Strategic Commissioning Review of Culture and Leisure Services
Renfrewshire Council · 18 February 2026
Back to Leadership Board — 18 February 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PUBLIC To: Leadership Board On: 18 February 2026 ________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Finance and Resources _______________________________________________________________ Heading: Strategic Commissioning Review of Culture and Leisure Services _________________________________________________________________ 1. Overview and key messages 1.1. Previous updates to the Leadership Board have provided an overview of the Strategic Commissioning Review of Culture and Leisure Services, which has been ongoing over the course of 2025. This report provides a further update to the Board including activity to date, and key issues for consideration. 1.2. As outlined in previous reports, the review is being informed and guided by the following principles: • Services should be specified in a way that supports the Council’s agreed priorities, along with a new suite of performance measures. • Services should be sustainable and affordable. • The Council and OneRen will work with communities to ensure that leisure and culture services are planned and delivered in a fair and consistent way. • In line with the principles of the Council’s Strategic Property Review, (SPR) there is a presumption for the co-location of services wherever possible, and services will be delivered from flexible, sustainable, well-designed, and high-quality spaces. The review also aims to - where possible - identify operational and service efficiencies which may contribute to potential investment requirements identified through the review. 1.3. High‑quality culture and leisure services align with the Scottish Government and COSLA’s ‘Scotland’s Population Health Framework 2025-2035’, which prioritises taking preventative action to improve health outcomes. Culture and leisure services help improve physical and mental wellbeing through providing
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PUBLIC accessible health and learning opportunities, easing the pressures on public bodies by reducing overall demand and associated costs. 1.4. The review has clearly established that OneRen provides a broad range of high-quality local services fully aligned with these national principles, however, elements of the estate are aging and are not fully aligned to the SPR objectives, which impacts on efficient and effective service delivery. 1.5. The review has been progressed through 3 distinct workstreams, each led by senior officers from the Council and involving relevant staff from both the Council and OneRen. The workstreams are: a. Workstream 1 - Community and Leisure b. Workstream 2 - Culture and Libraries c. Workstream 3 - Finance and Governance 1.6. In governance terms, OneRen is a charity established by the Council to provide culture, leisure, and sporting opportunities to help people enjoy active and healthy lives. It operates through a limited liability company which is separate from (but wholly owned by) the Council, with its own Board of Directors and management team. 1.7. The initial focus of each workstream was to establish key information relating to the activities of OneRen and associated Council services, to determine an agreed baseline position for all services and facilities, including the financial performance and business plan delivery assessments for cultural and commercial services. Following this, a detailed critical analysis of all service areas was undertaken to determine sustainable options for service delivery in the longer term which meets the Council’s aims, requirements and aspirations. 1.8. The services that are currently delivered by OneRen on the Council’s behalf are part funded through a service payment of £14.1m in 25/26 and are the subject of a suite of formal Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between the Council and OneRen, which have not been strategically reviewed since cultural and community services were transferred in 2015. The review has established that the specifications of current service requirements are outdated, do not specify performance expectations which reflect the current and expected operating environment, and are overly specific about input/output parameters at the expense of realistic and measurable outcomes that contribute to Council and community priorities. The current suite of SLAs should therefore be revised to reflect current and future service expectations and requirements, and to reflect any changes implemented following completion of this review. 1.9. OneRen submits an annual business plan to the Council which sets out the agreed priorities for the delivery of commissioned cultural, leisure and sports activities in the year ahead. The most recent business plan was approved by the Leadership Board in April 2025. The business plan forms part of the
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PUBLIC contractual obligations and confirms the annual service payment. OneRen spends around £23m each year on cultural, leisure and sport activities, of which approximately £14m is funded from the service payment and the remaining £9m from customer charges, sales, grant income and charitable donations. As a charitable organisation with a trading company, any surpluses generated are reinvested in services for the benefit of the local community. OneRen also delivers services over and above those set out in the suite of SLAs to meet their commercial arrangements and meet changing customer and community expectations and demand patterns, and any specific service requests from the Council. 1.10. OneRen operates services from a range of venues across Renfrewshire. Table 1: OneRen Services Services Facilities Library and Digital Information Services 12 Public Libraries Culture, Heritage and Events Services 4 town halls 5 museum and heritage properties 1 arts centre Sports Services– Leisure 10 sport venues Sports Services– Pitches and pavilions 18 playing fields 1 golf course 5 bowling greens Community facilities 13 Community Centres (plus 9 community managed centres) Sports Development, including Active Schools Health & Wellbeing Referral Services 1.11. In addition, aspects of the services listed above take place out with the facilities listed, for example cultural and physical activity takes place across the schools estate, within third sector organisations, health care settings and within the public realm e.g. 10k and 3k road races. 1.12. To determine locality provision standards for services and to ensure equitable accessibility across all population centres the review has established 5 locality areas and mapped the provision of all OneRen venues in each. This has enabled locality standards to be developed which could specify the services to be provided in each community and locality, and those which are provided on a Renfrewshire wide basis, recognising the accessibility standards to be expected by residents in relation to traveling times. These are outlined in detail in Section 3 below.
