Agenda item

The Council require a Leisure Strategy to determine its investment and service delivery options for the next 25 years. This report is designed to clarify the realistic options available and provides recommendations to build the future Leisure platform.

The Strategy has two main elements Facilities: Provision of facilities and Wellbeing Programmes.

This report addresses the Facilities requirements and the approach to Wellbeing Programmes.

The Chairman invited Mike Butler to introduce the report.

The Panel made the following points:

The Panel commented that the report suggested that there were a number of capital success in getting investments but the evidence shows in order to get capital investment you have to have a proper revenue budget to get the best out of the capital investment so it doesn't deteriorate. 

The Panel also commented that there is nothing about the accessibility in the report so as many residents as possible could make use of the facilities.

 The Panel also commented if the aim is to reduce the net expenditure on various facilities to zero over the next few years then they would like to see some kind of interim business plan on that could be achieved.  The Panel noted that this might not be possible considering that the recommendation 2.4 of the report mentions the cost to BANES due to inactivity.  The Panel also noted that bullet point 3.11 of the report says continue to work closely with commissioners to enhance and develop front services to meet the challenge though part of the budget and the business planning is that there may need to be revenue investment in order to offset the expenditure on another part of the budget.  So, aiming for zero within the leisure services provision may increase expenditure on Health and Wellbeing part. 

The Panel felt that the report made more questions rather than giving answers and Members felt that they could not support the recommendations as printed in the report (bullet point 2, recommendations 2.1-2.4).

Some Members of the Panel commented that they were not aware on the consultation on this Strategy.

Mike Butler responded that the consultation process hasn't started yet.  The only thing that has been worked on is the platform for the Strategy.

The panel also commented that they would wish to see more information on whether there are plans to build something new in Keynsham or other sites in the area in order to replace the existing.

Mike Butler said that the Council is in constant communication with the partners on how best they can use the existing facilities.

The Panel expressed their concerns with the plan to stop investing in Sport and Leisure though the Council will soon, as from April 2013, take over responsibilities for Public Health. 

Mike Butler responded that 3.13 of the report is about the emphasises that the Leisure Strategy is down to put on working with other directorates to improve the health and wellbeing in the area.  Mike Butler also said that the report could be more clear on what the Council try to achieve with the Strategy. 

The Panel suggested that the future report should first outline what the Council want to achieve in providing sports facilities, than what sports facilities will be provided in order to achieve those outcomes and at the end to look at the cost of it.

The Panel requested for further report on the Leisure Strategy for their March meeting and to invite the relevant Cabinet Member for the same meeting.

It was RESOLVED that the Panel:

1)  Noted the report

2)  Raised a number of issues that they wanted to see addressed in more detail to include:

a.  Accessibility

b.  Business planning

c.  Holistic sports coming across BANES

d.  Current public health costs to potential revenue investment.

The Panel also REQUESTED that further report be presented at the next meeting of the Panel (14th march 2013).

The Panel also ASKED the Cabinet to delay the approval of this strategy until they have the opportunity to scrutinise further report on Leisure Strategy.