Issue - meetings
Overview and Scrutiny Board Work Programme
Meeting: 27/11/2017 - Overview and Scrutiny Board (Item 74)
74 Overview and Scrutiny Board Work Programme 
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Minutes:
The Chairman explained that there were a number of items which the Board would need to consider in detail as to whether it wished these to be added to its Work Programme.
Sports Hall
Councillor Bloore raised the matter of the Sports Hall, which had recently been reported in the local press. Specific reference was made to the options which had been suggested in that article and that this Board had considered a number of reports on the new Leisure Centre and the need for a Sports Hall, together with updates on the displaced groups which used the Sports Hall and the contract arrangements with BAM. This highlighted a number of questions in respect of the information the Board had received, recommendations which this Board had made through the Leisure Provision Task Group and which had been amended by the Cabinet in specific reference to this facility. A number of further points were highlighted:
· Whether the demolition of the old Dolphin Centre had been delayed (and any financial impact to the Council leading from this).
· It was understood that long standing bookings for the next 4-6 weeks had been confirmed.
· Members had previously been assured that an agreement with BAM was imminent.
· If a sports hall was now to be built or the old sports hall refurbished where the funds for this would be coming from.
· The perception of the changes to residents in light of the concerns that had been raised by them at various meetings.
Councillor Whittaker, as the Portfolio Holder for Leisure responded to the questions raised and confirmed that the school had a new Head Teacher who had informed the Council that the hall and gym would not be available during a 12 week exam period, due to changes to the GCSEs being based on yearly exams and as such she felt that it would be too much inconvenience for the school to have to remove and replace the chairs and tables for these exams every day. The Portfolio Holder confirmed that whilst the draft agreement had been reached, contracts had not been signed by BAM. In light of this the Council was now looking at a number of options, including the potential to build a sports hall or to refurbish the current hall. An option appraisal would be brought to Cabinet and then on to Council, it was hoped in January when all available options would be considered in detail.
The Executive Director, Finance and Resources advised Members that this change was advised by the School and BAM to officers on 2nd November via an email, when it was explained that the daily removal and then set up of the desks for the exams was not acceptable for the environment that the students need for their exams. The Executive Director, Finance and Resources had looked at a number of options and offered the School support in this matter in order to mitigate the loss of use to the Council, however after much discussion and ... view the full minutes text for item 74