Agenda item

To pre-scrutinise the Review of the Operation of Leisure Services.

(Report attached)

The Executive Director, Finance and Resources explained that she was presenting the Leisure Intervention Update Report as she was the lead Director for the strategic purpose; “providing good things to see, do and visit” and provided background information as to the purpose of the report.

The aim of the report was to present feedback from the intervention and transformation work which continued to take place at the Abbey Stadium and the dual use sites, to discuss wider data and demand analysis and to propose the next steps in this work.  This included the usage figures and trends and a significant number of benefits across the Borough.  From the initial data which had been collated it was clear that there remained significant work to be carried out.  However, from the investigations so far it was clear that the Council supported a variety of other stakeholders in delivering their objectives within our community.  The financial benefit to those stakeholders was an area where further investigation was needed.  In respect of the dual use facilities, there had in the past been limited knowledge of the users and the work had highlighted the important role which those facilities played in the community in areas such as social inclusion and preventing anti-social behaviour.

Following the detailed presentation of the report Members raised a number of points, which were discussed:

·                Reference was made in the report to rationalisation and Members questioned what areas this referred to.  Officers confirmed that specific areas had not as yet been identified.

·                Forge Mill Needle Museum and the potential to promote this facility further to attract people into the town.

·                Whilst it was acknowledged that this was a good report concerns remained around the cost of providing the service as a whole and the potential for making savings using current service delivery models without making cuts to those services.

RECOMMENDED that the following proposals from Officers concerning the Leisure Intervention Update Report be endorsed:

1)     further work on identifying the health and well-being impact on our community of the provision of the Leisure offer;

2)     report back on the opportunities for improvements as identified in the detailed schedules;

3)     a review of revenue received and any opportunities to increase revenue by assessing alternative pricing models; and

4)     discuss with the Academies how the provision in the dual use sites can be better provided to support the wider community.