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PUBLIC Table 2: Proposed Localities Locality Towns and Villages 1 Erskine/Bishopton/Dargavel 2 Renfrew 3 Paisley 4 Johnstone/Lochwinnoch 5 Linwood/Houston/Bridge of Weir 1.13. The review has initially identified a number of potential service changes and improvements that would ensure more effective, equitable and sustainable services in the longer term. These include potential savings and investment options, which are summarised below and explained in greater detail in the body of the report: 1.13.1 The revision of community halls booking and let activity across OneRen and the council and the introduction of a single online booking and scheduling system for community lets and school hall lets. 1.13.2 Rebalancing the current level of grass vs synthetic playing fields. 1.13.3 The development of a new library service model with library provision at the heart of the council’s Connected Communities model. 1.13.4 Further promoting and supporting the Community Asset Transfer of self- managed community facilities. 1.13.5 Develop options for swimming provision in Erskine and Renfrew within those localities, recognising the challenges with the current facilities, and considering any opportunities for co-location with other OneRen or Council services. 1.13.6 Updating and revising the business plans for town halls and cultural venues to reflect their specific identities and market placement, with a specific review and analysis of the issues and costs associated with the possible relocation of services delivered from Renfrew Library into Renfrew Town Hall. 1.13.7 Review and reposition the current suite of service level agreement to be more outcomes focussed. 1.14. As the key recommendations and actions outlined in this paper are progressed, more detailed consultation and engagement processes would require to be undertaken with key stakeholders, including service users and residents.
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Board: 1. Notes the update as detailed in this report. 2. Notes the establishment of locality principles as detailed in Section 3, which support the provision of equitable service provision across Renfrewshire. 3. Approves the revision to the booking and scheduling systems utilised by OneRen and the Council and the introduction of a single integrated online process for indoor community facilities and community lets within the school estate. 4. Approves the active promotion of Community Asset Transfer (CAT) for self-managed community facilities and the development of funding options to support this. 5. Approves the development of options to improve the overall efficiency of sports pitches, including rationalisation and reinvestment. 6. Agrees the recommendation in Section 3 to develop potential future options for swimming and wider community sports provision in Erskine and Renfrew. 7. Notes the requirement to revise the identity and purpose for each Town Hall and agree the introduction of dynamic opening times to improve utilisation and reduce unnecessary operational expenditure. 8. Agrees to develop a costed option for the relocation of services currently delivered within Renfrew Library to Renfrew Town Hall 9. Notes the service model for Library and Digital Information Services, which aims to improve cross service integration and closer alignment with the Strategic Connected Communities review. 10. Approves in principle the revision of the Services Agreement and Service Level Agreements to reflect the approved recommendations from this report, and the amalgamation of the separate Service Level Agreements into a single revised document with improved financial and operational performance and outcome standards, with final drafts to be reported to this Policy Board for approval. 3. Locality Principle for OneRen 3.1. OneRen has 66 directly managed venues located across Renfrewshire and an additional 9 self-managed community centres. The review has developed locality specific principles, and it is intended that these will be used as a basis for identifying the services (and facilities) that could be provided in
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PUBLIC communities, based on equitable and proportionate levels of accessibility for all residents in Renfrewshire. 3.2. Utilising the GIS resources within the Council it was possible to compare existing locality groupings and existing data sets to define 5 localities which divide Renfrewshire on geographic boundaries (recognising as far as possible recognised community boundaries) to provide a basis to establish service provision standards for residents within these locality areas. The localities are derived from intermediate data zones, which themselves are derived by merging SIMD data zones, and the extensive data held by the Council on households and communities could be utilised. The 5 localities are outlined below: 3.3. Having defined the localities, principles for the provision of services and facilities were established, building from individual community level to Renfrewshire as a whole. Travelling times to facilities within each of these categories were set and measured to provide a reasonable and practicable standard, and any recommendations made throughout the review have and will be measured against these standards to ensure as far as possible equity of provision across the Council. Locality Towns and Villages 1 Erskine/Bishopton/Dargavel 2 Renfrew 3 Paisley 4 Johnstone/Lochwinnoch 5 Linwood/Houston/Bridge of Weir 1 2 4 5 3
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PUBLIC Table 3: Locality Principles Community Offer Locality Offer Renfrewshire-wide Offer Facility Provision Community space Gym or studio Performance space Sports hall Swimming Pool Cultural venues Sports Pitch Community library Central library Museum Tennis courts Athletics track Accessibility 20 minute walk 40 minute walk 10 minute cycle 20 minute cycle 10 minute drive 15 minute drive 20 minute drive 10 minute public transport 15 minute public transport Public transport accessible Workstream 1 – Community and Leisure 3.4. This workstream has reviewed the leisure, sport, active schools, and community booking services provided by OneRen through the sport centres, pools, pitches, golf course and community centres managed by OneRen on behalf of the Council. 3.5. While the actual services provided are managed and operated by OneRen, all the facilities utilised are owned and maintained by the Council and provided to OneRen in accordance with the conditions of a Property Agreement that is part of the 2015 suite of documents, under which OneRen operates, in return for the service payment from the Council. OneRen pays for buildings and grounds maintenance at some locations which transferred as part of the cultural services inclusion in OneRen in 2015. 3.6. Workstream 1 has examined both the services provided and the premises from which the services operate to establish their condition, suitability, and projected lifespan to determine opportunities for co-location or rationalisation in line with the principles of the Review. This work included consideration of where investment in certain facilities may be required to facilitate wider change. Specific external reports have been commissioned on the Pitch Strategy and Swimming Pool provision to assist in establishing current and future requirements and this will contribute to the Council wide property lifecycle maintenance and investment strategy.
