Report Wigtown Area Committee 4 Septemb'er'2008 10- ASSET MANAGEMENT PLANNING FOR COMMUNITY FACILITIES

1. Reason for Report To provide an initial analysis of community facilities within the Area. The Area committee is requested to comment on the standards used for the assessment, the results of the analysis and the future process to undertake a formal review of community facilities.

2. Report Summary 2.1 This report details the gap analysis undertaken for community facilities in the Wigtown area against the Policy Standards. It provides comments from the Area Team on the level of community facilities in the area and on the policy standards used in the assessment. 2.2 This report is the first stage in determining the process to further develop the review of community facilities and does not request decisions on any particular building .

3. Recommendations Members are asked to: 3.1 comment on the adequacy of the Policy Standards as detailed in Sections 10 and 12; 3.2 comment on the gap analysis undertaken for the Wigtown Area community facilities as detailed in Section 11; 3.3 comment on the process which should be developed to continue the review of Community Facilities as detailed in Section 12.3.

4. Plan Links and Contribution The Corporate Plan includes the following objectives: e Objective 8 - Provide facilities fit for purpose and accessible for all: ensuring that communities have an appropriate level of facility provision which is fit for purpose. e Objective 16 - Promote civic pride and appreciation of the environment: quality facilities can assist in promoting civic pride and strengthening communities. e Objective 23 - Local decision making and service delivery: through consultation with Area Teams and Area Committees in refining the process and ultimately with communities in deciding on facility provision.

5. ResourcesNalue for Money Assessment The aim of asset management planning is to have fewer but better assets that support the delivery of modern and responsive services. This process should result in a strategy led provision for community facilities that is of an appropriate standard for each community and ensures an equity of provision across all areas.

---_63 10 ---Report Wigtown Area Committee 4 September 2008

6. Risk Assessment Without assessing the facilities against a set standard, the Council will not be able to evidence Best Value in the provision of services resulting in possible duplication of facilities and inefficient use of resources. Not being able to evidence investment decisions through sound asset management planning will have a detrimental impact on the audit of Best Value and Community Planning.

7. Authorities and Legal Implications The development of an Asset Management Plan is in line with the Council’s responsibility to secure best value as required by the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003.

8. Consultations The Group Managers for Community Services and Policy & Improvement and the Wigtown Management Team have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of the report.

9. Background 9.1 On 19 February 2008 the Resources Committee considered a paper on Community Facilities - The Challenge and agreed:

the challenge process; that Area Committees be requested to review policy standards as part of the challenge process and to contribute comments or suggested amendments to the two components of settlement size and baseline facilities and that the consultation should encompass Community Councils, Community Groups and the Village Hall Associations and Federations; that available facilities should in addition to Schools also include facilities not in the ownership of the Council, e.g. .privately owned halls, church halls, hotels etc; APPRECIATING that issues on availability, affordability and accessibility would need to be considered; and NOTED the policy standards proposed as the initial criteria for the challenge process.

9.2 A requirement to consult with communities was not in the original report to Resources Committee. Full consultation with communities takes at least 3 months and there is not sufficient time within the current timetable to achieve this. Additionally, until the adequacy of the Policy Standards has been reviewed by Area Committees and agreed upon by Resources Committee, community consultation could be premature. In view of these constraints there has been no consultation with community groups in preparing this report.

9.3 This report is not asking the Area Committee to make decisions on the level of community facility provision in the area, but to contribute to refining the policy and the process by which the review will be undertaken in the future. All comments from Area Committees will be reported to the Resources Committee for consideration in determining the next stages of the review process.

2 64 Report Wigtown Area Committee 4 September 2008

10. The Policy Standards The Policy Standards were agreed by the Resources Committee and are set out below. This provides a baseline standard that settlements of different population sizes can be assessed against. These Standards were developed as a starting point and in the knowledge that they would be assessed in detail by Area Committees.

Standard Settle ment Base Standard Facilities 1 Settlements with a It is suggested that development of base population in excess of standard facilities is delegated to the related 5,000. Area Management Teams to agree with Area Committees. 2 Settlements with a Facilities as listed for Standard 3 plus the population between 5,000 following. and 1,500 Main hall, suitable for a range of community recreational activities 425m2. 2 meeting rooms, with the option to deliver via partition screening 25m2each. Stage provision - as for Standard 3, but with an appropriate level of sound and light equipment and stage curtains to accommodate a range of touring cultural/ entertain ment events. Kitchen with full cooking facilities. 3 Settlement with a Main hall, suitable for a range of community population between 1,500 recreational activities 175m2. and 500. Meeting room 25m2. 0 Stage provision for community events including options for the provision of high quality portable staging. 0 Storage facilities. Kitchen servery (non cooking) Toilet facilities including full disabled provision. 0 Fover/rece Dt io n . 4 Population below 500 Facilities as listed for Standard 3 available within a suggested radius of 10 miles.

