Trust to take over management of leisure centres and libraries
A REVOLUTION in the way sport, culture and leisure services in North East Lincolnshire are managed is being pioneered by council leaders.
A new not-for-profit trust is set to be up and running by 2013, with a board of trustees taking responsibility for managing a range of services run by North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) and its partners, including leisure centres, libraries and Meridian Park.
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MONEY-SAVER: Meridian Park is one of the places set for new management.
Other local authorities have already launched similar schemes, with Falkirk Council expecting its trust to save the council £1 million a year on rates and VAT.
In North East Lincolnshire, substantial savings are also expected to be made by the council ending its contract with SLM Leisure, which has run the borough's leisure centres for the last ten years.
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Councillor Mick Burnett, portfolio holder for health, wellbeing, tourism and leisure, said these savings could then allow outdated buildings, such as Grimsby Leisure Centre and Grimsby Swimming Pool, to be rebuilt.
He said: "Setting up a trust to manage culture, sport and leisure services will benefit everybody in North East Lincolnshire.
"Because it will be a not-for-profit organisation, there are massive financial savings to be had. The trust would also be able to apply for grant funding to improve buildings and facilities, which the council cannot.
"As with all councils, we are under major pressure to make financial savings and that means we have got to look at how we can manage all of our operations differently."
Councillor Burnett said the new trust is set to be launched in March 2013, when the council's extended contract with SLM Leisure expires.
As reported, the contract was due to end this month, but it has been extended to allow time for the trust to be established.
Councillor Burnett said: "Setting up the trust is a long process that will require a lot of work. We are still in the very early stages, but I must stress that this is not about people losing jobs.
"The Labour administration is very committed to protecting local jobs and ensuring we continue to deliver quality sport, leisure and cultural services.
"It is simply about a change in the way these services are managed."
It is believed that the trust would be run by a small number of trustees, with council officers and councillors being in the minority.
The trust would be given responsibility for managing the council's budget for leisure, sport and culture – an amount which NELC has declined to reveal.
Comments
by Fitties1
Friday, September 30 2011, 6:15PM
“Meridian Park has now had more Managers than events. What are the odds on the first suggestion of the new managers being a car boot sale.
Its been the first for all the others and they couldnt even organise that
Its just as well it isnt a Brewery”
by minstral
Friday, September 30 2011, 5:55PM
“Having seen what happened with the moves to Shoreline and Balfour Beatty of council services surelly the council has learned that this would most certainly lead to further job losses and poor service for the ratepayers .What we need are people of vision and enterprise to make services pay their way instead of the usual jobsworths that the council employ.Whilst the council officers have been wavering they could have been collecting much needed revenue by being more inventive.Why not establish a year round market like the Ingoldmells market?”
by exeter44
Friday, September 30 2011, 5:16PM
“'not for profit' but you and I can bet our last pennies that there will be plenty of 'expenses' to claim!”
by curlytail
Friday, September 30 2011, 5:05PM
“I hope that the authority has done its research correctly and added up correctly because a few years ago they told us that they had to save money by closing surplus classrooms and now they are having to adapt schools or supply extra ones to accommodate teh high number of pupils. I wonder if we will find problems with Balfour Beatty project and the creation of this trust later on? If the trust is a failure we will lose many if not all libraries adn leisure facilities and the authority will no doubt blame other factors.”
by Brookie24
Friday, September 30 2011, 4:16PM
“Another success from NELC, it re-enforces my moral view that until the public sector start spending our taxes more wisely we in the private sector should avoid paying all the taxes we can (before the loony left start ranting, tax avoidance is legal, tax evasion is illegal), I'm proud to say my tax avoidance record is excellent.”
by ShBurnham
Friday, September 30 2011, 12:23PM
“Very recent : CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNCIL : "The likely Government decision to allow local authorities to retain elements of business rates creates a major challenge for the viability of the Trust option. The Trust was expected to save more than £500k in business rates, which was essential to its business case. If local authorities, as anticipated, are allowed to retain some elements of business rates, then although the Trust itself would save money, the Council would not as there would be a reduction in the level of business rates the Council receives. As it will require significant investment to establish a Trust, it is therefore proposed that Cabinet agrees not to pursue further the development of a Trust."
Surely the above might motivate your own Council to inform itself a little more about the current situation regarding Trusts before going any further ? Or perhaps 'This Is Grimsby' journalists might like to investigate and inform their readership of the facts.”
by Steve0
Friday, September 30 2011, 11:58AM
“Meridian Point should be scrapped as a venue. I went to the Cleethorpes Classical a couple of years ago and it got freezing after sunset due to its proximity to the coast. After speaking to others, this is a common problem with the venue. The result? Although I enjoyed the entertainment, the venue is so poor I don't intend going there again.”
by minstral
Friday, September 30 2011, 11:00AM
“How do you manage a place where nothing happens? Meridian Park has been a white elephant-along with the nearby retail park-since it's inception.It's in the wrong place for events with next to no parking .Far better to turn it into an amusement area(and demolish the eyesore of the North Promonade for housing) and give the holidaymakers-mainly residing at Thorpe Park- somewhere to spend their money.This would also encourage businesses to utilise the vacant retail areas. Now that is at least a viable plan.”