Council and councillors

Report no: 164/2020

(Key decision)

1.     Cabinet authorised the Director for Places to form a Project Board and associated structures (attached as Appendix A of the report) in order to undertake a leisure provision needs analysis, and if required subsequent procurement.

2.     Cabinet approved the content of the Needs Analysis and Options Appraisal Brief as attached at Appendix B of the report, and authorises the Director for Places and Portfolio Holder for Culture & Leisure to make any necessary subsequent amendments if required.

3.     Cabinet approved the extension of the present Leisure Management contract with Stevenage Leisure Ltd (SLL) for up to one year (to 31st March 2023) if required to complete procurement processes.

4.     Cabinet authorised the Director for Places and the Director for Resources, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with Portfolio for Finance and the Cabinet Member with Portfolio for Culture & Leisure, to agree financial support for the present Leisure Management Contract of up to £100,000 in 2022/23, subject to interim performance reviews.

Councillor Stephenson, as the relevant Cabinet Member elaborated on the report and explained that the report tied in with the ‘Rutland Conversation’ report debated at Council the previous evening. It was noted that there were a broad range of services across Rutland and there was a need to consider how people could access sports services. Since the introduction of various lockdowns and the tiering system due to pandemic, some parts of the leisure services had been able to resume limited operations over the summer; the second lockdown of November 2020 resulted in the closure of many leisure and hospitality businesses. It was noted that the leisure market was currently in a highly fragile state, with financially advantageous contracts extremely unlikely to be secured. It was therefore considered sensible that approval be sought to agree a further one-year extension to the current leisure contract to ensure that if required, sufficient time be available to undertake a robust procurement, and to maximise the chances that a competitive leisure market would be available to respond to the procurement.

In response to a question raised, Councillor Stephenson explained that the current contract was very complex and project structures required to undertake a needs analysis and options appraisal to underpin future leisure provision for the County had been arranged. The results of those investigations would be reported back to Scrutiny, Cabinet and Council, in order to secure approval for any future leisure provision.

RESOLVED:

1.       That the Director for Places be authorised to form a Project Board and associated structures (attached as Appendix A of the report) in order to undertake a leisure provision needs analysis, and if required subsequent procurement.

2.       That the content of the Needs Analysis and Options Appraisal Brief as attached at Appendix B of the report be approved and authorised the Director for Places and Portfolio Holder for Culture & Leisure to make any necessary subsequent amendments if required.

3.       That the extension of the present Leisure Management contract with Stevenage Leisure Ltd (SLL) for up to one year (to 31st March 2023) if required to complete procurement processes be approved.

4.       Cabinet authorised the Director for Places and the Director for Resources, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with Portfolio for Finance and the Cabinet Member with Portfolio for Culture & Leisure, to agree financial support for the present Leisure Management Contract of up to £100,000 in 2022/23, subject to interim performance reviews.