11. Wigtown Area Community Facilities Analysis 11.I The facilities available within 26 communities have been analysed. The standard of the facility within each settlement has been assessed against the Policy Standard. It should be noted that settlements were selected/grouped on the basis of easily available demographic data and as such are indicative only. The population figures can include residents in other nearby small settlements or those dispersed in the surrounding area and as such does not separately identify every "community".

11.2 Appendix 1 details the Policy Standard for each settlement, the actual standard of facilities within that community and whether the standard is matched, over or under provided. --- - Report Wigtown Area Committee 4 September 2008

11.3 Against the 5 mile radius only 3 facilities (1 1.5%) matched policy standard 4 (Cairnryan, Castle Kennedy, Lochans) due to their proximity to Stranraer and all other communities were under the policy standard (88.5%).

Policy Standard for Settlement Match Under Total Provided Standard 1 Settlements 0 1 1 Standard 2 Settlements 0 2 2 Standard 3 Settlements 0 12 12 Standard 4 Settlements 3 8 11 TOTAL 23 26

11.4 Against the 10 mile radius 9 facilities (34.6%) matched policy standard 4 due to their proximity to either Stranraer or Newton Stewart (Cairnryan, Castle Kennedy, Dunragit, Lochans, New Luce, Port Logan, Glentrool, Kirkinner, Whauphill) and all other communities were under the policy standard (65.4%).

Policy Standard for Settlement Match Under Total Provided Standard I Settlements 0 1 1 Standard 2 Settlements 0 2 2 Standard 3 Settlements 0 12 12 Standard 4 Settlements 9 2 11 TOTAL 9 17 26

11.5 A common reason for facilities failing to meet the Policy Standard is the lack of a hall of sufficient size, with many facilities having halls that are smaller than the Standa rd .

11.6 ‘Under Provision’ should not be read as ‘No Provision’. For some settlements, it may be considered that, whilst provision is below the Policy Standard, there are adequate facilities for community needs. It should be noted that there has been no community consultation at this stage to determine community views on the current provision or what they would need in the future.

11.6 The table below summarises the actual level of provision against the Policy Standards based on a 5 mile radius (Table 1) and a 10 mile radius (Table 2).

Standard of Facility Provision on a 5 mile Policy Standard radius Grand 2 3 4 None Total Standard 1 Settlements 1 0 0 0 1 Standard 2 Settlements 0 1 1 0 2 Standard 3 Settlements 0 0 3 9 12 Standard 4 Settlements 0 0 3 8 11 GRAND TOTAL 1 1 7 17 26 -.- Report Wigtown Area Committee 4 September 2008

Standard of Facility Provision on a 10 Policy Standard mile radius Grand I I I 2 3 4 None Total Standard 1 Settlements 1 0 0 0 1 Standard 2 Settlements 0 1 1 0 2 Standard 3 Settlements 0 0 7 5 12 Standard 4 Settlements 0 0 9 2 11

11.7 There is not a comprehensive database of all non-Council owned community facilities and there will be many smaller private halls that have not been included in this analysis. However, it is considered that this would not influence the outcome of the gap analysis due to the prescription for large halls in Standard 2 and 3.

12. Key Issues 12.1 Comment on the adequacy of the Policy Standards 12.1.1 The Resources Committee on 19 February 2008 agreed that Area Committees should review the Policy Standards, and, in particular, comment on both the criteria for settlement size and the baseline facilities for each Standard.

12.1.2 In preparing this report, the standard of facilities or any maintenance backlog has not been taken into account. The quality of a facility is an important factor in determining whether it will be used by a community. Costs for improving facilities have not been identified, the availability of budget to maintain facilities and a commitment to dispose of ‘excess’ facilities have not formed part of the process to date. It is desirable that these issues are considered prior to any consultation with communities to avoid raising expectations which can not be delivered.

