Facility lettings review makes progress

Improvements to the management of facility lets in Highland Council properties (including schools) has been welcomed by Members of The Highland Council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee.

Committee Chair, Cllr Allan Henderson said: “I would like to thank staff for the large amount of work has been undertaken since October 2016 when the Council’s Redesign Board recommended the transfer of management of school lets to the Development and Infrastructure Service.

“The review is addressing some of the key actions in the Council’s Corporate Plan which are delivering the Administration’s Programme of priorities for ‘places to learn’ and ‘redesigning the council’.”

The transfer has been completed and a new management of lets project team has been: designing and improving a process for booking lets; rationalising properties available for lets; reviewing income and charging; and developing the letting business within the Council.

Councillors noted the headway that is being made on rationalising which schools are available for let and the improvements that are being put in place.

These improvements which are aimed at improving the letting process include: creation of a central booking system; online booking form; database of facilities available in each school; identification of pre-agreed time slots and facilities available for let; and review of lettings terms and conditions with an effective invoicing process.

A revised competitive lettings price structure is now in place that is comparable to other Highland providers (including High Life Highland) and is also comparable with other Scottish Local Authorities. Details of the revised price structure are available on the council’s website at https://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/file/20672/charges_2019-2020.