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PUBLIC 3.7. Footfall, capacity and cost data on all service areas has been collated and examined to support trend analysis for specific areas, to identify potential options and efficiencies which would reduce the level of Council subsidy. In addition to the data, service specifications and workflow analysis flowcharts have been utilised to determine service efficiency, effectiveness and potential for future service delivery. Community Centres 3.8. Workflow analysis has established that the processes for community centres and school's hall and room booking activities, arranging provision of the facilities and resourcing cleaning, opening, maintenance and preparation of the facilities are disjointed and in need of fundamental revision. At present bookings are not all managed through a single system, and the main system used for community and school bookings, Artifax, is at end of practical life and is no longer supported. OneRen utilise their own internal system for some sports hall bookings. There is no integration between systems which manage staff allocation, invoicing and payments, requiring manual entry and data handling. 3.9. While OneRen has operational and management responsibility for the facilities, there are practical arrangements in place whereby the Council open, clean, and secure the facilities. There is potential confusion for customers, requirements for convoluted communication, and a disconnect between systems for booking and scheduling. 3.10. Although there are systemic operational issues to address, a significant barrier to improving the overall service is the division of the function across OneRen and the Council, and the lack of a seamless interface between booking and staff management systems. It is proposed that a comprehensive revision of the booking, scheduling and resourcing is undertaken which will include identification of a new booking system which enables online booking for a more seamless customer experience, and back-end integration with other council systems and processes for community facility and non-sport school let bookings. 3.11. As indicated in the table at Section 1.10, One Ren is responsible for 13 community centres, but an additional 9 are self-managed by third party organisations. In practice, the self-managed centres are provided with the same level of Council support as those controlled by OneRen – the Council provides caretaker services, maintains the premises and retains all ownership responsibilities but is not involved in bookings and does not collect income from bookings to offset this cost.
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PUBLIC 3.12. The introduction of self-managed centres was intended at its inception as a step towards full CAT transfer to the organisations who now manage them. However, this has not progressed, and it is proposed that the Council now pursues the CAT transfer of these centres to the organisations who operate them as they have clearly demonstrated the ability to manage and operate the centres for a number of years. 3.13. To support this transition, it is proposed that the Council develops cost estimates which would ensure all halls are in a good condition which would incentivise the CAT process, and also offer transition support through the CAT team, including potentially the offer of an operating cost grant to cover the period of transition (potentially for 12-24 months) to enable the organisations to source, bid for and obtain funding to ensure sustainable operation. Transfer of all the self-managed halls on a CAT basis would remove a significant recurring cost burden from OneRen and the Council. Cost estimates would be the subject of a future update report and recommendation to this Board, however Council has set aside £0.8m to increase community ownership in setting the 2025/26 budget and this would provide a funding source. Pitch Strategy 3.14. A review of sports pitches has been undertaken which examined current provision across Renfrewshire and determined the demand trends and future requirements for both grass and synthetic pitches. As well as those operated by OneRen, the review has considered pitches provided at schools and those provided by private sector organisations to give a complete understanding of availability and need. The key outcomes of this pitch review are: 3.14.1. Renfrewshire has a total of 70 pitches, split between grass (54%) and synthetic (46%) surfaces. These are managed by OneRen, schools, and private providers. While the overall geographic spread of pitches is appropriate, there is an under-provision in the northwest of the Council area, where investment is already planned (eg synthetic pitch provision at both Dargavel Primary and Thistle Primary schools). Grass pitch utilisation is very low, averaging 7% at peak times, primarily due to the limited capacity of grass, maintenance requirements and weather dependency. Player pathways and training patterns are also a factor. 3.14.2. Synthetic pitch utilisation is 79% at peak times, which is in line with the expected 80% benchmark observed in comparable regions. Some locations, such as Johnstone Community Sports Hub (100%), Gryffe High School (97%) and Ralston Community Sports Hub (94%), reach or come close to full capacity.
