Agenda item

a)  That the Assistant Director for Culture and Skills be authorised, following consultation with the Commissioner for Community and Leisure, to undertake further research detailed in section 6.14ff of the report and develop a user specification for re-providing leisure facilities currently located at Montem.

b)  That a further report be received in September 2012, or earlier if practicable, on plans for procurement and development in the context of the potential use of the LABV (Local Asset Backed Vehicle) to deliver the council’s capital programme.

The Cabinet was provided with a report detailing proposals as to which leisure services were needed in the context of evidence of need and national standards for leisure provision.  In addition to considering the options for redevelopment of the existing leisure facilities within the borough, the report also detailed an opportunity to achieve service improvements and a potentially affordable capital project which would be delivered as part of the proposed LABV.

The Officer informed the Cabinet that three additional services had been given particular focus, namely the provision of squash courts, five aside football and an ice arena.  Officers highlighted 3 current services which were likely to require costly repairs in the near future, those being, the main swimming pool, the base of which had begun corroding, the roof of the Montem Leisure Centre and the equipment required at the Ice Arena.  The Cabinet was advised that funding for the leisure facilities could be raised via three options.  The first was to do nothing, the second was the possibility of developing the facilities via a LABV.  Officers informed that this would be the Council’s preferred option as it would best value.  The second available option was to invest via the re-let of the existing leisure contract.

In response to a number of questions, the Cabinet was advised that further work was needed to establish the most viable option, and a report would be presented to Cabinet in September 2012.  The Cabinet highlighted affordability as being a particularly important consideration when making the decision as to the provision of future services.

Resolved:

(a)  That the Assistant Director for Culture and Skills be authorised, following consultation with the Commissioner for Community and Leisure, to undertake further research detailed in section 6.14ff of the report and develop a user specification for re-providing leisure facilities currently located at Montem.

(b)  That a further report be received in September 2012, or earlier if practicable, on plans for procurement and development in the context of the potential use of the LABV (Local Asset Backed Vehicle) to deliver the council’s capital programme.