New Forest Borough Council
Councillors:
48
Wards:
27
Committees:
15
Meetings (2025):
72
Meetings (2024):
78
Meeting
Community & Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Panel - New Forest
Meeting Times
Scheduled Time
Start:
Tuesday, 9th February 2021
6:00 PM
Tuesday, 9th February 2021
6:00 PM
End:
Tuesday, 9th February 2021
10:00 PM
Tuesday, 9th February 2021
10:00 PM
Actual Time
Started:
Tuesday, 9th February 2021
12:00 AM
Tuesday, 9th February 2021
12:00 AM
Finished:
Tuesday, 9th February 2021
12:00 AM
Tuesday, 9th February 2021
12:00 AM
Meeting Status
Status:
Confirmed
Confirmed
Date:
09 Feb 2021
09 Feb 2021
Location:
Microsoft Teams - Online
Microsoft Teams - Online
Meeting Attendees
Committee Member
Cllr Arthur Davis
Present, as expected
Committee Member
Cllr David Russell
Present, as expected
In Attendance
Deputy Leader
Cllr Diane Andrews
In attendance
In Attendance
Cllr Ann Bellows
In attendance
In Attendance
Cllr Mahmoud Kangarani
In attendance
In Attendance
Cllr Martyn Levitt
In attendance
Officer
Strategic Director of Corporate Resources & Transformation, Section 151 Officer
Alan Bethune
In attendance
Officer
Gary Jarvis
In attendance
Officer
Sheryl Parry
In attendance
Officer
Democratic Services Officer
Andy Rogers
In attendance
Officer
Executive Head of Partnership and Operations
Manjit Sandhu
In attendance
Officer
Democratic Services Manager
Matt Wisdom
In attendance
In Attendance
Cllr Mark Steele
In attendance
Agenda
0
Apologies
Minutes
1
Declarations of Interest
To note any declarations of interest made by members in connection with an agenda item. The nature of the interest must also be specified.
Members are asked to discuss any possible interests with Democratic Services prior to the meeting.
Members are asked to discuss any possible interests with Democratic Services prior to the meeting.
Minutes
There were no Declarations of Interest in the Agenda Items.
2
Public Participation
To note any issues raised during the public participation period.
Minutes
There were no issues raised during the public participation period.
3
Health and Leisure Review - Preferred Bidder
To consider proposals to award a contract to operate and maintain the District Council’s five Leisure Centres, with effect from 1 July 2021, including related issues, and to make a recommendation to the Cabinet.
Attachments:
- Document Health and Leisure review report (Decision Making report) 01 Feb 2021
- Document APPENDIX 3A - Customer Q&As 01 Feb 2021
- Document APPENDIX 3B - Staff Q&As 01 Feb 2021
- Document Confidential Appendix 5 01 Feb 2021
Minutes
The Panel considered proposals following the fundamental review carried out in respect of the operation of the Council’s 5 Health and Leisure Centres, including a ‘preferred bidder’ to partner with the Council to run the Leisure Centres.
The Panel noted the stages of the review process from its inception, the first Task and Finish group meeting in April 2018, and the thorough and detailed work undertaken.
The Panel took into account the Customer and Staff Q&As; at Appendix 3, and noted the regular meetings of the Customer Focus Groups which had taken place throughout the process. The Panel noted that overall, staff felt reassured from these briefings, particularly in regard to employment terms and conditions, and that the Council had responded well to union comments and requests. They also noted the customer protections included in the contract. Regular discussions with the schools had identified a need to detail existing informal arrangements which are now included in the Management Agreements wherever possible.
The Panel were impressed by Freedom’s approach as the preferred bidder, noting that their business focused entirely on Leisure provision, and particularly their experience and expertise from running 101 other sites nationwide. The benefits from economies of scale, their pledge to reinvest any surplus share into the Council’s centres, and their commitment to energy conservation measures to reduce leisure sites’ impact on the environment, were also noted.
Members noted that contract performance monitoring data would be reported regularly at Panel meetings and a Contract Monitoring Officer would also provide detailed reports to the Working Group.
Whilst a minority of members queried the timing for the change, given uncertainties arising from Brexit and Covid, the Panel were reassured there was sufficient financial ‘headroom’ built into the contract to significantly reduce the Council’s risk, whilst providing substantial income and long term investment into services, facilities and buildings. Under the projections, the Council was expected to receive £7-8m in income over the life of the contract.
