Chesterfield council reviews future of its community buildings - including the Winding Wheel and Staveley’s Healthy Living Centre - in battle to balance its budget

Leisure, Culture and Community Wellbeing Director, Ian Waller, at Chesterfield Borough Council, told the authority’s Resilient Council Scrutiny Select Committee, on January 25, that the review does not necessarily mean ceasing or closing buildings but it could result in new ways of running them.

The review involves an examination of costs relating to Chesterfield’s Hasland Village Hall, the Assembly Rooms, Revolution House, the Winding Wheel Theatre, the Visitor Information Centre and Staveley’s Healthy Living Centre as well as sports centre operations and how savings might be introduced along with more community support with the maintenance and running of properties.

Mr Waller said: “We have a range of community assets. We have quite a lot. Some, that wide in scope, are ones where we have already engaged with community groups expressing interest and they took that and deliver amazing services.

“And that is a different way of doing things and ensures services are taken and done differently.

“We talk about how we can re-imagine services rather than cease or close them and that is a theme that runs through a lot of areas.”

The council is keen to ensure that the council’s buildings continue to provide activities, social support opportunities and entertainment and Mr Waller stressed there are potential savings to be made because these buildings are already leased and they are in a ‘good place’.

But the council has a responsibility in the management, maintenance and ‘deliverability’ of its buildings to a good standard and it has to consider its obligatory duties alongside its current discretionary duties within its budget restrictions.

Mr Waller said: “I am blessed with staff who are working hard with the communities on how we can provide services.

“Whatever approach we take it has to be sustainable and that means there has to be a price to pay through fees and charges.”

The council has been involved in getting feedback from users of its buildings about the impact of any possible price increases and what alternative ways might be available to deliver services.

Mr Waller said possible options might be for communities to take over the responsibilities for buildings particularly with Hasland Hall, the Assembly Rooms and in the case of Revolution House to preserve its historic heritage.

The council is however considering a number of possibilities to help increase income and to become more commercially-minded where its buildings are concerned.

It is considering the possibility of suspending operations at Hasland Hall, off Hasland Road, the Assembly Rooms, on Chesterfield Road, and Revolution House, on High Street, at Old Whittington, and this could mean an estimated £10,000 to £50,000 of savings.

The council is also reviewing operations at the Winding Wheel Theatre, on Holywell Street, to achieve what it calls ‘a cost neutral budget position’ that could mean at least £200,000 of savings and there is also a review of charges to the theatre’s commercially-run operations.

Chesterfield Borough Council has also been considering the future use of its Visitor Information Centre and whether it should be shut down with the introduction of a digitalised service after it believes changes could result in savings of between £10,000 to £50.000.

Another idea under consideration is leasing out a vacant floor space in the Healthy Living Centre, at Staveley.

The council is also reviewing sports centre operations to achieve at least ‘a cost neutral budget position’ by considering operational management, fitness suite activities, activities coordination, and facility programming with an estimated savings of at least £200,000.

It is also looking at possibly achieving ‘cost neutral provision’ for outdoor sports and leisure activities such at bowling greens, football pitches, its cricket festival, and at other subsidised activities which may produce estimated savings of between £100,000 to £200,000.

Another consideration is increasing fees and charges at council leisure centres along with increases for its regulatory services, and trade waste responsibilities after it has already introduced increased fees at its town centre car parks.

Chesterfield Borough Council has produced a Budget Implementation Plan outlining a number of far-reaching cost-saving proposals to address its estimated £4m budget shortfall for the 2024-25 financial year which is soon to be finalised.

A Cultural Services Review of Hasland Village Hall, the Assembly Rooms and Revolution House along with possible fees and charges is due to be considered at the council’s cabinet meeting on February 5.

The council, like many other struggling local authorities, has blamed uncertainty over reduced Government funding, rising inflation, the cost of living crisis, rising costs, rising demands, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for its financial plight.