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PUBLIC 3.14.3. Accessibility analysis confirms that 100% of the population is within a 10-minute drive of a sports pitch. Grass and synthetic pitches have high accessibility rates of 99% and 94%, respectively. 3.14.4. The data supports the case for shifting more usage to synthetic pitches without negatively impacting accessibility. 3.15. Consideration of the findings of the pitch review clearly indicate the developing transition from grass to synthetic surfaces, due in part to their ability to support diverse and wider utilisation throughout the year. The review has therefore undertaken an assessment and developed options for pitches which are underutilised, unsuitable or unsustainable including assessing the impact of a reduction in the number of pitches. 3.16. There are 3 playing fields where pitches have been identified as not being sustainable due to very low or no use as outlined in Appendix 1. It is proposed that low use pitches are removed from pitch categorisation and alternative uses are identified which align with council and national strategies. 3.17. Application of the same principles which led to the proposal to promote CAT transfer of self-managed community centres would indicate that those pitches which are operated by particular clubs on a licence to operate basis should progress to CAT transfer. These pitches are occupied by clubs who operate and manage them, but the Council continues to maintain and support this use at no cost. As with the community halls it is proposed that the Council develops options for transition support through the CAT team, potentially with additional support via an operating cost grant to cover the period of transition to enable the organisations to source, bid for and obtain funding to ensure continued operation. Swimming Pools 3.18 A comprehensive review of swimming pool provision across Renfrewshire has also been undertaken by an external provider, involving analysis of capacity, condition, long term viability and accessibility of all existing OneRen pools and the capacity provided by private facilities and accessible neighbouring provision. The Council currently operates 5 swimming pools: Erskine, Johnstone, the Lagoon, On-X and Renfrew Victory Baths. 3.19 The ON-X, Lagoon, and Johnstone Community Sports Hub are in satisfactory condition (Grade B) but require substantial M&E and compliance-related investment as part of ongoing lifecycle maintenance. These facilities are integrated with other services – the Lagoon and On-x with sports, leisure and community facilities and Johnstone with sports, leisure and school facilities. As such these venues operate in line with the preferred model the Council has
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PUBLIC agreed. Investment in both centres is ongoing, with the creation of the TAG Active at the Lagoon, and creating indoor football pitches at the ON-X in order to drive income generation and increased footfall. 3.20 The current condition of these integrated venues is broadly satisfactory and the cost per use is lower than standalone swimming pools; they are therefore considered sustainable in the medium to long term. However, investment is required in the fabric of these venues as part of ongoing lifecycle maintenance requirements. 3.21 In Erskine, the existing buildings are 25/35 years old and require significant investment or replacement. Erskine Pool is rated Grade B and is a stand-alone facility, as is Erskine Sports Centre. Erskine library is being moved to a temporary location pending identification of a permanent location. It is therefore proposed that options to modernise provision should be developed by officers as part of the wider review programme. 3.22 Renfrew Victory Baths is in poor condition (Grade D), with urgent structural, and M&E issues requiring major investment to enable the building to remain operational. As elected members will be aware from wider reports to policy boards, planned investment of £0.6m will be undertaken to address these immediate issues. As a Common Good asset, the building itself is now over 100 years old and it is recognised that the level of investment to modernise and develop the facility is likely to be significant, with any works likely to be exceptionally challenging due to the historic fabric and age of the building. As part of the review, it is proposed that options are developed in relation to the provision of a pool in Renfrew to allow for further consultation to take place on future provision. Indoor Sports Facilities 3.23 OneRen operates 10 sports venues with 8 providing indoor sports and leisure facilities. As outlined above, these must be considered in tandem with the swimming pools as there are integrated facilities providing both swimming and dry side activities, and at Park Mains and Johnstone the facilities are integrated with the schools. Table 4: Indoor Sports Facilities Venue Category Erskine Community Sports Centre Stand Alone Ferguslie Sports Centre Stand Alone Johnstone Community Sports Hub Integrated with swimming pool and school Lagoon Leisure Centre Integrated with swimming pool
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PUBLIC ON-X Sport and Community Centre Integrated with swimming pool Park Mains Sports Complex Integrated with school Ralston Community Sports Centre Stand Alone Renfrew Leisure Centre Stand Alone 3.24 Accessibility and location of these indoor sports venues has been mapped and analysed utilising the Council GIS resource and it can be seen from the map below that the current locations satisfy the locality principles established for this review, and this is further enhanced by the many schools and community facilities which provide sport and leisure spaces in addition to these dedicated venues. Mode Minutes %Pop’n Walk 0-5 5-10 10-15 5% 16% 31% Cycle 0-5 5-10 10-15 36% 74% 90% Drive 0-5 5-10 10-15 92% 100% 100% 3.25 The condition of the current indoor sports facilities is outlined below – only Ferguslie is rated A. There is currently no condition rating data available for Renfrew or Ralston but it may be assumed that Renfrew will be a similar rating to Erskine and Ralston may be best rated as C due to its age and condition. 3.25.1 Johnstone school rating is C – no rating directly for sports elements but some minor maintenance required 3.25.2 Park Mains school rating is B (no rating directly for sports elements) 3.25.3 Ferguslie is Rated A (due to recent investment) 3.25.4 On-x is rated B 3.25.5 Lagoon is rated B 3.25.6 Erskine is rated B
