Council chiefs have revealed details of a huge shake-up of sport and leisure in the region – which could save the local authority £1million a year.
The proposals would involve setting up a charitable trust to look after swimming pools, libraries and other community buildings.
And the move would pave the way for the new trust to apply for grants from external funders.
But a union has already warned facilities could be closed and jobs axed if the trust idea is backed.
Professional services firm Ernst and Young has published its initial findings from a study into how an arm’s-length charitable organisation would operate.
The trust would be exempt from hundreds of thousands of pounds of costs, such as VAT and rates.
It would mirror the Sport Aberdeen model already set up by Aberdeen City Council and is one of five options on the table for councilors in Aberdeenshire to consider.
Others include taking no action or an “enhanced status quo” which would cost taxpayers £300,000 a year to improve the quality of service and keep it in the hands of the council.
Creating a public-private partnership, or outsourcing the delivery of sport and leisure to the private sector altogether, scored poorly in Ernst and Young’s study.
In common with other local authorities, the council is facing a squeeze on its spending.
Last night, Aberdeenshire’s education and children’s services chief, Maria Walker, said: “The council has a very good record of investment in sport and cultural services and we are always considering how best to ensure they are high quality and available to everyone.
“This year alone there have been significant improvements through major capital spending on new sports centres, swimming pools, libraries and community facilities.”
Mrs Walker said the proposals were “not about reducing what we offer” but were aimed at sustaining sports and cultural facilities for future generations.
She added: “However, the financial challenges facing the council cannot be underestimated.
“We must look at how we can continue to place the health and wellbeing of residents on the highest priority through efficient services that represent value for money.”
Last year, the council spent at total of £617million, of which£26.7million was spent on culture, sport and community learning.
Although £10million was recouped through charges for sports facilities, the service needs to make further significant cuts.
Crucially, councillors will be asked to ring-fence community learning and development services (CLD) and not include them in any shake-up.
John Harding, the authority’s lifelong learning and leisure boss, added: “We want to sustain sport and cultural services, maintain staffing levels and create conditions for continued growth.”
The council’s education, learning and leisure committee will meet tomorrow to discuss the proposals.
Mr Harding and his team have recommended members support the charitable trust in principle, but exclude community learning and development from further discussion.
The full council will then meet in November to debate the shake-up and – if there is sufficient support – approve spending £325,000 to pay Ernst and Young to draw up a full business case.
A trade union has previously warned of potential cuts and closures to leisure facilities in the region if the arm’s-length organisation plan was used.
Earlier this year, Unison wrote to councillors setting out deep concerns about adopting the “flawed” model already adopted by other authorities.
The closure of swimming pools at Hazlehead and Kincorth under the management of Sport Aberdeen was given as an example.
Staff cuts were also made in Glasgow under a similar operating system.
Last night Unison’s Aberdeenshire branch chairwoman, Kate Ramsden, said: “The branch welcomes the decision to remove community learning and development from the scope of an alternative service delivery model.
“We will continue to press the council to support the in-house option for the delivery of sport and cultural services, as we believe that this is the best way to protect public services into the future.”
