Bid to slash charges for voluntary groups and charities renting local authority properties returns to Highland Council
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A bid to slash charges for voluntary groups and charities renting local authority properties will return to a meeting of the full Highland Council but the finance bosses said it would cost £128,000 to £192,000.
The Lib Dem and independent councillors motion was not heard at the previous meeting due to cost implications and was referred to the corporate resources committee, to check how much they would cost if enacted.
It sought to cut rental costs paid by voluntary, charitable and youth organisations for council premises by 50 per cent so that activities, particularly after-school events, could continue.
Councillors Richard Gale, Alex Graham, Jan McEwan and Jim McGillivray warned that the current level of fees is "threatening the very existence of such organisations."
They added that if those bodies have to close then "the knock-on effect for children’s mental health and the ability for working parents to continue to work is considerable, with the added impact on the local economies that will ensue.”
A report to the corporate resources committee assessed that proceeding with their call for action would likely cost in the region of £128,000 to £192,000 a year for the housing and property service.
Given that level of outlay it is unlikely that the motion will pass because the council remains in a financial crisis – yet if some locally provided services come to end the local authority may have to intervene and could cost them more in the long run.