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PUBLIC 3.26 As outlined above in the swimming pool section of the report, the integrated facilities meet the locality principles and also the SPR principles of co-location and avoidance of stand-alone venues. Other than ensuring the lifecycle maintenance requirements are met these facilities are sustainable for the longer term, subject to Net Zero investment in future years. 3.27 As standalone facilities, both Erskine and Renfrew Sports Centres will require further investment and ongoing review to ensure the offering available meets service user requirements. As noted above in relation to swimming provision, options will be developed for wider sports and swimming facility provision for consideration as part of the review. 3.28 Ferguslie Sports Centre is the only venue rated A for both condition and EPC and has recently been updated with significant investment of £570K which has resulted in the lower operating costs. Cost data would indicate that this is currently a sustainable stand-alone venue. 3.29 Ralston Community Sports Centre has generally low operating costs, but utility costs are high. Some interest in CAT transfer has been expressed in relation to the centre, and this will continue to be progressed. 3.30 OneRen operates a golf course at Barshaw Park and has responsibility for 5 bowling greens at Gallowhill, Lochside, Robertson Park, Johnstone and Woodlands. Robertson Park is directly operated by OneRen but the others are committee controlled, although the Council does undertake necessary maintenance activities at a cost of £53,000 per annum. No use figures are available for the Bowling Greens as they are predominantly committee controlled. 3.31 The provision of the golf course will also be fully explored through the review, with options developed for consideration by elected members. 4 Workstream 2 – Culture and Libraries 4.1 This workstream has reviewed the Library Information, heritage, cultural and events services provided through the Libraries, Museums, Town Halls and Arts Centre. Similar to the Leisure and Sports services being reviewed in Workstream 1, the actual services provided are managed and operated by OneRen, and all the facilities utilised are owned and maintained by the Council and provided to OneRen in accordance with the conditions of the Property Agreement. Heritage, Cultural and Events Services 4.2 Heritage, cultural and events services have benefited from significant investment in recent years. This has resulted in transformational enhancement of Paisley Town Hall, Renfrew Town Hall, Paisley Museum and Paisley Arts
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PUBLIC Centre as part of the Future Paisley culture-led regeneration programme and earlier new builds at Johnstone Town Hall and Tweedie Hall in Linwood. 4.3 Following the significant investment in the Cultural Quarter in Paisley commercial business plans were drafted to provide a baseline operating strategy for the venues, and to project footfall, income and expenditure as part of driving footfall into the town centre as a cultural and tourism destination for the West of Scotland which is raising the profile of the region and attracting inward investment, awards and recognition. These plans were prepared for Paisley venues which received investment. Town Halls in Renfrew, Johnstone and Linwood were not included in the business planning exercise at that time. Work has therefore been undertaken to develop business plans for these venues which are appropriate to their location and to identify a clear core offer. 4.4 Data on footfall, income, expenditure and condition of all town halls was collated to enable an assessment of the utilisation and sustainability of each town hall to be undertaken and potential service change options developed for each. This demonstrates that all four town halls have significant overheads for property, utility and staffing costs. Analysis indicates that there is a mixed picture across the four venues in terms of income generation and utilisation, and therefore cost recovery. 4.5 Paisley Town Hall continues to develop as a stage for major new events including the Paisley Book Festival and Paisley Comedy Festival. Johnstone Town Hall is also recovering its place at the centre of its community following the pandemic disruption with performances and venue hire. Both Paisley and Johnstone Town Halls are realising increased income generated due to the events and festivals programme delivered by OneRen. Renfrew and Tweedie Halls have experienced much lower footfall/bookings than have been anticipated in recent years. 4.6 Following the analysis undertaken, each of the town halls have been reviewed both individually and holistically to understand each venue’s role and profile within the wider Renfrewshire cultural sector and to ensure that the venues are not inadvertently in competition with one another in terms of growing business and audiences. The goal is for each venue to have a clear purpose and vision that allows for targeted growth as well as meeting the wider OneRen objectives and values. It is proposed that the review now looks to establish a unique identity and purpose for Renfrew, Tweedie and Johnstone town halls to maximise attendance and use, and to introduce new functions where appropriate to attract different activities to those halls where the current traditional model is not delivering sustainable use, and to adapt the operating model to better align with the type and timing of events and activities taking place. 4.7 Adopting this approach will ensure increased activity and use at each Town Hall and increase income over time to reduce the level of subsidy required. After reviewing audience data the proposed unique identity and purpose of each Town Hall has been proposed by OneRen as follows.
