Ty Pawb looks set to continue to be council run – as building would “be a significant liability for an independent body, even without the car park”

Consultants have recommended Ty Pawb remains funded and operated by Wrexham Council for at least the next five years, otherwise it would be ‘at great risk of failure’.

CultureRunner, a consultancy that ‘helps arts and heritage organisations run better and smarter’ have produced a report to discover if “changing the delivery model of Tŷ Pawb will improve the facility for local residents and remove the restrictions and burdens placed on the provision by being part of the Council.”

The conclusion is no, and it should stay council run to “ensure the financial sustainability of Tŷ Pawb and ensure it is retained as a community asset”, however there is scope to build up to to run ‘sustainably and independently by 2029’ – a time where Wrexham could be City of Culture.

The reasoning for the ‘no’ is quite blunt, that it could not run without the council support, and the council would likely have to pump prime any spin off with a large wodge of cash even if it wanted to: “At present the building is not energy efficient and costs of running it would be a significant liability for an independent body, even without the car park.

“Any Not-for-Profit Delivery Organisation (NPDO) would seek significant financial investment to cover set up fees and a robust contract agreement for ongoing funding for operational cost which would cover at least five years operations.

“This would not save Wrexham County Borough Council any money in the short term.”

The cost of the building itself appears to be a huge problem, with future capital investment needed to make it energy efficient – although there is no reference to what work is needed, what it could cost, or who would pay for it.

Keeping Ty Pawb ‘in house’ with Wrexham Council means the ‘red tape’ issues that prompted the review in the first place remain, along with other issues such as “Local Government wage structure can preclude recruitment of excellent candidates”.

Three things are noted that the consultants say will make ‘in house’ work better; A dedicated Executive Director/ lead with sole responsibility for Tŷ Pawb and an ability to enter into contracts with suppliers outside of the standard procurement frameworks.

Thirdly, a common complaint from the public (and some traders) around opening hours is also referenced, a “greater flexibility on use of space, when its open, how it’s staffed. At present the hours are limited or sometimes dictated by staff contracts.”

The full report, dated March 8th, can be found here.

A spin out to independence is being recommended for rejection as it is described as ‘risky’, with a not for profit entity on the one hand having “greater opportunity to be entrepreneurial” but ” at great risk of failure without the commitment of ongoing financial support from the council.”

Other variations of a spin-out to and independent entity are also discussed, be it with a full outsourcing of the council’s arts programme or the wider cultural obligations and goals.

The former is effectively rejected as it would be ‘ very difficult if not impossible to separate the arts from the building and would fundamentally change the nature and purpose of Tŷ Pawb’ – but also highlights the burden the building puts on the entity, as that is the major benefit.

The latter idea of moving Ty Pawb into a ‘entity within the City of Culture/Wrexham Culture’ appears more positive due to the City of Culture programme taking place however is still seen as ‘a risky option, especially in current financial climate’.

Interestingly if a spin out from Wrexham Council was recommended for Ty Pawb a wider “communications programme” is detailed to get the ‘messaging’ right, with how councillors, senior officers, Ty Pawb staff, traders and other partners would be kept in the loop – however no mention of the public.

It appears “Press will take an interest in the proposed changes” with a warning such coverage may “influence political decisions”.

Luckily there would have been a “Briefing from Head of Service, supported by Portfolio Holder” “Prior to any public report”, appearing aimed to create positive coverage for the plan as “Negative stories may influence political decisions”, again no recognition of balanced factual reporting to inform the public, something that has been a concept hard to grasp historically for some.

Later today members of the Employment, Business and Investment Scrutiny Committee will form up their own views and make their own “informed recommendation about the future delivery model of Tŷ Pawb”.

They are told in 2022/23 the council budget for Ty Pawb was £191,278, “The actual outturn position for the year was a net expenditure of £250,545.

Total expenditure for the year was £1,031k which is offset by specific grant funding of £267k for the Arts function and other income of £514k mainly relating to rent, service charge, venue hire and car parking.”