Agenda item

Cabinet considered a very detailed report on the proposed replacement of the Dolphin Centre.

The Portfolio Holder, Councillor M. J. A. Webb  referred to the need for a decision to be made on the future of the existing Centre which had been built in the 1960’s with adaptations and extensions being undertaken since that time. The original life expectancy of the building had been around 40 years. In addition recent surveys of the building had indicated that it would need to be replaced within the next three or four years.

The report highlighted the importance of the Dolphin Centre in the provision of sports and physical activity opportunities to the residents of the local area, in that it is the only venue to offer both wet and dry facilities on a “pay and play” basis with no limits on time of usage. In addition surveys undertaken had shown very high public support for the retention of a Leisure Centre in the Town Centre.

Members were reminded that in 2011 an external company had undertaken a full review of future leisure provision in Bromsgrove. The study had included the important contribution of a Leisure Centre to the overall Town Centre regeneration scheme.

Members noted that the Cabinet report made reference to the number of options which had been part of the initial considerations of officers and detailed the process which had been undertaken in order to reach the preferred option 2a which was now being formally brought forward to Cabinet and Council. In particular the mix of facilities proposed to be provided had been considered in great detail. While cost had inevitably played a part the option being put forward was not the cheapest option. The facilities proposed compared very favourably with those existing at present.

Councillor Webb reported that it was intended to provide the new Leisure Centre with as little disruption as possible to visitors and users of the existing Centre which would remain open until the new Centre was available. 

As part of the detailed discussions on the report the Cabinet gave consideration to the comments and recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Board as contained in the minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 16th June 2014. The Board had considered the report of the Leisure Provision Task Group following the Group’s pre scrutiny of the Dolphin Centre business case. It was noted that the Group were looking at Leisure provision within the District as a whole but ahead of that had considered the Dolphin Centre business case prior to consideration by Cabinet.

The recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Board were considered in turn:

Recommendation 1

Financial concerns around the increased membership that will be needed to ensure good annual revenue should be addressed through an Audit Board investigation of the figures

Cabinet were aware of the importance of increasing the membership of the new centre, but it was felt that the membership figures included in the report were reasonably conservative. Officers had advised after investigation that they were achievable given that the facilities would be of a high quality.

It was therefore felt not to be necessary to refer the figures to the Audit Board but Cabinet recognised that the Board could call for further investigation if it felt this was required.

Recommendation 2

The Overview and Scrutiny Board should be involved in scrutinising more detailed plans to ensure that they address the needs of customers with disabilities.

Cabinet recognised that a great deal of work had been undertaken to date  to ensure that the new facilities would be fully accessible to customers with disabilities. Cabinet were aware however that members of the Overview and Scrutiny Board had an interest in this area and were welcome to call for the opportunity to scrutinise more detailed plans.

Recommendation 3

Cabinet note the Board’s disappointment that the Sports hall has not been included within the plan for the new Dolphin Centre.

Cabinet took note of the Board’s comment but drew attention to the Sports England report on the provision of Sports Halls in Bromsgrove which had demonstrated a more than sufficient supply of Sports Hall facilities. It was intended that public access to existing or new Sports Hall facilities would be increased through hire or dual use agreements. It was part of the role of the Council to promote the use of alternative facilities and to make the best use of public funds.

Recommendation 4

Cabinet note the Board’s concern that insufficient facilities have been planned for the Centre, especially for young people (i.e. No climbing wall as has been installed in other leisure centres).

Cabinet took note of the Board’s concern but did not agree that insufficient facilities had been planned. The mix of facilities had been carefully considered with a view to providing the best opportunities for all age groups. The installation of a climbing wall had been looked at but after investigating the experience of other providers was not felt to be the best use of public money.

The Leader and the Portfolio Holder thanked the Leisure Provision Task Group and the Overview and Scrutiny Board for their consideration of the business case and contribution to the process so far.

Thanks were also expressed to officers for their very detailed work on the proposals over a period of time.

Following further discussion it was

RECOMMENDED:

(a)       that Option 2a, as set out below, be confirmed as the preferred option for the replacement of the Dolphin Centre at a total project cost of £11.5m:

Facility Mix

·         Main Pool – 25m by 13m (6 lanes) with 100 spectator seats

·         Learner Pool – 12m by 8m with moveable floor

·         Fitness Suite – 80 stations with functional training spaces supporting up to 1800 members

·         Dance Studio – 2 spaces for up to 60 people

·         Spinning Studio – for up to 25 people

·         Spa facilities and treatment rooms – Sauna, Steam room and Jacuzzi

·         Ancillary facilities includes car park of 200 spaces 

(b)       that within the total cost, this Council purchases the Blackmore House site on School Drive from Worcestershire County Council at a value of £1.425m;

(c)        that borrowing of £9.536m be approved to fund the majority of the costs associated with the project;

(d)       that at the completion of the project, the enabling land which will no longer be required on School Drive (currently Car Parking) be considered to be surplus to requirements and be offered to the market to reduce borrowing costs;

(e)       that £100k of balances be used to  ensure the total funding of £11.5m for the project is available;

(f)        that officers investigate and implement an option to develop a Dual Use arrangement at North Bromsgrove High School provided that it does not impact on the capital costs incurred by the Council and therefore does not impact on the Medium Term Financial Plan;

(g)       that authority be delegated to the Head of Leisure and Cultural Service and the Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Resources following consultation with the Portfolio Holders, to agree the final terms for the disposal of land associated with this project;

(h)       that authority be delegated to the Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services to enter into the necessary legal documents for the purposes of implementing recommendations (a) to (g) above;

(i)         that officers be requested to provide updates on the project at key milestones as agreed with the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Cultural Services to include verbal updates at all Cabinet meetings and an update report once final tender submissions are received to confirm the final project position and proposed timescales.