friend. 96% (824) felt healthier, happier and better overall following their visit. This feedback has confirmed that SLLC are focusing services to customer needs and reaffirms the resolve to develop health improvement programmes further.

SLLC has developed a new strategy for 2022-2027. This strategy will complement the Council Plan Connect which outlines the council’s priorities and outcomes for 2022-27.

In addition to the above key documents, Resource Plans are prepared each year by all Resources to outline the key developments they intend to take forward in the year. Performance and actions relating to leisure and culture services can be found in the Community and Enterprise Resource Plan.

Twice a year, performance reports are presented to council committees on progress against the Resource Plans. In addition, reports detailing progress against the Council Plan Connect Outcomes are prepared. See Quarter 2 and Quarter 4 performance reports for further information.

More information on our outcomes can be found in the Council Plan Connect and also the Annual Performance Spotlights.

Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) allows councils to work together, to use performance information in a way which will help understand variations, share knowledge, expertise and good practice, with a view to making improvements. For more information and links relating to this framework go to the 'Benchmarking' paragraph on the Improvement and how we compare page on our website.

The information contained within this report reflects the position based on the data available at the time of publication (March 2024)