Council and councillors

To receive Report No. 161/2021 from the Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care.

In consultation with Cabinet, Councillor A Walters, Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care:

1)    Approved the exploration of opportunities for county-wide leisure provision in partnership with the Rutland Local Sports Alliance, to determine whether any community owned / led options are viable.

2)    Approved the development of plans for a Pool and Dry side Provision (“Wet and Dry”), or Pool Provision (“Wet Only”) at a new site to an initial design stage, using the existing project budget, in order to build a viable case for a new swimming pool in Rutland, noting that progress beyond this point can only be undertaken when:

a)    Significant (at least 90%) capital funding becomes available from external sources, or a partner body is identified that would be willing and able to meet at least 90% of the capital requirement, and

b)    The new provision can be delivered at no revenue cost to the Council

3)    Agreed to allocate £250,000 of Section 106 Developer Contributions received to date for the purpose of providing Recreation, Sport and Leisure infrastructure to a Swimming Provision Project, as match funding towards future provision and investment in facilities.

4)    Noted that further repair to the existing Catmose Pool, which has reached its end of life, is not affordable, and the pool will not be re-opened.

5)    Authorised the Strategic Director for Places, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care, to enter negotiations with the Management of Catmose College to agree the future of the legacy leisure facilities at Catmose Campus, including the option to let a new nil-cost contract for the management of all or part of the dry side leisure facilities under the existing or renewed leases.

6)    Authorised the Strategic Director for Places, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care to progress procurement of a dry-side leisure management contract if a nil-cost contract is achievable and agreeable to both the Council and Catmose College. Procurement implications will be reported to Cabinet before any award is made.

7)    Authorised the Strategic Director for Places, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care, to enter negotiations with other local providers for the provision of public access swimming.

8)    Considered the Petition received at the Council meeting on 8 November 2021from members of the public expressing support for swimming in Rutland and agreed to report back to Council on the action taken in response.

Report No. 161/2021 was introduced by Councillor A Walters, Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care alongside a supplementary to Report No. 161/2021 setting out of the details of a petition referred to Cabinet from Council on 8 November 2021. Councillor Walters expressed thanks for the hard work that had been undertaken in the production of the petition.

During discussion Members stated that the solution must be a Rutland solution and that it should not necessarily be a venue in Oakham but that it must be accessible for all.

RESOLVED

In consultation with Cabinet, Councillor A Walters, Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care:

1)    APPROVED the exploration of opportunities for county-wide leisure provision in partnership with the Rutland Local Sports Alliance, to determine whether any community owned / led options are viable.

2)    APPROVED the development of plans for a Pool and Dry side Provision (“Wet and Dry”), or Pool Provision (“Wet Only”) at a new site to an initial design stage, using the existing project budget, in order to build a viable case for a new swimming pool in Rutland, noting that progress beyond this point can only be undertaken when:

3)    Significant (at least 90%) capital funding becomes available from external sources, or a partner body is identified that would be willing and able to meet at least 90% of the capital requirement, and

4)    The new provision can be delivered at no revenue cost to the Council

5)    AGREED to allocate £250,000 of Section 106 Developer Contributions received to date for the purpose of providing Recreation, Sport and Leisure infrastructure to a Swimming Provision Project, as match funding towards future provision and investment in facilities.

6)    NOTED that further repair to the existing Catmose Pool, which has reached its end of life, is not affordable, and the pool will not be re-opened.

7)    AUTHORISED the Strategic Director for Places, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care, to enter negotiations with the Management of Catmose College to agree the future of the legacy leisure facilities at Catmose Campus, including the option to let a new nil-cost contract for the management of all or part of the dry side leisure facilities under the existing or renewed leases.

8)    AUTHORISED the Strategic Director for Places, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care to progress procurement of a dry-side leisure management contract if a nil-cost contract is achievable and agreeable to both the Council and Catmose College. Procurement implications will be reported to Cabinet before any award is made.

9)    AUTHORISED the Strategic Director for Places, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care, to enter negotiations with other local providers for the provision of public access swimming.

CONSIDERED the Petition received at the Council meeting on 8 November 2021 from members of the public expressing support for swimming in Rutland and agreed to report back to Council on the action taken in response.