Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Beck and Britton.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 18 September 2018 as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 September 2018 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To note any declarations of interest made by members in connection with an agenda item.  The nature of the interest must also be specified.

Members are asked to discuss any possible interests with Democratic Services prior to the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made by any member in connection with an agenda item.

To note any issues raised during the public participation period.

No issues were raised in the public participation period.

To consider the recommendations of the Health and Leisure Task and Finish Group with respect to the future management of the Council’s 5 health and leisure centres.

The Panel was addressed by Mr Goodfellow and Mrs Taylor.

Mr Goodfellow objected to the disposal of the Council’s health and leisure centres, the loss of amenities to the local population and the loss of conditions of service for the staff.

Mrs Taylor asked a number of questions about the effect of the proposed partnership arrangement.  She was advised that her questions would be addressed in the following debate.

The report was introduced by Cllr Clarke, Chairman of the Health and Leisure Task and Finish Group, who advised the Panel of the research that had been undertaken, leading to the development of carefully considered and evidence-based recommendations that he commended to the Panel for consideration.  He emphasised that the evaluation process had been much wider than the need to achieve financial savings, and was not motivated by a desire to divest responsibility for the service.  The focus had also been on achieving the best possible deal to safeguard high quality services for local residents into the future.  The evaluation criteria had included promoting mental and physical wellbeing, supporting individual and family development and learning and maintaining social benefits.  This had been very important to the Task and Finish Group.

The Panel went through the report of the Task and Finish Group in detail.

It was emphasised that the visits to reference sites, operating alternative delivery models, had established that social benefits were a clear priority, as well as business delivery.  The absolute key was the specification and contract, which must set out clearly what services the Council wished to be delivered.  All the partnering arrangements that had been evaluated in this process had operated exercise prescriptions and other social benefits.  The contract was also vitally important in establishing the mechanisms to monitor performance and the maintenance of high quality services.  Soundly based key performance indicators were essential to this process.  It was the normal practice to establish close operational liaison arrangements between the Council and the provider, to address any day to day matters; and also a strategic board, meeting 3 or 6 monthly, to set strategic direction and overview.  The development of close working relationships was essential to success and started within the procurement process, as negotiations progressively defined what was expected from both parties.

The Panel was satisfied that retaining the health and leisure centres in-house would lead to closures and loss of service.  The 5 health and leisure centres were relatively old buildings, much less cost effective to run than others in the area.  In addition, the market was changing, with the growth of low cost gyms, who were direct competitors.  As constraints continued on local authority finances, under an in-house model the centres would not be able to receive the investment that they needed to retain them into the future.   The current operational review of the health and leisure centres would achieve the required savings of £600,000 by 1 April 2020.  The services offered would, in future, focus on those services that only the local authority  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.