Following the
undertaking of a further consultancy study into the future needs of
provision of leisure centre services in the Borough, received a
report providing information with regard to indicative
redevelopment costs and funding options for a new leisure centre
and options with regard to the future management of all the leisure
centres directly managed by the Council.
Agreed, in order to assist the
Council in achieving the Community Priorities of “Promoting
Equal Opportunities and Celebrating Diversity”, “Better
Education and Learning for All”, Improving Heath, Housing and
Social Care”, “Raising General Pride in the
Borough” and “Regenerating the Local Economy”,
that:
- Consideration
be given to enable a new Leisure Centre
to be built within the Borough through the Council’s Capital
Management Programme, subject to a proper evaluation and appraisal
to be undertaken in due course.
Paragraph 6.4 of the report sets out an assumption that the capital
finance will be secured, but currently the policy is not to
ring-fence any capital receipts to any specific projects.
- Officers continue
to investigate the future Management of the Council’s Leisure
Centres through either:
- An external Trust
organisation, whether it be an existing Trust, or one established
by the Council;
- Managed Direct by
the Council; or
- Through a Private
Public Partnership (PPP); and
- Officers continue
to work on plans to develop a new Leisure Centre on the existing
Wood Lane Sports Centre site. The
preferred option is for an eight-lane swimming pool and teaching
pool.