Agenda item

Report number: OAS/WS/23/019

The Committee received report number OAS/WS/23/019, presented by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group (the Group), Councillor Marion Rushbrook which set out the Groups approach to the review, key findings and proposed recommendations to Cabinet.

Councillor Rushbrook wished to thank Warren Smyth, Chief Executive of Abbeycroft Leisure, who was in attendance and his Team and Trustees for the questions they had answered and for hosting the Groups visits, and also thanked Council officers for their support during the review.

The members of the Group were Councillors Sarah Broughton, Peter Armitage, Rowena Lindberg and Andy Neal.

The last review was due in 2018, which was delayed due to covid.  During covid Abbeycroft copied with the challenges and helped residents in West Suffolk, for example by introducing outdoor gyms and online classes and supported programmes delivered by partner organisations.

All members of the Group had broadened their understanding of the wider health, wellbeing and community support which Abbeycroft provided alongside conventional leisure centre activities such as swimming and had concluded that it was a credit to Abbeycroft that they had recovered so well post covid in terms of usage at their centres and financial performance.  With that in mind the Group was pleased to see the Abbeycroft management fee payable from the Council to Abbeycroft had reach zero from April 2023, and also felt they and the Council should be congratulated on meeting the significant challenges arising from higher utility bills in particular.

The Group visited all the Abbeycroft sites, with many of the buildings being over 35 years old with ageing plant and equipment which was not terribly efficient.  With that in mind the Group felt funds should be made available from the net zero fund to support energy efficient measures within the buildings to reduce energy consumption.

The Group was also aware that officers were undertaking building condition surveys of all the sites and not pre-empting outcomes the Group  anticipated a high degree of capital investment would be required in the older sites and hoped this would be supported through the Council’s Asset Management Plans.

In summing up, Cllr Rushbrook explained that the Group felt there was a high degree of compliance by Abbeycroft in the existing legal agreements with the Council and the Group therefore did not recommend any significant changes to these agreements.  She asked the Committee to support the six recommendations, as set out on page 16 of the report, and also encouraged all councillors to attend the Abbeycroft MS Teams member development session on Wednesday 22 November 2023 at 6pm.

The Committee considered the report in detail and asked questions to which comprehensive responses were provided.  In particular discussions were held on what was specifically available for residents in rural areas and membership recovery following covid.

At the conclusion of the discussions, it was recommended by Councillor Tony Brown, duly seconded by Councillor Andrew Smith and with the vote being unanimous it was:

          RECOMMEDED: That

1.   Cabinet instructs officers to update the Collaboration Agreement noting no fundamental revisions are required on the principles of the current agreement.  However, some technical changes may be required and the approach to health funding which is currently dealt with through side letters should be clarified.

2.   Cabinet requests Abbeycroft and West Suffolk Council to work collaboratively to promote the activities and programmes delivered at the leisure centres, ensuring residents are aware of what they deliver and provide (which can be reflected in further revisions to the Collaboration Agreement).

3.   Cabinet and officers work with providers and partners to secure additional long-term and sustainable external funding streams (particularly on health improvement interventions).

4.   Cabinet asks officers to explore further capital investment in the leisure offer and facility mix across the leisure centre sites through business cases where appropriate to provide outcomes and financial benefits through invest to save/earn initiatives with Abbeycroft.

5.   Subject to the outcome of the condition surveys of each Leisure Centre, Cabinet to consider the extension of the Council’s Net Zero fund as part of the 2024 to 2025 budget development process to include a programme of improvements (where appropriate and where they meet the outcomes of the fund) to upgrade and improve the facilities to maximise energy efficiency, support Net Zero and carbon reduction targets, and extend the life span of the facilities.

6.   As part of the 2024 to 2025 West Suffolk Council budget development, consideration should also be given to whether the extraordinary utility support grant should be continued and phased out in the short-term (linked to market expectations around utility costs).