Agenda item

Report number:     CAB/WS/23/054

Portfolio holder: Councillor Ian Shipp

Chair of the Committee: Councillor Sarah Broughton

Lead officer: Jill Korwin

Resolved:

That:

1.       Officers be instructed to update the Collaboration Agreement between Abbeycroft Leisure and West Suffolk Council 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 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).

The Cabinet considered this report, which sought approval for a number of recommendations emanating from a scrutiny review undertaken on the Council’s partnership with Abbeycroft Leisure.

Following the establishment of a task and finish group that was asked to review the Council’s partnership with Abbeycroft Leisure between 2019 and 2023 against the current Collaboration Agreement between the two organisations, together with reviewing the current Collaboration Agreement outcomes, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee put forward a number of recommendations that emanated from the review for Cabinet to consider.

Councillor Ian Shipp, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet. He outlined the task and finish group’s approach to the review, as summarised in section 2 of Report number: CAB/WS/23/054, and its findings, as set out in Report number: OAS/WS/23/019.

The Cabinet noted that the findings had ascertained that Abbeycroft was strongly compliant with the existing Collaboration Agreement and had demonstrated optimisation of service delivery, outcomes, efficiency and financial performance in challenging conditions.  A strength of partnership between the Council and Abbeycroft was found to exist and the way in which the two organisations had worked together to address challenges, particularly through Covid and in response to the energy crisis, the Cabinet very much supported the acceptance of the recommendations.

Recognition was given to the Chair of the task and finish group, Councillor Marion Rushbrook; the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) Committee, Councillor Sarah Broughton; and to all members of the task and finish group and the O&S Committee for the work undertaken on this review.  Specific recognition and thanks were given to Warren Smyth, Chief Executive of Abbeycroft Leisure who was sitting in the public gallery.

Resolved:

That:

1.       Officers be instructed to update the Collaboration Agreement between Abbeycroft Leisure and West Suffolk Council 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 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).