12.1.3 Issues that the Area Committee may wish to consider based on Appendix 1 e Any general comments on the Policy Standard - including the banding for the size of settlement. e The size of halls for Standard 2 and 3 settlements exceeds the current provision in the majority of communities. The sizes were derived from the floor area required to accommodate standard badminton courts with adequate ‘run out areas’. e There is no definition for full cooking facilities, the majority of halls in the Wigtown area do have cookers however these are not deemed suitable for cooking but purely for reheating soups and making teas and coffees. e There is an assumption that schools will be the first level of community facility provision. However, schools are not available to community groups during the day in term time and there are issues with availability of janitorial cover in the evenings, weekends and school holidays and also the use of kitchen and cleaning of the facility after events. In addition the facilities within most schools do not meet the relevant settlement Standard in full. e Is it fair to use a 10 mile radius in assessing the facilities for communities in Policy Standard 4? (A direct 10 mile radius does not make allowance for travel distances and the availability of public transport.) \U --- -Report Wigtown Area Committee 4 September 2008

12.2 Analysis of Provision Appendix 1 sets out the full analysis for the Area. It is recommended the Area Committee considers commenting on the following issues: e Are there any other communities which should be separately identified? e The analysis for each settlement. e For Stranraer it was the view of Wigtown Management Team that the existing facilities are adequate in terms of size and mix of rooms and the outcome of the refurbishment of the Millennium Centre and the regeneration of the Dickshill area will improve the overall provision within the community. Opportunities exist with the development of Stranraer Waterfront, however, consultation with the community regarding the appropriate level of facilities for the future will be required to inform the final level of provision for Stranraer. e Currently 4 communities have expressed interest in forming a Management Committee to take over the running of their hall Whithorn, Kirkcolm, Portpatrick and, Leswalt. The Isle of Whithorn has recently signed a management agreement to enable them to take over St Ninian’s Hall which in future will enable them to submit funding applications to the Council’s Village Halls Improvement Scheme amongst other fu nde rs . e Private facilities which are not included in the Analysis e Should the additional factor of usage be considered? This could assess how often facilities are being used and if it is ‘best value’ to continue providing them when a community does not make use of them.

12.3 Next Steps The Area Committee is requested to comment on how the review should be developed in the future, including the following issues: e Throughout this report there are references to consultation with the community. In progressing the Review of community Facilities it is recommended that detailed consultation is provided for each community and this would require at least 3 months to ensure there is effective engagement. e Consultation could include the Policy Standards and the Analysis. e Where communities have an over provision or excess of facilities should these be removed?

Mairi S Copeland Justin Tracy Area Business Manager Wigtown Area Manager Wigtown Area Management Wigtown Community & Support Services Ashwood House Date of Report: 21 August 2008 Sun Street File Ref: 040908Com Fac C Stranraer

APPENDICES - 1

Background Papers Resources Committee - 19 February 2008 - Item 10 - Community Facilities - The Challenge Community Facilities Challenge - Wigtown Area Appendix 1

Population Standard Provision >5000 5000+ 1 To be determined 1500 - 5000 5000 2 Main Hall (425sqm), 2no. Meeting Rm (25sqm), Enhanced Stage, Full Kitchen, Toilet, FoyedReception 500 - 1500 1500 3 Main Hall (175sqm), Ino. Meeting Rm (25sqm). Basic Stage, Kitchen, Toilet, FoyerlReception -300 500 4 Level 3 within 10 mile radius

Kennedy, Cairnryan

Under overprovisioned for meeting rooms, community currently exploring new Sandhead, communtiy facility Stoneykirk, I "One I I Portpatrick

Comrnunty Facilities Challenge Wigtown App 1.XIS Page 1 of 5 27/08/2008 Community Facilities Challenge - Wigtown Area Appendix 1 1, .>

l Population Standard Provision >5000 5000+ 1 To be determined 1500 - 5000 5000 2 Main Hall (425sqm), 2no. Meeting Rm (25sqm), Enhanced Stage, Full Kitchen, Toilet, FoyerlReception 500 - 1500 1500 3 Main Hall (175sqm), 1no. Meeting Rm (25sqm), Basic Stage, Kitchen, Toilet, FoyerlReception 0

Level of Comments Communities within Communities withii Provision 5 mile radius 10 mile radius

IPrimary School none Main Hall 95 with a IL~~,,,~lvvlll I I Under over provisioned in meeting rooms lNew Luce, Dunragit ICastle Kennedy, I loverall I none Kirkcowan Kirkcolm Public Hall none Main Hall 131 with meeting room of 52 Primary School none Main Hall 155 Under communtiy interested in taking over hall I4 Portpatrick, Lochans , Kirkcowan I ]Public Hall I None Main Hall 139 with a meeting room of 39

J IPrimary School I None Main Hall 68 with meeting room of 54 4 Under overprovisioned for meeting rooms, however no other category meets Wigtown, Newton lstandard I IStewart, Glenluce I loverall I Main Hall 110 with a meeting room of 35 main hall 81 Under Stranraer, Kirkcolm Castle Kennedy, Dunragit, Lochans, Sandhead, Stoneykirk, Portpatrick

