Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Communities & Housing)

This report seeks approval from the Executive for short and medium term investment in Grand Central leisure centre.  It forms the first phase of a programme in 2017/18 to address condition issues in the Council’s leisure estate.

The Executive is asked to:

·         approve investment of £1.847m at Grand Central to address urgent and priority condition issues.

·         approve investment of £0.970m at Grand Central to turn round business performance linked to an agreed framework of performance objectives for income generation and operations at the site.

·         approve the application of funding types being delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive in conjunction with the Estates Strategy Group.

Officer contact: Peter Ashworth, 0161 474 2392, peter.ashworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Communities & Housing) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive to consider a proposal for short and medium term investment in Grand Central leisure centre as the first phase of a programme in 2017/18 to address condition issues in the Council’s leisure estate. The proposals sought to address the urgent needs of the facility to ensure that it was open for use by residents to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the opening of Phase 2 of Stockport Exchange.

RESOLVED – That in relation to Grand Central Leisure Centre Short and Medium Term investment requirements:-

·           the investment of £1.847m at Grand Central to address urgent and priority condition issues be approved;

·           the investment of £0.970m at Grand Central to turn round business performance linked to an agreed framework of performance objectives for income generation and operations at the site be approved.

·           the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Executive Councillor (Communities & Housing) be authorised to agree the most appropriate funding source for this investment.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration

The report sets out proposals for short and medium term investment in the Grand Central Leisure Centre. It forms the first phase of a programme in 2017/18 to address condition issues in the Council’s leisure estate.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Peter Ashworth on 0161 474 2392 or email: peter.ashworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out proposals for short and medium term investment in the Grand Central Leisure Centre. It formed the first phase of a programme in 2017/18 to address condition issues in the Council’s leisure estate.

The Executive Councillor (Councillor Sheila Bailey) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

With the agreement of the Committee, a member of the public addressed the meeting in order to highlight the difficulties he had experienced since the closure of the health suite and the general maintenance of the health suite prior to that.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         it was clarified that the condition issues at the Grand Central Leisure Centre had been raised in February/March 2016 and the health suite had been closed since April 2016. It had originally been thought that the condition issues at the health suite could be remedied by minor repairs, but it had been discovered that there were problems with the building management system which had delayed the proposed investment in the health suite. The initial condition surveys had not highlighted any immediate problems with the building management system.

·         There was general agreement that it would be sensible to address all the condition issues at the Grand Central Leisure Centre over a number of years. The proposed works would upgrade the current facilities.

·         A Member queried why weekly passes had not been transferable to other leisure centres and Officers agreed to pursue this issue with Life Leisure and forward the response to all Members of the Scrutiny Committee.

·         A Member expressed concern that more investment would be required to the Grand Central Leisure Centre beyond 2019/20.

·         A Member felt that it would have been preferable to have the health suite open at the time the Holiday Inn hotel was opened. The success of the Grand Central Leisure Centre was important to the regeneration work undertaken at Stockport Exchange.

·         Members noted that there was a risk that the investment would not lead to improved business performance at the site and would not reduce the need for revenue deficit subsidy. To mitigate this, the Council would set up a new performance monitoring framework with Life Leisure in respect of Grand Central.

·         The Scrutiny Committee requested that paragraph 6.4 in the Financial Implications of the report be redrafted in order to clarify how the £1.847m priority condition works would be financed.

·         A Member suggested that the governance arrangements for the Grand Central Leisure Centre should be reviewed.

RESOLVED –  (1) That the Executive Meeting be advised that this Scrutiny Committee supports the proposals in the report, subject to clarification of the financial implications with regard to how the £1.847m priority condition works would be financed.

(2) That regular performance monitoring reports be submitted to future meetings of the Scrutiny Committee.