Previous council leadership ‘didn’t have enough urgency’ towards the South Holland Centre, councillors have claimed.
But despite being £124,000 over budget in the last financial year, they also praised the progress made in increasing footfall in recent works.
The issue came before South Holland District Council’s Performance and Monitoring Committee last week where the South Holland Centre’s new manager Jo Mackle gave a presentation on its current work.
Coun Tracey Carter was one of those to praise Jo’s work.
“There’s a lot of good work already been done by Jo,” she said. “I’m 100 per cent behind her and she’s done an amazing job.”
The panel’s chairman Coun Bryan Alcock said: “Good to see some progress. Jo has done an excellent job in increasing footfall and getting the SHC on the right trajectory.
“However I don’t think the previous executive responded correctly and with enough urgency.
“To some extent that’s demonstrated by the fact we finished over budget.
“There’s an awful lot of work yet to do.
“It will be interesting to see how evolves over the next few months and what the business plan looks like.
“We are moving in the right direction despite the financial result being worse than anticipated.”
Coun David Wilkinson added: “I hope the new executive gives Jo the support she deserves as I don’t think the previous one did.”
A task group had previously been set up by the panel to look at the centre and Coun Alcocok said he may look to reconvene that as a number of its recommendations published last year had not been brought forward.
Particular frustrations were expressed that a business plan had yet to be finalised.
The meeting heard there were also several minor issues in the building in terms of health and safety the task group pointed out, that still needed attention
Coun Alcock also said that a £4,000-a-week support service the South Holland Centre pays out “needs to be looked at extremely seriously.”
It refers to a yearly £212,400 ‘recharge’ to South Holland District Council and its arm’s length administration company Public Sector Partnerships Services Ltd.
The report to the panel states there will be a full review of fees and charges with the aim that any changes come into force from January 2024.