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PUBLIC Table 5: Proposed Town Hall Identity and Purpose Town Hall Potential Identity and Purpose Paisley Premium events venue and one of Scotland’s best performance spaces. Johnstone Integrated community and town centre venue, providing performance spaces for popular theatre, community drama, dance shows, weddings and parties as well as library, cafe and council services Renfrew Town centre cultural and community hub including community museum, library and local arts / activity organisation/s all under one roof. Tweedie Business oriented hub in the centre of Renfrewshire that can support local business owners, community organisations and entrepreneurs offering affordable space. 4.8 Utilising the data available for each Town Hall, it is proposed to identify growth opportunities for each venue in line with the refreshed brand identities, optimising the facilities and USPs for each venue. The focus moving forward will be on ensuring delivery of revised business plan objectives and outcomes as these facilities become re-established and adapting the plans as usage data that is representative of expected and sustainable demand becomes available. As outlined above, and in support of the vision above, there is an option to explore in the relatively short term an option to relocate services currently delivered from Renfrew Library to Renfrew Town Hall. Renfrew Library is in a structural condition rated as poor and requiring significant investment in the building fabric. It is proposed that a costed option for this proposal is developed with a report back to this Board. 4.9 In addition, an analysis has been undertaken of dynamic opening times, involving a flexible scheduling system where OneRen retains the ability to adjust operating hours based on factors such as customer demand, seasonality, events, or staff availability which allows for greater adaptability and efficiency. This approach can enhance customer satisfaction by better matching availability to demand while optimising operational costs. However, it requires clear communication and reliable technology to keep customers informed of changing hours, and will require a change to the current service requirements which are as follows:
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PUBLIC Table 6: Current Town Hall Specified Opening Hours Paisley Renfrew Johnstone Tweedie Mon - Sat 8.45am to 4.45pm Mon - Fri 9.00am to 4.45pm Mon, Wed, Fri 8.45am to 5.00pm Mon – Sat 9.00am to 5.00pm Sat 10.00am to 2.00pm Tues, Thur 8.45am to 8.00pm Sat 9.00am to 5.00pm Also, outwith specified hours dependant on bookings and performance programme 4.10 Usage data and analysis demonstrates that an initial re-working of the Town Halls core opening times will provide operational efficiencies for OneRen whilst maintaining customer access and the availability of services and programmes within these venues. 4.11 It also is important also to recognise the significant investment that the Council has made in other facilities, specifically in Paisley Central Library, Museum and Arts Centre. These investments reflect the focus of the Council in terms of improving health and wellbeing and wider cultural and economic regeneration through a programme of step change which is very different to other local authority areas across Scotland. Each is an individual facility with specific offerings and ongoing review of the facilities in the cultural quarter will need to recognise and reflect this, tracking the business plans and revisiting the assumptions made where necessary. 4.12 Heritage services are incorporated under Renfrewshire Museums Service, which manages the museum collections and heritage archives, both subject to a separate agreement between the Council and OneRen. The Council has made significant investment with the museum store at the Secret Collection in 2018 and the new Paisley Museum campus opening in 2026, which incorporates Coats Observatory and will also include the Heritage Centre when the Museum reopens. The fifth heritage venue is Renfrew Museum located within Renfrew Town Hall and was refurbished in 2012. The Paisley Museum Reimagined project has enabled significant development in Renfrewshire Museums Service developing skilled community collaboration practice and enhanced research and collections development expertise which will continue to benefit the wider region after Paisley Museum is launched. Library and Digital Information Services 4.13 Workstream 2 has examined library and digital information services provided through the existing 12 library facilities, the home delivery service and the schools’ library service. This has involved detailed analysis of the costs of each aspect of the service, the usage across each, and the measurable service outputs from each location.