Members thanked the Task and Finish Group for their diligence in overseeing the review, and paid tribute to the professionalism and hard work of the officers involved, for conducting such a comprehensive process to a successful outcome.
It was emphasised that the proposed arrangement was not for the centres to be sold, but for Freedom Leisure to operate them on the Council’s behalf.
In summary, the Panel felt that the proposals represented the best option for the sustainability of the District Council’s leisure services, and the health and wellbeing of the community.
RESOLVED:
That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Cabinet:
(i) That the contract to operate and maintain the District Council’s five Leisure Centres at Applemore, Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood and Totton be awarded to Freedom Leisure Limited to commence on 1 July 2021 for a 11 year period with an option to extend for a further 4 years.
(ii) That the terms of the Contract, summarised in sections 7 and 8 of the report, be noted.
(iii) That a 4-month mobilisation period following award of contract be noted, enabling full operational control by Freedom Leisure Limited on 1 July 2021.
(iv) That £2.242m of Prudential Borrowing to support the investment programme outlined in paragraph 13.11 of the report be approved.
(v) That Council discharges responsibility for an annual contract review and performance to the Community and Leisure Panel, which will set up a councillor working group at its next meeting.
Note: A recorded vote was taken for this item, as follows:
For the recommendation:
Cllrs Blunden, Penman, S Clark, Craze, A Davis, Dunning, Hawkins, and Russell.
Against:
Cllrs Rackham and A Wade.
The Panel noted the stages of the review process from its inception, the first Task and Finish group meeting in April 2018, and the thorough and detailed work undertaken.
The Panel took into account the Customer and Staff Q&As; at Appendix 3, and noted the regular meetings of the Customer Focus Groups which had taken place throughout the process. The Panel noted that overall, staff felt reassured from these briefings, particularly in regard to employment terms and conditions, and that the Council had responded well to union comments and requests. They also noted the customer protections included in the contract. Regular discussions with the schools had identified a need to detail existing informal arrangements which are now included in the Management Agreements wherever possible.
The Panel were impressed by Freedom’s approach as the preferred bidder, noting that their business focused entirely on Leisure provision, and particularly their experience and expertise from running 101 other sites nationwide. The benefits from economies of scale, their pledge to reinvest any surplus share into the Council’s centres, and their commitment to energy conservation measures to reduce leisure sites’ impact on the environment, were also noted.
Members noted that contract performance monitoring data would be reported regularly at Panel meetings and a Contract Monitoring Officer would also provide detailed reports to the Working Group.
Whilst a minority of members queried the timing for the change, given uncertainties arising from Brexit and Covid, the Panel were reassured there was sufficient financial ‘headroom’ built into the contract to significantly reduce the Council’s risk, whilst providing substantial income and long term investment into services, facilities and buildings. Under the projections, the Council was expected to receive £7-8m in income over the life of the contract.
Members thanked the Task and Finish Group for their diligence in overseeing the review, and paid tribute to the professionalism and hard work of the officers involved, for conducting such a comprehensive process to a successful outcome.
It was emphasised that the proposed arrangement was not for the centres to be sold, but for Freedom Leisure to operate them on the Council’s behalf.
In summary, the Panel felt that the proposals represented the best option for the sustainability of the District Council’s leisure services, and the health and wellbeing of the community.
RESOLVED:
That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Cabinet:
(i) That the contract to operate and maintain the District Council’s five Leisure Centres at Applemore, Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood and Totton be awarded to Freedom Leisure Limited to commence on 1 July 2021 for a 11 year period with an option to extend for a further 4 years.
(ii) That the terms of the Contract, summarised in sections 7 and 8 of the report, be noted.
(iii) That a 4-month mobilisation period following award of contract be noted, enabling full operational control by Freedom Leisure Limited on 1 July 2021.
(iv) That £2.242m of Prudential Borrowing to support the investment programme outlined in paragraph 13.11 of the report be approved.
(v) That Council discharges responsibility for an annual contract review and performance to the Community and Leisure Panel, which will set up a councillor working group at its next meeting.
Note: A recorded vote was taken for this item, as follows:
For the recommendation:
Cllrs Blunden, Penman, S Clark, Craze, A Davis, Dunning, Hawkins, and Russell.
Against:
Cllrs Rackham and A Wade.
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