Councillors and committees

Agenda item

Surrey Performing Arts Library - Future Arrangements

Decision:

RESOLVED:

 

1.    That NewSPAL, a new charitable body, be invited and supported to prepare a comprehensive business plan to take on operational responsibility for SPAL be agreed.

 

2.    That a report on the NewSPAL business plan be brought to Cabinet for decision in the Autumn, 2018 be agreed. 

 

Reasons for decisions:

 

A review of the SPAL collections identified a number of measures to improve business operations and options to address issues for its long term sustainability. The option of transferring the function to an independent operator was proposed as it would mean that SPAL could operate outside of the continuing pressures on local government budgets.

 

Despite considerable work, ultimately no suitable existing organisation confirmed their interest. However a new charity (NewSPAL) had recently been set up for the purpose of taking on SPAL. Potential advantages of the NewSPAL option was that it would be a user-led organisation and have potential to access funding opportunities not available to local authorities.

 

There would be a robust process in place to test the viability of any transfer of the collections to NewSPAL and a report brought to Cabinet in the Autumn, 2018.

 

The Communities Select Committee considered options for SPAL and agreed to support in principle NewSPAL taking over the collections.  In the interim, while the NewSPAL proposal was worked up in greater detail, to ensure the cost-effectiveness, coherence and continuity of the service, the collection was to be relocated to Ewell Library.  

 

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Adults & Lifelong Learning Select Committee]

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Community Services introduced a report which explained how the Surrey Performing Arts Library (SPAL) helped support the cultural life of the county by bringing together a wide range of material on all aspects of performing arts, including the loan of multiple sets of music and drama items borrowed by groups.

 

In order to ensure the long term sustainability of the collection, a review, including extensive public consultation, of how the collections were managed had been carried out.  Arising from this, discussions had been initiated with a group, established as a charity, (‘NewSPAL’) around the potential user and service benefits that could accrue were the collections to be transferred to them. Both music and drama collections were currently housed at Denbies in Dorking. To ensure the effectiveness, coherence and continuity of the service, the entire collection was to be relocated to Ewell Library.

 

The Chairman of the previous Communities Select Committee spoke of the work undertaken by that select committee and how it had worked well with residents to come up with the recommendations to officers.  She also stated that NewsPAL members may wish to consider joining the training session being offered to officers at Ewell Library in order for them to get a heads up.  She asked for leniency on the deadline of Autumn especially if the Cabinet required more information in the Business Case.  She also explained how she spoken with the Chairman of the new Adults and Lifelong Learning Select Committee regarding work carried forward.

 

The Chairman of the Adults and Lifelong Learning Select Committee stated that the Committee supported the recommendations and were happy that the collections were being kept together.  They would work with NewsPAL to develop the business case.

 

The Leader thanked both the Head of Cultural Services and the Lead Manager of Surrey Library Service for the work undertaken.

 

RESOLVED:

 

  1. That NewSPAL, a new charitable body, be invited and supported to prepare a comprehensive business plan to take on operational responsibility for SPAL be agreed.

 

  1. That a report on the NewSPAL business plan be brought to Cabinet for decision in the Autumn, 2018 be agreed. 

 

Reasons for decisions:

 

A review of the SPAL collections identified a number of measures to improve business operations and options to address issues for its long term sustainability. The option of transferring the function to an independent operator was proposed as it would mean that SPAL could operate outside of the continuing pressures on local government budgets.

 

Despite considerable work, ultimately no suitable existing organisation confirmed their interest. However a new charity (NewSPAL) had recently been set up for the purpose of taking on SPAL. Potential advantages of the NewSPAL option was that it would be a user-led organisation and have potential to access funding opportunities not available to local authorities.

 

There would be a robust process in place to test the viability of any transfer of the collections to NewSPAL and a report brought to Cabinet in the Autumn, 2018.

 

The Communities Select Committee considered options for SPAL and agreed to support in principle NewSPAL taking over the collections.  In the interim, while the NewSPAL proposal was worked up in greater detail, to ensure the cost-effectiveness, coherence and continuity of the service, the collection was to be relocated to Ewell Library.  

 

Supporting documents: