To consider a call in on the Leisure Estate Investment Plan decision made by Cabinet on 9 February 2022.

Call-In Members’ Presentation

Call-in members presented the reasons for call-in and proposed alternative course of action, and added that:

·         There were two main refurbishment options for St George’s Leisure Centre, a short term option and a longer term. The short term option had not been fully explored.

·         There was a marked difference in the estimate to refurbish the site compared to the Tiller Leisure Centre. It is unclear how the estimate of £9.9m to allow reopening has been calculated.

·         Welcomed that the Council had since agreed to allow a tour of the building by interested persons, but conditions had been imposed which would limit the effectiveness of this tour.

·         The redacted costs within the condition survey should be made available to enable a full understanding of the refurbishment options.

·         There had been no clear argument made as to why a reduction in pool length is necessary.  Guidance from Sport England has been referred to, but not provided.

·         References had been made to housing on the site, but it was not clear if housing was necessary on the site.

·         Extended closure of the school would have detrimental impact on local residents and the community. It was unclear how this was to be measured or mitigated. Unclear if the equality impact assessment has considered BAME aspects.

Following questions from Committee members, the call in members provided opinion on:

·         Calculation of the short-term cost option.

·         Timescale of the closure under the current proposal.

·         The age and reliability of the existing condition survey. 

·         Redacted cost figures and the rationale for the £9.9million reopening calculation.

·         Carbon and environmental impact. Had the impact of demolition and rebuild been included in the environmental impact comparisons of the options?

Lead Member’s Presentation

The Lead Member for Culture, Arts and Sports, Councillor Sabina Akhtar, set out the context of the Cabinet Decision and reviewed the key elements of the decision:

·         The record of decisions of the Cabinet accurately reflects the discussion at the Cabinet meeting.

·         The Council’s objective is to ensure that its facilities are fit for purpose, offer value for money, and meet residents’ needs. The current facility does not, in the Council’s informed view, achieve these objectives.

·         The Council commissioned surveyors to provide an independent assessment of the condition of the building. The surveys had been shared, the redacted costs cannot be shared due to commercial confidentiality.

·         The Council had worked with Friends of St George’s” and had agreed to grant access to the building for them to undertake a review with the caveat that any such review must meet a demonstrably transparent standard.

·         The current facility can provide a relatively limited range and quantum of facilities.

·         Extending the current building is technically and financially challenging and would not provide the same quality and quantity of activities that a new facility could.

·         A new facility would be built to a far higher environmental standard, reducing both its energy use and the need for extensive investment in the patch and mend of a life expired building. A  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2

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

The exempt appendices were noted.

In respect of Recommendations 2, 6 and 7 the Mayor agreed for officers to undertake a ‘desktop review’ (simultaneously with preparation works being undertaken) to consider the value for money of any representations made by 25 March to refurbish as opposed to rebuild the St George’s Leisure Centre. A briefing on this work would be presented to the Mayor who will provide an update to a summer Cabinet meeting on whether an alternative course of action was now being considered.

DECISION

1.    To agree that officers further develop a ten-year detailed investment plan, as part of an overarching 30-year rolling programme for the whole Leisure estate based on the model set out in this report, to be brought back to Cabinet in summer 2022.

2.    Subject to approving the Council’s 2022-23 Budget Report and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022-25, which contains a request for £25.163m of capital funding for this project over the next three financial years, agree to the building of a new leisure centre on the St George’s Leisure Centre site at a total cost of c. £35m.

3.    To approve further work to investigate options for investing in the leisure facilities on the John Orwell Sports Centre site.

4.    Subject to approving the Council’s 2022-23 Budget Report and Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2022-25, which contains a request for £3m of capital funding for these works, agree to address the existing condition needs of the rest of the leisure estate in the financial years 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25.

5.    Subject to agreement of the need to develop a ten-year detailed investment plan, authorise the establishment of a programme team with external consultancy support to oversee the development of the investment plan through to Cabinet approval in c. July 2022, in line with the resource schedule in Appendix 1 to the report, with a funding requirement of c. £130,000 for external support. This is included in the £25.163m referred to in recommendation 2 above.

6.    Subject to approving the Council’s 2022-23 Budget Report and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022-25, to allocate funding to build a new leisure centre, authorise the procurement of an architect and multi-disciplinary design team to take the design and construction of a new build proposal through to RIBA Stage 4 and gain planning permission, in line with the resource schedule in Appendix 1 to the report, with a funding requirement of c. £1.3m for that phase, as set out in the capital budget report being considered separately at this Cabinet meeting. This is included in the £25.163m referred to in recommendation 2 above.

7.    To authorise the Corporate Director Children and Culture to instruct the execution of any necessary documentation and agreements required to give effect to recommendation 6 following an appropriate procurement process

8.    To note the Equalities Impact Assessment set out in Paragraph 4.1 of the report.

Action by:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR, CHILDREN AND CULTURE (J. THOMAS)

(Director, Commissioning and Culture,  ...  view the full decision text for item 6

The Mayor agreed to consider this report alongside Agenda Item 6.4 (Overview and Scrutiny review of Swimming Provision in the Borough) and the combined minute is presented here.

The two appendices exempted by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 Schedule 12(A) of Local Government Act 1972 (financial impact on the authority) were considered.

Councillor Sabina Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Culture, Arts and Sports, introduced the reports. Initially she presented the Executive’s response to the Scrutiny review on Swimming provision. She welcomed the report and the proposed action plan. She recognised the importance of providing opportunity for healthy activities such as swimming and welcomed the Mayor’s commitment to retaining 5 swimming pools in the borough. The Council also had many activities, such as during school holidays, to encourage use of the borough’s pools.

The Mayor proposed the recommendations set out in Agenda Item 6.4. These were unanimously agreed by the Members present. [Note - the resolution is under Agenda Item 6.4]

Councillor Sabina Akhtar then introduced the Leisure Estate Investment Plan which set out commitments for both short- and longer-term investments in the borough’s leisure estate. The Covid pandemic had highlighted the importance of ensuring a healthy borough.

The Council was committed to providing a report to a future meeting on a ten-year investment plan in leisure services with a rolling programme of investment for the following 20 years. It will prioritise investment in the existing leisure estate. The first part of this work will be to replace the existing, uneconomic and unsatisfactory St George’s Leisure Centre with a new building to better meet the needs of local people.

The Mayor welcomed the report, he highlighted that as well as 5 swimming pools it also covered all other leisure estate assets. The growing population of the borough needed good leisure services. The future of St George’s Baths was a key issue at present.

Cabinet heard from a number of Members and residents (representing the Friends of St George’s Group) who raised a number of questions and concerns including:

·       Requests for an independent feasibility study on the option of refurbishing the existing St George’s Baths.

·       Questions as to whether a full feasibility study had yet been undertaken and how the Council was able to make a decision without that information and to see what information the council had used to take its decision not to bring forward a refurbishment option.

·       Refurbishment removes the disruption of a new build and enables a pool to be available sooner and new facilities could be provided using the existing buildings and they could be made more environmentally sustainable.

·       The proposed new building removed some of the current facilities such as diving and spectator areas.

·       A request to see details of the breakdown of respondents to the consultation.

·       Should action have been taken under the Leisure contract in relation to failures to maintain the pool.

·       Noting that every few years a report keeps coming back to Cabinet requesting further refurbishment funding for St George’s.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6