Hard-up Highland Council could merge two of its leisure operations and shed senior jobs in the process to save about £300,000 a year.
The authority’s education committee will consider a move next week to amalgamate its so-called “arms-length” entities of Inverness Leisure and High Life Highland (HLH).
HLH deals with adult learning, archives, the arts, leisure facilities, libraries, museums, outdoor education, sport and youth work. Inverness Leisure provides leisure services in the city.
The council says there are “obvious overlaps” and “clear opportunities for rationalisation to protect and improve services and to achieve best value for the public.”
It believes that “a single management team could plan and deliver more integrated services and more efficient support functions, helping to protect frontline services from cuts.”
And it has said that a larger, single organisation would allow benefits for staff in terms of “career progression and geographical mobility.”
Education chairman Drew Millar said: “The directors, managers and staff of both organisations provide excellent services.
“Both are successful organisations and they are to be commended for having delivered, and often exceeded, the objectives set by the council.
“Unlike the local authority, both organisations operate in a more commercial environment and there are many benefits to be gained in the future by bringing the two organisations together.”