1 meeting room 52 no other categoty to standard, community interested in taking over hall Main Hall 103 Under other private facilities exist within & near to community, community also Whithorn, Kirkinner, undertaking feasibility study on creation of new community facility Whauphill, Sorbie, I I I I Garlieston Main hall 247 with small stage, however no other category to standard I 2 meeting rooms over 25 main hall 109, however no other category to lstandard Under I I Lochans Stranarer, Castle Kennedy, Leswalt, Sandhead, Stoneykirk

Community Facilities Challenge Wigtown App 1.XIS Page 2 of 5 27/08/2008 Community Facilities Challenge - Wigtown Area Appendix 1

Population Standard Provision . >5000 5000+ 1 To be determined 1500 - 5000 5000 2 Main Hall (425sqm), 2no. Meeting Rm (25sqm), Enhanced Stage, Full Kitchen, Toilet, FoyerlReception 500 - 1500 1500 3 Main Hall (175sqm), Ino. Meeting Rm (25sqm), Basic Stage, Kitchen, Toilet, Foyer/Reception <500 500 4 Level 3 within 10 mile radius

Community Policy property Facility Standard Standard l(i miles none none 4 Under Stoneykirk. Lochans Drummore, Portp a t ric k , Stranraer, Dunragit, Castle Kennedy, GI e n I u ce

none no category to standard 4 Under Dunragit, Castle Drummore, Kennedy. Stranraer, Portpatrick, Glenluce, Lochans, Sandhead New Luce, Cairnryan

I None Main Hall 172 with meeting room 67 - community looking to take on facilit

None not DDA compliant recommending to declare surplus None Main Hall 136 with 2 meeting rooms over 10 None Main Hall 94 with 3 meetina rooms over 45 None 1 meeting room 25 None unknown None unknown None Under although below standard overprovisioned in meeting rooms

None IMain Hall 141, however all other facilities to standard, meeting rooms ove size None Main hall 173, no meeting rooms 4 Under does not meet standard due to the Main halls being undersized, however rest of facilities availabe are to standard Sorbie. Garlieston, Kirkcowan

None 4 Match Luce, Dunragit. Lochans, Portpatrick Stoneykirk

I

Community Facilities Challenge Wigtown App 1.XIS Page 3 of 5 27/08/2006 Community Facilities Challenge - Wigtown Area Appendix 1 I + Population Standard Provision 1 ~5000 5000+ 1 To be determined 1500 - 5000 5000 2 Main Hall (425sqm), 2no. Meeting Rm (25sqm), Enhanced Stage, Full Kitchen, Toilet, Foyer/Reception 500 - 1500 1500 3 Main Hall (175sqm), lno. Meeting Rm (25sqm), Basic Stage, Kitchen, Toilet, Foyer/Reception 400 500 4 Level 3 within 10 mile radius

Community Policy property Facility Level of Comments Communities within Communities withii Standard Standard 10 Provision 5 mile radius 10 mile radius

IDunragit, Stranraer, ICairnryan, Leswalt, Stoneykirk, Lochans Portpatrick, Sandhead, Glenluce New Luce

Kennedy, Stoneykirk. Sandhead, Leswalt. New Luce Cairnryan

no category to standard, hall approx 2 miles from community, hall earmarked for disposal no category to standard, work on going to make school more affordable & accessible to community J Match Newton Stewart lu

Wigto&, Sorbie Whithorn, Newton I Stewart, Kirkcowan

Glenluce, Cairnryan.

Community Facilities Challenge Wigtown App 1.XIS Page 4 of 5 27/08/2008 Community Facilities Challenge - Wigtown Area Appendix 1

Population Standard Provision >5000 5000+ 1 To be determined 1500 - 5000 5000 2 Main Hall (425sqm). 2no. Meeting Rm (25sqm), Enhanced Stage, Full Kitchen, Toilet, Foyer/Reception 500 - 1500 1500 3 Main Hall (175sqm), Ino. Meeting Rm (25sqm). Basic Stage, Kitchen, Toilet, FoyerlReception ~500 500 4 Level 3 within 10 mile radius

Community Policy property Standard

None no detail available Drummore Portpatrick, Stoneykirk, Sandhead, Lochans 4 Under

None \lo category to standard None \lo category to standard None Under iall used by the School for PE Garlieston, Whauphill. Port William, Kirkinner, Whithorn Wigtown, Isle of Whithorn

E None mly facility in community, hall in poor condition, no category to standard Port William,

I Kirkcowan, Newton Stewart, Whithorn 4 Under Kirkinner, Wigtown, Port William, U Sorbie, Garlieson Kirkcowan, Newton cru Stewart. Whithorn

Community Facilities Challenge Wigtown App 1 .XIS Page 5 of 5 27/08/2008