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PUBLIC 4.14 Libraries are one of the UK’s most trusted service providers. They are socially important, helping people navigate an increasingly complex world through a variety of systems and resources. Libraries provide open and accessible support to build social inclusion through safe spaces and access to information, acting as a help-point for residents and visitors and providing access to information through a wide variety of staff skills, media, and spaces, both physical and virtual. 4.15 It is clear from the data gathered to date that library provision has developed considerably in the last 25 years, in response to the changing requirements of local citizens and communities, but also in response to factors such as COVID and the cost of living crisis. This can be evidenced through footfall data which indicates a significant number of visits take place in relation to social connection or cultural opportunities or to access digital facilities and support, in addition to book lending itself. 4.16 It is recognised nationally through research undertaken that the provision of library services can faciltate social, cultural, economic and learning outcomes for citizens: • Cultural and creative enrichment • Increased reading and literacy • Improved digital access and literacy • Helping everyone achieve their full potential • Healthier and happier lives • Greater prosperity • Stronger, more resilient communities. These outcomes do not currently underpin the service requirements for library provision that the Council asks OneRen to deliver through the service agreement, with performance measures currently focusing on outputs such as book lending and opening hours rather than how libraries can support individual and community wellbeing and learning. 4.17 To address these changed demands and expectations the library delivery model has developed to provide a focus beyond the traditional library model reflecting the practices being observed and the data collated as part of this review. The aim is to modernise services and increase impact while reducing cost. As well as book lending and literacy support, the service delivery model encompasses: • Increasing digital services and assistance • Increased gateway function to wider services • Increased links to schools, employment and skills • Increased social hub functionality
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PUBLIC 4.18 This revised model is complimentary to the developing outcomes of the wider strategic Connected Communities review and indicates that the Library Service could be an integral element of wider colocation and service integration model. 4.19 A modern library service covers four key areas as identified in the Carnegie model: Library as a SOCIAL HUB • Support and services offered on a joined up basis • Tackling isolation • Promoting connection • Promoting health and wellbeing Library as a LEARNING HUB • Supporting literacy • Promoting digital skills • Early years support • Lifelong learning activities • English Language Skills Library as a CULTURAL CENTRE • Access to literature and the arts • Creative spaces • Small events spaces • Access to local heritage resources Library as an ECONOMIC ENABLER • Access to employment • Money Advice and support • Support for enterprise 4.20 The outcomes above could be enhanced through potential co-location of physical provision with other services, by exploring the potential for library and information provision to be a core element of the early help and intervention model being developed through the Council’s wider Connected Communities Programme, as well as opportunities to develop provision by testing new ideas or technologies which support the needs of local citizens. The focus will be on the services delivered rather than the buildings they are provided from. 4.21 The review has identified a number of property related issues with the provision of library services. SPR indicators highlight that 9 of the 12 standalone libraries are deemed to be Category 3 – with low demand, poor condition, location issues, unsuitability for new service delivery models, etc. In particular, Erskine Library is in the final year of its lease and temporary arrangements are being put in place to maintain porvision within Erskine, whilst (as outlined above) Renfrew Library is in a structural condition rated as poor and requiring significant investment in the building fabric. Others such as Ferguslie Library are situated in leased premises rather than a Council facility and will require consideration as part of the wider SPR. 4.22 The number of current library locations has also been examined and mapped to the locality principles outlined in Section 3 of this report. It is apparent that the provision and location of library services has been based on the historic location of stand-alone library buildings and based on a book lending model which is becoming less of a focus for the new delivery model.
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PUBLIC 4.23 The number of libraries in Renfrewshire exceeds the standards specified in the locality principles, but this is explained by the need for provision of the library services in the villages of Lochwinnoch, Bridge of Weir and Bishopton. In addition, the locality principles would require provision of a library in Erskine, Renfrew, Paisley, Johnstone and Linwood and the Central library in Paisley is classified as a Council wide resource. 4.24 As the library model is adapted, this would provide the opportunity to review the library estate to focus on service delivery in localities rather than physical dedicated locations. Options may emerge for reducing the dedicated stand- alone library estate which is a core principle of the review and integrating wider services within the remaining library locations, or relocating library provision to more appropriate co-located facilities to develop and deliver this integrated approach, which has been demonstrated to be very successful at Johnstone and Ferguslie. The library model would be an integral element of the place- based provision of access and support - as part of a wider integration of services in co-located facilities in line with the review principles. This work remains ongoing with officers from both OneRen and the Council continuing to focus on identifying specific opportunities to ensure the library and information model is financially sustainable, delivers agreed outcomes and is built on the foundations of co-location and collaboration 5 Workstream 3 – Finance and Governance 5.1 This workstream is reviewing the financial impact of the current delivery model from both a Council and OneRen perspective, undertaking cost analysis, leading a review of service level agreements, and examining how supporting services within OneRen and those provided by the Council are operating, with a view to assessing their effectiveness. This includes direct costs incurred by OneRen, indirect costs incurred by OneRen, and direct costs incurred by Renfrewshire Council related to these venues and activities. 5.2 When cultural services were transferred to Renfrewshire Leisure Limited in 2015, a suite of 10 legally binding supporting documents were signed by the Council and Renfrewshire Leisure Limited (RLL) to specify the nature and extent of services to be provided by RLL under its trading name OneRen, the Locality Library Provision 1 Erskine/Bishopton/Dargavel 2 2 Renfrew 1 3 Paisley 5 4 Johnstone/Lochwinnoch 2 5 Linwood/Houston/Bridge of Weir 2 Accessibility 15 minute walk 50% 10 minute drive 100%
