Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member for Health, Adults and Leisure outlining the interim plan concerning the future of St. Mary’s Leisure Centre. 

DECISION MADE (CAB 22/23 34044)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Health, Adults and Leisure, having considered the following recommendations from Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee meeting held on 14^th July, 2022:

i)  That, to enable value for money to be demonstrated, Cabinet postpones the scheduled decision on the re-opening of St Mary’s Leisure Centre to enable full financial modelling to be undertaken and success metrics to be developed.

ii)  That, irrespective of Cabinet agreeing to postpone the decision to re-open St Mary’s Leisure Centre, success metrics for the initiative are developed and performance against the key indicators, including user numbers, is reported to the Committee after 6 and 12 months of the centre re-opening.

iii)  That the Administration gives due consideration to the potential impact on the viability of other community venues across the City when developing the future activity programme at St Mary’s Leisure Centre.

Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  On an interim basis, for a period of up to eighteen months, to recommence leisure services and associated additional services from St. Mary’s Leisure Centre (SMLC) and to delegate authority to the Head of Supplier Management - following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Health, Adults and Leisure, the Executive Director for Finance and Commercialism and the Service Director Legal and Governance – to enter into contractual and any associated arrangements with Active Nation UK Ltd (“AN”) or an alternative operator to give effect to this recommendation.

(ii)  To note that a General Fund revenue saving of £148,000 relating to the closure of SMLC will now not be achieved from 2022/23 onwards. To approve the reinstatement of the operational budgets of £148,000 in financial year 2022/23 and £100,000 in 2023/24.This will be funded from existing resources.

(iii)  Further General Fund revenue budgets of £30,000 in financial year 2022/23 and £20,000 in 2023/24 be allocated to the running costs for SMLC. This would be funded from existing resources.