Issue - meetings

Report of The Cabinet Member for Leisure.

A Joint meeting of the Finance, Economic Development and Corporate Services & Culture and Visitor Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committees will consider this item on 30 November 2021, which is subsequent to the publication of the agenda for this meeting of Cabinet.

A copy of the report due for consideration at the Joint Scrutiny meeting is therefore attached to this agenda. An extract of the minutes from that meeting, confirming any recommendations, will be published in due course, prior to this meeting of Cabinet.

Purpose of report

To provide Cabinet with an opportunity to consider potential options in relation to the future of the Deepings Leisure Centre and provide a recommendation to Full Council.

Decision

That Cabinet:

1.    Notes the feasibility work undertaken to establish options for leisure provision in the Deepings.

2.    Recommends to Full Council approval of Option C with a budget allocation of £10.663m for leisure facilities to meet the local needs in the Deepings area, subject to meaningful community consultation and the inclusion of a financial review.

3.    Recommends to Full Council that it includes the implications of the borrowing costs associated with Option C in the Medium Term Financial Strategy and further work be undertaken to ensure financial sustainability.

4.    Recommends to Full Council that it requests the relevant Cabinet Member to call upon the Department for Education and the Anthem Trust to resolve the lease of Deepings Leisure Centre in order to allow LeisureSK Ltd and South Kesteven District Council representatives to reopen the Deepings Leisure Centre as soon as possible.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Full details of other options considered and rejected were set out in the report, which consisted of:

·       Option A – basic refurbishment.

·       Option B – basic refurbishment and enhanced gym provision.

·       Option B Plus – basic refurbishment and enhanced gym provision with the addition of an enhanced entrance to the leisure centre, the accommodation of a larger studio on the first floor and the replacement of the male and female swim change areas to a changing village.

Other options considered and rejected included:

·       An option which included a 50-metre pool.

·       An option at an alternative site at the Landis & Gyr Building in Market Deeping.

·       An option at an alternative site at Linchfield Road.

·       An option for a smaller leisure facility for the Deepings.

Reason for the decision

Cabinet considered a comprehensive report which provided Members with the background relating to The Deepings Leisure Centre and options available relating to the provision of a Leisure Centre in The Deepings.

Councillor Barry Dobson, Cabinet Member for Leisure, presented the report and made the following points:

·       The joint meeting of the Finance, Economic Development and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Culture and Visitor Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered this report at its meeting on 30 November 2021. Members of the two Committees were provided with the opportunity to ask questions of the consultants appointed to undertake the feasibility and design work, namely David Rushton from Sports and Leisure Consultancy and Paul Weston of Paul Weston Architects.

·       An extract of the minutes from the meeting held on 30 November 2021 had been published and circulated to Cabinet, which set out in detail the aspects of the report considered by Overview and Scrutiny Members, a detailed overview of the points made at the meeting and the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations. The Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee agree, unanimously to recommend to Cabinet that Full Council:

-       Approves Option C with a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 66