WARRINGTON Borough Council is continuing preparations to insource leisure, libraries and lifestyle services provided by LiveWire following cabinet approval, with a target date of 1 March 2024.
This latest approval, following initial Cabinet consent in July 2023 to progress plans to insource, gives clear direction that services run by LiveWire will ultimately be brought back into direct control by the council.
Warrington Borough Council Cabinet member for leisure and community, Cllr Tony Higgins, said: “I’m pleased that Cabinet has continued to confirm its strong commitment to insourcing services provided by LiveWire.
“As I’ve said before, insourcing these services is the only realistic and palatable option we have. Not proceeding with insourcing plans would put at risk a number of local jobs and vital services that many of our residents and families rely on.
“Importantly, insourcing means that customers should expect to see little change in how they currently access the leisure, libraries and lifestyle services currently provided by LiveWire, ensuring that these very good – and in some cases award-winning – facilities will continue to be offered to our residents.”
With only one response to a procurement process to seek an alternative provider, it is set to cost the council £5m and failure to do so would put services at risk.
Cabinet set to reaffirm commitment to insourcing LiveWire at cost of more than £5m
2 Comments
I don’t get it. Livewire was always under the control of the council, just under an alias.
It’s a shambles from both a management and a financial perspective . It’s a leisure machine that turns input cash into a loss . The Unison union have begged the council
To significantly change the management structure to improve efficiency of services . This labour council has refused – preferring to dodge along with a poorly skilled bunch of friends and ex-councillors at the helm. There is no demonstrable plan to address the annual loss so it’s guaranteed to be more of the same going forward . We all want to see a thriving Livewire – leaving it in the situation of lions led by donkeys is not the financial answer to an already cash strapped council . Sadly Cllr higgins is either blind to the real issue or clueless . Let’s await the inevitable xalll for more cash to save Livewire .