Issue - meetings

FARNBOROUGH LEISURE CENTRE - NEXT STEPS

 

 

Meeting: 04/03/2025 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 31)

31 Call-in - Farnborough Leisure Centre pdf icon PDF 71 KB

In accordance with the provisions set out in the Overview and Scrutiny procedure rules, a request has been received from the following Members to call-in the Cabinet decision as set out in minute No. 65 from the Cabinet meeting on 11th February, 2025:

 

Cllr Martin Tennant 

Cllr Sue Carter

Cllr Stuart Trussler

Cllr Gareth Lyon

 

Cllr Paul Taylor

 

Attached for information are:

 

·         an extract of Minute No. 65 from the Cabinet meeting on 11th February, 2025;

·         detailed reasons for the call-in; and,

·         the Executive Director, Head of Regeneration and Development and Service Manager – Commercial Services and Deputy Head of Operations’, Report No. REG2501 that went to Cabinet on 11th February, 2025

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee was advised of the submission of a request to call-in the resolution made by the Cabinet on 11th February, 2025 in relation to the Farnborough Leisure Centre – Next Steps. The request for call-in had been submitted by Cllrs Sue Carter, G.B. Lyon, P.G. Taylor, M.J. Tennant and S. Trussler.

 

The Committee was advised that should the call-in request be rejected, the decision made by the Cabinet on 11th February, 2025 would take effect as of 5th March, 2025. If the call-in request was accepted, a report would be made to Cabinet at its next meeting on 11th March, 2025.

 

Cllr Martin Tennant presented the call-in request and the reasons behind it. The Committee noted the reasons, which included, that:

 

·         the decision had been made with insufficient information, and

·         there were significant concerns regarding the lack of public consultation on the revised proposals which had changed considerably since the previous consultation, and the current leisure mix of facilities did not align with the needs and expectations outlined by residents at the time.

 

Cllr Tennant recognised and welcomed the development and understood the current financial pressures on the Council. However, the concerns of the opposition were that the specific needs of the community had not been sought since 2019 and those needs may have changed during that time. It was felt essential to provide a facility that was flexible, would be sustainable in the longer term and provided a mix of facilities that were wanted by the community.

 

Cllr Sophie Porter, Healthy Communities and Active Lives Portfolio Holder, addressed the Committee on behalf of the Cabinet, with support from Cllr Christine Guinness, Pride in Place and Neighbourhood Services Portfolio Holder. Cllr Porter advised that the consultation work already undertaken had been picked up as part of the revised planning and the two key requirements (swimming and fitness) of residents would be provided. It was noted that Soft Market Testing (SMT) would be carried out to assess the viability of the facilities mix being proposed and adjustments could be made to the mix once completed. The Council were limited by the funds available and needed to be aware of potential risks in delaying the development further in relation to working with delivery associates and operators.

 

During discussions, it was noted that there were now considerably different financial restraints to be taken account of compared to the previous iteration and the new facility needed to generate an income, as there was no additional money to provide subsidy. The facilities mix proposed would be consulted on with operators, prior to RIBA Stage 3, to establish the best options to maximise income and space available. Commercially, it was advised that a gym and the provision of swimming lessons, would greatly support income generation. The Committee noted that the new plan had the same facilities as the previous iteration, with the exception of, a sports hall and premium health suite. By removing the sports hall, more space would be made available for other facilities  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31

Meeting: 11/02/2025 - Cabinet (Item 65)

65 FARNBOROUGH LEISURE CENTRE - NEXT STEPS pdf icon PDF 274 KB

To consider Report No. REG2501 (copy attached), which sets out the next steps in relation to the provision of a leisure centre in Farnborough.

Presented By: Cllr Sophie Porter, Healthy Communities and Active Lives Portfolio Holder / Christine Guinness, Pride in Place / Neighbourhood Services Portfolio Holder

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered Report No. REG2501, which set out the next steps in relation to the provision of a new leisure centre for Farnborough.

 

The Cabinet was reminded that, in January 2023, the Council had been awarded £20 million of Levelling Up Funding to support the delivery of a Leisure and Cultural Hub in Farnborough. Since that time, a review of the project had shown that estimated costs had increased significantly and it had become clear that a project of that type was no longer affordable for the Council. The project team had engaged with a team of specialist consultants provided by the Government to look at how the project could be adjusted to achieve the most important outcomes for local people whilst being affordable for the Council. The Report set out a revised proposal that would deliver a leisure centre in Farnborough that was both within the time parameters of the Levelling Up funding and affordable for the Council, given its wider financial pressures.

 

The Cabinet was supportive of the proposed approach and felt that this would deliver an important facility for the Borough.

 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

 

(i)           the revised approach to providing a leisure centre in Farnborough town centre, as set out in Report No. REG2501, be approved;

 

(ii)          the proposed facilities mix for the leisure centre, as set out in the Report, be approved;

 

(iii)         the development procurement approach, to enable the delivery of the project within the Levelling Up Fund timelines, be approved;

 

(iv)         the commissioning of design work to the end of RIBA Stage 3, planning submission and associated costs of up to £1.35 million be funded by the Levelling Up Fund;

 

(v)          the use of Levelling Up Fund Capacity Funding Grant (£40,000), towards legal and other project related costs that cannot be drawn down from the Levelling Up Fund, be approved;

 

(vi)         the overall operator procurement and appointment approach, as set out in the Report, be approved, along with the commencement of the process;

 

(vii)       the Executive Head of Operations, in consultation with the Healthy Communities & Active Lives Portfolio Holder, be authorised to amend the procurement documentation as required throughout the process, subject to consultation with the Executive Head of Finance on any financial implications;

 

(viii)      the further extension to the existing agreement with Places Leisure to operate the Aldershot Pools and Lido on the same terms until 31st March, 2027 be approved;

 

(ix)         it be noted that a detailed viable business case, based on the outcomes of RIBA 3 and the initial stages of the operator procurement, including an appropriate funding strategy supported by robust independent due diligence, would be produced before a decision to move to RIBA Stage 4 of the project was considered by the Cabinet;

 

(x)          it be noted that, if proceeding beyond RIBA Stage 4, the Council would be accepting the financial risks associated with the funding strategy, including the outcomes of the operator procurement and the risks fully identified, evaluated and scenario tested in the business case;  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65