Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Matt Bailey who was substituted by Councillor Gloria Johnson, Councillor Emma Baker who was substituted by Councillor Elvis Stooke, Councillor James Denniston who was substituted by Councillor Tim Harrison and Councillor Rhea Rayside who was substituted by Councillor Max Sawyer.

Members are asked to disclose any interests in matters for consideration at the meeting

None disclosed.

To consider the business plan to support a refurbishment of Grantham Meres Leisure Centre gym.

The Chairman of LeisureSK Ltd, David Ruston gave a presentation to the Committee on why investing in the fitness suite at Grantham Meres Leisure Centre was necessary.  Mr Ruston informed the Committee that he had been involved in various sectors of the leisure industry for a considerable amount of time and had been involved with the Meres Leisure Centre when it had first opened. 

It was stated that income from the health and fitness sector was not as strong as it used to be when the Meres Leisure Centre first opened due to the increased level of competition, however, it was still a critical income generation for any leisure centre particularly those within South Kesteven.

The industry was movable and with customer expectations, it was critical that  fitness suites stayed relevant and maintained a competitive edge in an increasing competitive market.

It was noted that the fitness offer had been performing well within LeisureSK Ltd and was performing above targets and budgets.

The equipment at the Meres Leisure Centre was between seven and ten years old and was in need of replacement, it was generally acknowledged that the lifespan of gym equipment was eight years.  Doing nothing in respect of the equipment at the Meres was not an option as the equipment would become unreliable if not replaced.   Although this was an investment proposal, what was being looked into was the replacement of equipment to keep the fitness suite offer competitive.

The proposal was for a £240,000 investment to refurbish the Meres fitness suite including replacing all equipment.  It was proposed that a competitive tendering process would be undertaken to include the whole project that included equipment, fixtures, fittings, flooring, lighting etc as this was best practice within the industry to let one contract rather than split the contract which could lead to complications in the future.

It was noted that of the £240,000 investment, 90% would be for the equipment replacement. It was expected that work on the gym suite would be carried out in December 2025, before January 2026 as January, February and March were peak times for people to use a gym following New Years resolutions to join a gym.

The procurement process would be undertaken as soon as possible working with Welland Procurement and would be focused on delivering Best Value and the process would encourage the latest solutions and innovations.

Reference was made to the refurbishment that had taken place at Bourne Leisure Centre in 2022 which had resulted in a significant increase in income. 

The fitness suite at the Meres was currently operating at 30% less than pre pandemic levels in terms of membership numbers.  It was stated that there was potential for more people to join the gym once a competitive offer could be given.  Reference was made to the customer survey that had been undertaken with current customers and the feedback given which was contained in the appendix to the report and was also presented on a slide in relation to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

The meeting closed at 10:45am.