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Leisure, culture, parks and
library services set for a boost
FACILITIES including:- Leisure Centres, libraries, parks
and the Floral Pavilion are set for a major boost in Wirral following the 1st
Phase of the Council's review of the services.
The Council's cabinet will soon be be asked to approve the development of a
'business case' which will see leisure and culture services throughout
the borough redesigned, with the potential to create a charitable trust to run
the services 1 of the options on the table.
Cllr Ann McLachlan, cabinet member for transformation, leisure and culture,
said:- "We know how important these services are to local people. Having a
library, a leisure centre and fantastic museums and theatres on your doorstep is
1 of things which make Wirral such a great place to live. As Councils up and
down the country are forced into making blunt cuts to these vital community
facilities, as they battle to cope with ever increasing funding reductions, I'm
delighted we are taking such a different, imaginative approach in Wirral. We
have brought in national experts to review what we do, and how we do it, and
help us come up with new ideas to deliver these services in a better, more
modern way; for less money. We're determined to make sure Wirral residents are
able to access leisure, culture and library services of the highest possible
quality and the work which has been d1 so far is a big step forward."
The report which cabinet will be considered at a meeting, due to take place on
27 March 2017, provides details of initial research and analysis which has been
completed, and will propose 3 options for the future delivery of the services
are explored further:-
► A redesigned set of in house, Council Services.
► The creation of a Council owned community interest
company to deliver the services.
► The creation of a charitable trust to deliver the
services.
Options already ruled out include creating a commercial company to run the
services, and the 'outsourcing' or 'privatisation'
of the services.
Cllr McLachlan continued:- "The outcome of this work is going to provide
Wirral residents with an outstanding set of services to enjoy. Leisure,
libraries, culture and arts are incredibly important; they are 1 of our key
Pledges. Despite the continuing financial challenges we face, through the work
we are doing I am entirely confident we can find ways to improve our services
while making them financially sustainable for the long term."
Subject to Cabinet approval on 27 March 2017, the Council will develop a 'full
business case', exploring the 3 remaining options, before a final
decision is made on how the services will be provided in the future in early
summer 2017. |
