Big Changes For Culture and Leisure To Save A Million

10th March 2011

Highland Council to create arms length organisation for Community Learning and Leisure

Members of The Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport (ECS) Committee have agreed to a major transfer of the management and delivery of Community Learning and Leisure Services to an arms length organisation (ALO).

The transfer which will take place in the financial year 2011/12 will save the Council £1 million per year through an ALO. The decision affects over 1,000 Highland Council staff, around 124 properties and an annual budget in excess of £15 million.

The target date for transfer to an ALO is 1 October 2011. Council staff moving to the organisation would transfer under the Transfer of Undertakings Regulations (TUPE) 2005. The organisation will have the potential to become more focussed on customer needs under the direction of a Board of Directors with business and community expertise.

Welcoming the decision to transfer the management and delivery of Community Learning and Leisure Services to an ALO, Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of The Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport Committee said: "We have taken this approach to make huge savings but also to ensure that for the most part the public will still have continuity of local amenities and services under the remit of Community Learning and Leisure. By creating an arms length organisation Highland Council will be able to find £1 million savings without further reduction in Community Learning and Leisure Service delivery or closure of facilities."

He added: "The new organisation will have potential opportunities to: secure alternative sources of funding not available to local authorities; expand its business activities through increased provision of catering and merchandising; and create greater community identity with facilities and activities which are operated by a charity."

Vice Chairman of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee, Councillor Drew Millar, thanked the Director and staff of Education, Culture and Sport for the vast amount of work, research and time that had been spent in preparing the business case for the creation of an ALO. He added: "Recent budget consultations have shown that the public have a high regard for the facilities and services provided by Community Learning and Leisure. By protecting facilities from closure and avoiding reductions in services we will also be able to protect jobs in our communities."

A further report will be brought to a meeting of The Highland Council on 12 May to decide the name of the company that would be limited by guarantee with charitable status. Legal documentation for the transfer will be brought to the Council's Education, Culture and Sport Committee in August 2010 and various reports on the process of transfer affecting staff, properties and establishing the company and service delivery contracts will be reported to future meetings of the Resources and Full Council committees over the coming months.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

6/11/2026 : Local Authority

Abandoned Vehicles Policy approved by Highland Councillors

Members of The Highland Council’s Communities and Place Committee have approved a new Policy on Abandoned Vehicles that will provide a framework for investigating, assessing and enforcement against abandoned vehicles across the region.   Chair of Communities and Place, Cllr Graham MacKenzie said: “I welcome this new policy which will help to make a difference in communities where the nuisance of abandoned vehicles arises.  

6/11/2026 : Local Authority

Funding success builds on Highland Council’s commitment to warmer, energy efficient homes

Climate Change Committee Members have welcomed news that The Highland Council has successfully secured external funding in the region of £5.4 million for 2026/27.  This grant funding will support retrofit and decarbonisation programmes for eligible owner occupier, private rented and Council owned houses across the Highlands.  

6/11/2026 : Local Authority

Council to commission independent review of licensing

Members of The Highland Council have today approved the commissioning of an independent external review of the Council’s licensing arrangements following a Council motion approved on 17 September 2026.   The review will consider governance, decision-making processes and opportunities for improvement.  

Today : Local Authority

Additional school in-service days agreed - Helping teachers prepare for major curriculum changes

Local councils will be able to request up to two extra in-service days this academic year, so that teachers can prepare for the most significant curriculum changes in more than a decade.   The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) which brings together the Scottish Government, local authority body COSLA, and teaching unions has agreed up to two additional in-service days, which will form part of multi-year support for implementation of the updated curriculum.  

Today : Local Authority

The Payday Heist: Why Your Payroll System Might Be a Fraudster’s Easiest Target

Imagine a dedicated employee logs into their bank account on payday, only to find it completely empty.  When they contact HR, the records show their salary was successfully processed but sent to an entirely different bank account.  

Today : Local Authority

Paper Targets vs. Human Crises: The Reality of the Highland Housing Strategy

The Highland Council’s newly unveiled Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2027–2032 paints a glossy, optimistic picture of the region's future.   It promises a steady pipeline of 700 affordable homes a year, framed alongside a booming £10–£16 billion "Growth Deal" linked to green freeports and renewable energy expansion.  

Yesterday : Local Authority

Highland Council Housing Investment: £84 Million Programme Faces Delays as Building Costs Rise

Highland Council is forecasting expenditure of almost £75 million on its housing capital programme during 2026/27, against an original budget of nearly £84 million, as rising building costs, project delays and the availability of additional government funding influence its investment plans.   A Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital monitoring report, covering expenditure to 31 August 2026, is being considered by the Housing and Property Committee on 4 November.  

Yesterday : Local Authority

Highland Council's Housing and Property Plans: Progress Being Made, But Costs and Contractor Shortages Remain a Problem

Highland Council is making progress on a range of housing and property projects, but rising construction costs, shortages of contractors and uncertainty over future funding continue to threaten delivery.   A progress report covering the second quarter of 2026/27 is being considered by the Housing and Property Committee on 4 November.  

Yesterday : Local Authority

Almost 2,500 Empty Homes in Highland: Can the Council Turn Empty Properties into Much-Needed Housing?

Highland Council is stepping up its efforts to bring long-term empty properties back into residential use, but early results from its £1 million Empty Homes Challenge Fund suggest that turning the policy into actual homes may prove more difficult than anticipated.   A report going before the Council's Housing and Property Committee on 4 November provides an update on the strategy introduced in November 2025.  

Yesterday : Local Authority

Highland Housing: Homelessness Reaches Record Level Despite Good Council Performance

The number of people presenting as homeless in the Highlands has reached its highest level in three years, highlighting the growing pressure on housing services despite some encouraging performance figures from Highland Council.   A report covering the six months from April to September 2026 is being considered by the Council's Housing and Property Committee on 4 November.