County council to look at selling East Sussex outdoor activity provider as part of cost-cutting measures

On Monday (November 4), Cllr Bob Standley, the authority’s lead member for education, approved proposals connected to Buzz Active — a non-profit organisation run by the council.

The non-statutory service, which provides a wide range of outdoor activities, has been well-used, attracting around 20,000 visits each year. But, in a report to Cllr Standley, officers said the council needed to consider its future in the face of wider “financial pressures”.

Buzz Active operates out of three activity centres in Eastbourne, Hailsham and Cuckmere Haven. These sites are not owned by the county council, which leases the land.

As a result of Cllr Standley’s decision, the council will soon begin advertising the service for sale. Officers said they hope this process will result in an alternative provider taking on Buzz Active, which would provide the same benefits as the current service while removing its costs from the council’s books.

This approach was questioned by Cllr Johnny Denis (Green), who said: “What I don’t get is why we are here now. Why did we not support a spin-off earlier, a spin-out, as a proper public sector process?

“What has made us relinquish responsibility for this while still hoping to have some benefit from it?

“Beyond trying to find an alternative provider, why aren’t we supporting staff to do a takeover or why aren’t we working with other social enterprises — actually working with them, collaborating to get the outcome that we want — rather than opening it up to the market.”

He added: “[In the report] there was discussion about how to protect the things we want in it, but I don’t know how we get that without promising to be able to buy those things in the future. Therefore, what saving and what benefit is there from discarding it?”

In response, officers said the sale had been prompted by “pay increases” for the service’s staff, which had resulted in the council having to top up its funding. According to the report, the county council currently spends around £100,000 on Buzz Active each year. Officers said external providers could make the service “more economically viable”, as they would have “more flexibility around pay and/or terms and conditions and support services.”

Officers also said the council will be reviewing the viability of any interested buyers, as well as assessing their offers in terms of maintaining the current level of provision.

The council says it will also assess the offers in terms of “the aims and ethos of Buzz Active”, with those which value “competitive pricing”, the continuation of the council’s Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) inclusive offers and support for vulnerable children scoring more highly.

Cllr Standley said: “As I said at the beginning, I think it is a really worthwhile activities that we as members supervise and I don’t want to see that lost in the morass of local government finance.

“I do agree that we ought to look at what is out there and that is what we are doing.”