Agenda item

(a)  Langley Leisure Centre – That the proposals for the facilities extension, design, facility mix and timescales for delivery of the development be agreed.

(b)  Salt Hill leisure facility – That the proposals for the change of use and facility mix and timescales for delivery be agreed.

(c)  That the funding packages, amounting to £14.6 million for both schemes be noted and agreed.

The Commissioner for Environment & Leisure introduced a report that sought approval for the refurbishment of Langley Leisure Centre and the Salt Hill leisure facility.  The proposals were in line with the  Leisure Strategy to help increase people’s activity and improve health as part of wider renewal of the Council’s leisure facilities.

Langley Leisure Centre had been built in 1997 and was in need of a substantial refurbishment to continue to offer swimming and leisure provision to a wide catchment.  The Salt Hill Park facility would be handed back to the Council at the end of the leisure contract with the current provider on 31^st May 2017, and would form part of the scope and portfolio of facilities for the new operator from 1^st June 2017.  The facility would be returned to the Council as an empty shell and an options appraisal had been conducted on the most appropriate facilities mix for the site to encourage greater participation and physical activity, especially for children and families.  The Cabinet was informed that consultation had been undertaken on the facilities mix and received a presentation on the emerging proposals which included four lanes of ten pin bowling, soft play, a trampolining zone, Ski-Plex and a gaming zone.  The concept would be further refined to meet the strategic objectives for the site.

The financial implications were considered and it was noted that the total capital cost of both schemes would be £14.6m.  There were no ongoing revenue costs to the Council, apart from the borrowing costs.  The Cabinet was informed that from year four there would be a net revenue benefit in excess of £1m per annum compared to the current position when the wider refurbishment of leisure facilities was completed in 2018 and when the new leisure provider was in place from 1^st June 2017.

Commissioners welcomed the proposed investment to further enhance Slough’s leisure offer and promote the strategic objective to get more people, more active, more often.  The future revenue benefits were also noted, and a number of points were clarified about the financial and contractual arrangements.  It was confirmed that the new leisure provider would operate and maintain the modernised and improved facilities, minimising any future costs to the Council, and the new contract would be structured differently to the model currently in operation.  The Section 151 Officer confirmed that there would be some new borrowing to finance the work and that the business case and risks had been fully assessed prior to recommending the proposal to Cabinet.

The timetable for the works was discussed and Commissioners emphasised the importance of minimising periods of closure for the facilities, particularly in view of the current closure of the ice arena for refurbishment.  Speaking under Rule 30, Councillors Plenty, Amarpreet Dhaliwal and Anderson all expressed concerns about the disruption to facilities, particularly the stated 65-week closure of Langley Leisure Centre.  Officers confirmed that discussions were ongoing with the contractor, Morgan Sindall, to seek to reduce the refurbishment period and phase the works to minimise periods of closure.  The timetable would be refined as part of the detailed programme development and it was agreed that the current project plan for the leisure strategy would be made available to Members.  Councillors Swindlehurst and Plenty also commented on the facilities mix at Salt Hill Park, notably the provision of trampolining and the gaming zone.  It was responded that the aim was to provide a mixed use facility on the site that was suitable for young people and families that encouraged participation in a range of different activities.

At the conclusion of the discussion the Cabinet agreed to the refurbishment of Langley Leisure Centre and the concept of changing the facilities mix at the Salt Hill leisure facility as proposed.

Resolved –

(a)  Langley Leisure Centre – That the proposals for the facilities extension, design, facility mix and timescales for delivery of the development be agreed.

(b)  Salt Hill leisure facility – That the proposals for the change of use and facility mix and timescales for delivery be agreed.

(c)  That the funding packages, amounting to £14.6 million for both schemes be noted and agreed.