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]