Highland Council Puts Pressure On Highland Highlife To Deliver Significant Savings

14th February 2019

Savings of £610,000 are being asked from Highland Highlife in addition to inflationary pressures of £900,000 to be absorbed by the organisation. The arms length organisation has proved to be an outstanding success in the few years since it was floated by the council. A business like approach to sales and marketing of services has helped sustain a wide range of services formerly under direct council control

High Life Highland (HLH) is provided funding by Highland Council, via a Service Delivery Contract, to provide leisure, library, sporting, youth, museum and culture services and facilities and support for the arts across the Highlands. Current funding is £16.5m p.a., with the proposed saving representing a c3.7% saving. HLH also absorb all pay and other inflationary pressures, estimated at £0.9m.

The level of saving proposed, represents a move away from the basis embedded within the Service Delivery Contract, linking HLH funding movement with the Council's overall financial settlement from Scottish Government and may therefore require a longer lead-in time for implementation.

The specifics of the saving would be subject to proposals and implications developed by HLH.

Highlife Highland will have to provide specific numbers for each of the changes it will propose to reach the target savings. An increase in the cost of the Highlife card is speculated as one likely source of increased revenue along with other charges and saving for efficiency.

To see the full range of cuts and changes in the budget go to -https://www.highland.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/4084/highland_council