Culture trust 'could improve services' - council leader (From The Northern Echo)

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Culture trust 'could improve services' - council leader

4:28pm Wednesday 25th January 2012 in Newton Aycliffe News Photograph of the Author By Mark Tallentire

TAXPAYER-owned theatres, museums, libraries and leisure centres could be improved if outsourced to a charitable trust, a council leader said today.

Simon Henig, Labour leader of Durham County Council, said handing management of flagship venues such as the Gala Theatre, Killhope Museum and Hardwick Park, Sedgefield, to a non-profit-making trust could mean they were ‘better off’.

"It’s the responsibility of this council to find as many ways as we can to move forward while protecting as many services as possible.

"These services may well be better off in a trust," he told a cabinet meeting at County Hall, Durham.

Coun Henig was speaking as his cabinet agreed ‘in principle’ to transfer into a trust the running of 39 libraries, 15 leisure centres, the Gala Theatre and all services run by Leisureworks in Derwentside and Leisure Connection in east Durham.

Councillors also ordered more research into transferring management of the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum, Killhope Museum, Middleton-in-Teesdale outdoor learning centre and countryside, sports development and arts development services.

Final decisions are set for September and the handover could follow in April 2013.

Council chiefs hope the move would save more than £1m a year in VAT and business rates and allow services to attract more outside funding.

The new trust could be one of the biggest of its kind in the country, with an annual budget of more than £30m.

Coun Henig said the proposals represented a sensible way forward.

Coun Patricia Jopling, Local Liberal councillor for Crook North and Tow Law, asked whether £500,000 earmarked for revamping Elite Hall, in Crook, could be spent on reopening Glenholme leisure centre.

Cabinet member Maria Plews said the cash was unlikely to provide a solution for Glenholme but had been ringfenced for Crook.

Plans to slash opening hours at libraries were deferred to Wednesday, February 8.

Comments(5)

D D Coy says...
6:01pm Wed 25 Jan 12

Simon Whinge & Co. of DCC Labour Group promised from 2006 to improve & protect services and to make savings of £21m per annum as DCC moved forward into the 21st Century. This trust is a reflection of the combined failure of the cabinet its leader and the incompetent management at Durham County Council.

Perhaps it is possible that the affected services may or could be safe guarded by the creation of a trust? But judging by the cabinet & leaders current failure rate it may or could be yet another disaster waiting to happen at County Hall.

The game is practically up for Mr Whinge and his ambition/dream of becoming an M.P seem further away than ever because remember everyone this guy was only ever passing through County Hall as he used it as a stepping to the Palace of Westminster.

He has no plan or other ambition DCC he is making it all up as he goes along.!