South Lanarkshire Council Budget: Several community venues at risk

The fates of several community spaces across South Lanarkshire hang in the balance today, with councillors set to agree their budget this afternoon.

The local leisure trust, South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) is looking to withdraw from a number of facilities because of £1.5 million reduction in funding from the council - sparking petitions and protests from the community.

South Lanarkshire Council itself is facing a £20 million black hole in the budget for the next financial year, with £100 million of cuts proposed over the next three years.

The local authority has recently completed a public consultation to "consider the potential withdrawal" of services from a total of 37 libraries, community halls and other venues.

Full list of earmarked venues

The venues at risk of withdrawal are as follows:

• Halfway Library
• Cambuslang Library
• Eastfield Community Centre
• North Halfway Hall
• Peter Brownlie
• Braehead Hall
• Carmichael Hall
• Carstairs Junction Hall
• Coulter Hall
• Crossford Hall
• Tom Craig Centre
• Carstairs Community Centre
• Douglas St Brides Hall
• Forth Library
• Pettinain Hall
• Thankerton Hall
• Hollandbush Golf Course
• Calderwood Hall
• Greenhills Hall
• Greenhills Library
• Kirktonholme Hall
• Strathaven Park
• Westwood Hall
• Stewartfield Community Centre
• Blantyre Library
• Ferniegair Hall
• High Blantyre Hall
• Hillhouse Library
• Tileworks Park
• Uddingston Community Centre
• Whitehill Neighbourhood Centre
• Bothwell Library
• The June Stewart Centre
• Larkhall Community Centre
• Netherburn Community Hall
• TACT Community Hall

Other venues are set to either be retained in full, or retained with reduced capacity.

Community outrage

In the lead up to today's budget setting, members of the community across Clydesdale, East Kilbride, Hamilton and Rutherglen have made their feelings known through the online consultation.

However, others have taken action to try and prevent the move. There was a demonstration by protestors from the Whitehill Neighbourhood Centre on Sunday 18 February outside of the council headquarters.

Blantyre Community Council have also started an online petition surpassing 1,000 signatures.

Frequent visitors of the June Stewart Centre in High Blantyre have told Clyde 1 News that they would be devastated if the hall were to close.

Some women who had come to play bingo said they had been recently widowed and the hall was a saving grace to help them battle isolation.

Margaret Irvine's family have been coming to the June Stewart Hall in Blantyre for generations, and she says it was a shock to see it on the list: "We found out just over three weeks ago and it devastated everybody.

"We never thought it would come to this, it is a tragedy.

"You can see how many pensioners are here to play bingo, a lot of them are own their own and if they don't have this place to come to, their mental health will go down the drain.

"I'm the third generation in my family to come here. I would've liked to think my kinds and grandchildren could've come here, too."

SLLC response

A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture said: "Unprecedented budget pressures mean some extraordinarily difficult decisions are having to be made across public services.

"This includes South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, which, as well as our existing financial gap, is facing a potential £1 million reduction in the income we receive from its biggest funder South Lanarkshire Council, which itself is having to save more than £20m this year.

"Through three public consultations, we have asked local people to help us prioritise the services we provide. These have helped us consider the potential withdrawal of our service from some facilities as a possible saving, and affected staff have been informed of this.

"The final decision will be taken by the Board of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture after South Lanarkshire Council's budget meeting on 21 February where a decision on the reduction in South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture's management fee will be taken.

"If the withdrawal of SLLC from any facilities is agreed, we will work together to assist the community in finding ways in which it can continue to operate the services."

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