Agenda item

The Committee considered a detailed report on the introduction of a new concessionary policy for Leisure and Cultural Services.  An updated list of recommendations and Section 6.2 of the report were tabled at the meeting.   

Officers explained the background to the review, which had initially begun as a review of the current Reddicard scheme as part of the latest budget round.  Officers highlighted the main elements of the report, including the key considerations and proposals detailed therein, and responded to Members’ questions. 

It was noted that the Council would still be the most generous authority in the area in terms of leisure concessions.  The changes were not aimed at raising money as the majority of the headline prices would reduce under the proposals.  The focus was on affordability and the greatest areas of need, with charges applying to those people who had the ability to pay for services; an approach which was supported by the majority of 1,650 survey respondents.  This was important to ensure that the health and wellbeing benefits that could be achieved by being physically active could continue to be offered to all residents, and to ensure that price was not a barrier to participation at Council-run services.

Officers advised that the somewhat complex Reddicard pricing structure had made the Council slightly uncompetitive, with the result being that pricing in some areas was above market rate. Services had to be sustainable in the long term and the Council needed to remain competitive in what was an extremely competitive and ever changing leisure market.

RECOMMENDED that

1)          the new Leisure and Cultural Services Concessions Policy be approved and Officers make the required changes to increase the disability related concessions from 25% and 50% for In Work and Out of Work benefits to 50% and 100% respectively, as shown in the updated table at Section 6.2 of the report – as tabled at the Executive Committee and appended to these minutes.  This change will also be made at Section 6.3 of the report where golf fees for disabled users will be based upon a 50% and 100% concession approach where applicable;

2)          Option 2, which maintains free of charge swimming for under 16’s and introduces charges for over 60’s swimming, be implemented as part of the review.  This option will also include an affordability test to support those who need financial assistance to access services;

3)          the revised Fees and Charges supporting the new Concessions Policy, which will run from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2018, be approved based on Appendix 2 to the report and in conjunction with list of variable prices shown as Option 2 in Section 6.1 of the report; 

4)          the Head of Service variance be adjusted to 30% and responsibility for Officer authorisation of variances be delegated to service managers in agreement with the Leisure and Cultural Services Head of Service; and

5)          authority be delegated to the Leisure and Cultural Services Head of Service to vary the Concessions Policy in conjunction with the Portfolio Holder within the first 12 months of operation, to address any unforeseen issues that emerge.

(Prior to consideration of this item, all of the Councillor membership of the Executive Committee declared Other Disclosable Interests in this matter by virtue of their memberships of / links to the organisations detailed below, which currently held meetings at the Town Hall and who were not charged for room hire.  All of the Councillors remained in the room and participated in the consideration of, and voting on, this matter.