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PUBLIC provision and maintenance of properties to be utilised by OneRen, the management of museum collections owned by the Council, and governance of the relationship and support provided by the Council. These agreements are listed in Table 7 below. Table 7: Governance Documentation 5.3 There are 4 SLAs within the 2015 suite that govern the provision of services to OneRen by the Council – Support services, Building Services, Caretaking, and Grounds Maintenance & Transport. These agreements are still applied and adhered to, but they do require to be updated and respecified to match the advances in services implemented within the Council since 2015. 5.4 Given that 10 years has passed since the SLAs were approved, it also is considered prudent to review the corporate support arrangements between OneRen and the Council to determine if improved arrangements can be implemented and if any duplication in activity can be reduced. 5.5 All of the documents in the suite will have to be revised to move to a more comprehensive outcome specification that can better support a flexible and agile approach to service provision, and to enable the Council to define challenging service improvement and enhancement targets and indicators, which are not part of the current arrangements. This will entail significant effort within the Council across all the services impacted, led by Legal Services and specialist external legal advisors where required. Any new monitoring requirements will include robust performance and financial scrutiny measures. Document Date 1 Phase 1 Transfer Agreement July 2015 2 Services Agreement July 2015 3 Collections Agreement July 2015 4 Property Agreement July 2015 5 Phase 2 Transfer Agreement November 2015 6 Supplementary Agreement November 2015 7 RC to RLL Support SLA July 2015 8 RC to RLL Building Services SLA July 2015 9 RC to RLL Caretaking SLA July 2015 10 RC to RLL Grounds Maintenance and Transport SLA July 2015
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PUBLIC 5.6 The review of the documents will commence as the review establishes clear direction for services and facilities as each service change will have to be addressed within the various agreements, and a process of governance of interim changes will be developed to ensure effective and compliant service provision is continued until the final agreements are in place at the end of the review. This will enable appropriate changes to be introduced as the review progresses rather than waiting until its conclusion, supporting an agile implementation methodology and enabling service improvements, efficiencies, and changes to be approved and delivered on a rolling basis. 5.7 All proposed changes to the Transfer, Services, Collections and Property Agreements (Items 1-6 in Table 7) will be presented to this Policy Board for consideration and will require Board approval before implementation. The Head of Policy and Partnerships has monitoring responsibility for OneRen on behalf of the Council and shall approve and agree appropriate changes to the Agreements and SLAs with OneRen to implement the decisions of the Policy Board following approval. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial –Costs asscoiated with the development of a costed option for the provision of services currently delivered from Renfrew Library will be funded from existing Change Fund provision. The indicative proposals for service changes will be subject to further Board approaval at which point the financial implications will be outlined. 2. HR & Organisational Development – none 3. Community/Council Planning – OneRen are a key community planning partner, and a key focus of the review will be in relation to maximising the outcomes that OneRen is able to deliver in partnership with he Council 4. Legal – the report outlines the complexity of the current governance and monitoring arrangements between the Council and OneRen, and proposes fundamental review. 5. Property/Assets – a number of recommendations in the report may improve the overall efficiency of the OneRen and Council property portfolio. 6. Information Technology – the report outlines a recommendation to improve booking systems which may require investment in updated ICT systems. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it provides a summary of
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PUBLIC key actions being progressed only. Specific proposals will be subject to detailed equality impact assessments were relevant. 8. Health & Safety – none 9. Procurement – none directly related to the recommendations in the report 10. Risk – none 11. Privacy Impact – none 12. COSLA Policy Position – the report outlines recommendations which would support the Council to align with recommendation in the Scottish Government and COSLA’s ‘Scotland’s Population Health Framework 2025-2035’ document. 13. Children’s Rights – none 14. Climate Change – the recommendations within the report may result in changes in the propoerty estate which would deliver efficieincies, potentially supporting the Council’s aim of reduced carbon emmissions.
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PUBLIC Appendix 1 Workstream 1 – Pitch Provision and Accessibility OneRen Private Total Synthetic 18 14 32 Grass 35 3 38 Total 53 17 70 Synthetic Grass Accessibility 47% in 20 minute walk 75% in 20 minute walk 95% in 10 minute drive 99% in 10 minute drive Usage 79% use at peak times 7% use at peak times Johnstone 100%, Gryff 97% and Ralston 94% Future Options Investment planned in current pitches Release 3 lowest used playing fields £800K committed to provide 2 additional pitches Promote CAT strategy for LTO playing fields Learning estate investment will increase 3G capacity Identify opportunities for LDP
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PUBLIC Grass Pitch Proposed Options Retain CAT CAT - Potential Potential Release Mixed use sites/high demand Complete or Ongoing Currently have LTO or lease with local teams Low/No use or demand Ferguslie Park Kirklandneuk Playing Fields King George V (Johnstone) Morar King George V (Renfrew) Barwood Park Moredun Glenpatrick (1 pitch) Ralston Lochwinnoch Inchinnan Durrockstock Seedhill Thomas Shanks St James Todholm Playing Fields (aka The Marshes) Viewfield Park Bishopton Playing Fields Glenpatrick (1 pitch)