The Pre-Decision Scrutiny Questions and officer responses were noted.

The recommendations were amended and then approved.

DECISION

1.    To authorise the Corporate Director Resources to negotiate and agree a management fee sum of up to £181k for Poplar Baths.

2.    To authorise the Corporate Director Resources to negotiate and agree the removal of the Leisure Management service element from the main Poplar Baths PPP agreement, to bring it in line with the main leisure management contract or as a continuation of the current arrangements between LBTH and Folera.

3.    To approve a contract variation to the main leisure management contract to provide a management fee of up to £593k to GLL, pending further negotiation of the repayment schedule and share of surplus and following further consultation with the Mayor and Lead Member.

4.    To approve the proposed pricing schedule at paragraph 3.2 of the report.

5.    To approve the phased restoration of safe and viable leisure centre activities in three phases with decisions upon implementation of each phase to be determined following a review of guidance, implementation, demand and lessons learned and following consultation with the Mayor and Lead Member in advance of each phase of restoration.

6.    To note that a detailed Equalities Impact Assessment has not been conducted at this stage, however, if the leisure services were to cease, or some centres not to reopen, there would be loss of service provision for protected characteristics including single sex provision, older people and disability

Action by:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR, CHILDREN AND CULTURE (J. THOMAS)

(Divisional Director, Sports, Leisure and Culture (J. St John)

Councillor Sabina Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Culture, Arts and Brexit, introduced the report on plans to begin the safe re-opening of the Council’s leisure centres.

She noted the challenges being caused by the COVID-19 pandemic but explained that leisure centres provided a vital support for the health and wellbeing of local residents and it was important that they were opened where possible. She also noted the financial challenges the lockdown had caused the leisure centre operator and the report set out mitigation measures in relation to this.

The Mayor requested that he and the Lead Member be consulted before the final contract variation was confirmed.

He also noted that, although only certain centres were opening to begin with, there was a desire to open all centres should this prove possible and the closures would be kept under review. He asked that he be consulted before final confirmation of each phase of the re-opening plans. He noted the Pre-Decision Scrutiny Questions and officer responses and agreed the recommendations amended to take account of the comments above.

RESOLVED

1.    To authorise the Corporate Director Resources to negotiate and agree a management fee sum of up to £181k for Poplar Baths.

2.    To authorise the Corporate Director Resources to negotiate and agree the removal of the Leisure Management service element from the main Poplar Baths PPP agreement, to bring it in line with the main leisure management contract or as a continuation of the current arrangements between LBTH and Folera.

3.    To approve a contract variation to the main leisure management contract to provide a management fee of up to £593k to GLL, pending further negotiation of the repayment schedule and share of surplus and following further consultation with the Mayor and Lead Member.

4.    To approve the proposed pricing schedule at paragraph 3.2 of the report.

5.    To approve the phased restoration of safe and viable leisure centre activities in three phases with decisions upon implementation of each phase to be determined following a review of guidance, implementation, demand and lessons learned and following consultation with the Mayor and Lead Member in advance of each phase of restoration.

6.    To note that a detailed Equalities Impact Assessment has not been conducted at this stage, however, if the leisure services were to cease, or some centres not to reopen, there would be loss of service provision for protected characteristics including single sex provision, older people and disability

This report was withdrawn.

The Mayor reported that this item had been withdrawn. However, he highlighted that discussions were continuing on potential financial assistance for GLL and that a decision report may follow at a later date.