Agenda item

The report of the Executive Manager – Transformation is attached.

The Service Manager – Transformation presented the report of the Executive Manager – Transformation which provided the Group with an update on community facilities in West Bridgford including their current usage, income and expenditure. It was noted that the Council owned five community facilities in West Bridgford which provided space for a range of activities including exercise classes, meetings, church groups and children’s parties. It was also stated that an options appraisal had been carried out on the future of Lutterell Hall and a report on findings of this work would be referred to Cabinet in early 2020 to consider the Council’s next steps in the Council’s ownership of the facility.

The Service Manager delivered a presentation to the Group which covered:

·         Community Facilities in West Bridgford

·         Review of Lutterell Hall

·         Income vs Expenditure

·         Gresham

·         Budgeted Capital Expenditure

·         Booking Types

·         Occupancy Rates

·         Venues for Hire in West Bridgford

·         Hire Costs

Following the presentation, members of the Group had several suggestions on how to improve the booking techniques of hiring the community facilities and how to reduce the running costs. These included:

·         The ability to book the hire of community facilities online

·         To have user groups or ‘friends of’ groups to help run the community facilities

·         Using Community Infrastructure Levy payments to invest in a new community facility in West Bridgford which is more energy efficient which would therefore reduce running costs

The Community Development Manager responded to these recommendations by noting that an online booking and invoicing system for hiring community facilities in West Bridgford was being explored and could be introduced within the next 12 months. It was also explained that support from volunteer ‘Friends of’ groups would be helpful to promote the hall and to support a programme of a diverse range of community led activities, however it was noted that volunteer operational management was more difficult for the Council to introduce in a large area like West Bridgford than in village halls in more rural areas. The Executive Manager – Transformation said that the Council was committed to looking at overhead costs in more detail and that the Group would be updated on the possibility of a new community facility in Edwalton.    

It was RESOLVED that

a)    The report of the Executive Manager – Transformation be noted

b)    The Group be provided with a progress update for a new community facility for Edwalton