Issue - meetings

Future of Bulmershe Leisure Centre

Meeting: 24/11/2016 - Executive (Item 81)

81 Bulmershe Leisure Centre Future Options pdf icon PDF 354 KB

Decision:

That:

1)        subject to agreement to confirm Capital Spend within the 2017/8 budget, Bulmershe Leisure Centre will be demolished and replaced with a new build leisure facility containing sports hall; swimming pools, gym and fitness studio, as per Option 2, subject to 2) below.  Also, subject to agreement above, to agree timescales, the closure of the current centre being no later than at the end of the current management contract with 1 Life as of 30th April 2018, starting on the demolition during May 2018;

 

2)        it be noted that confirmation will be required on whether to build the main 25m swimming pool with 6 or 8 lanes. It is recommended that a 6 lane facility is built.  The projected revenue income shows little difference to the 8 lane pool but substantial difference in capital costs.

 

3)        the release of S106 developer contributions towards the cost of the scheme up to the value of the project budget be approved. £870k of developer contributions have been identified to date.

 

Minutes:

The Executive considered a report setting out future options for Bulmershe Leisure Centre.

 

The Executive Member for Environment informed the meeting that although investment had been made to improve the facility the building still required further work.  Intensive consultation on possible options/ideas had been carried out with the public, users and the school and a full condition survey had also been carried out.

 

Councillor Ross went through the various options outlined in the report which included refurbishment of the current facility or a new build option with either six or eight lanes and also highlighted the constraints of the site.

 

Councillor Ross advised that the preferred option was to rebuild the facility and highlighted that although the recommendation was to build a six lane facility a decision on whether to build a six or eight lane facility would be confirmed.  It was noted that the difference in capital costs and the constraints of the site meant that currently an eight lane facility was not financially viable.

  

It was also highlighted that the recommendation was subject to confirmation of the capital spend being included in the 2017/18 budget. 

 

Councillor Jorgensen queried what would happen if the contractor subsequently found that the income was not at the level they had expected and they ended up making a loss and asked if there would be something in the contract to protect the Council.  It was confirmed that if the contractor made a loss it would be their issue to address and not the Councils.

 

Councillor McGhee-Sumner asked if there had been any communication with Reading over their leisure facility proposals as outlined in the report. Councillor Ross confirmed that Wokingham’s figures had been worked out on the basis of the income that would come from Wokingham Borough residents and an eye would be kept on the progress of Reading’s ventures.

 

In response to a query from Councillor Haitham Taylor Councillor Ross confirmed that the Council had and would continue to work very closely with Bulmershe School as the facility was a major part of their provision as well as also taking into account the requirements of the operator and local residents to ensure that all the needs were matched.  It was noted that with regard to the capital spend the Council had a number of projects it needed to bring forward and the leisure centre here and at Ryeish Green had to be set against the requirements of other projects.

 

RESOLVED That:

1)        subject to agreement to confirm Capital Spend within the 2017/8 budget, Bulmershe Leisure Centre will be demolished and replaced with a new build leisure facility containing sports hall; swimming pools, gym and fitness studio, as per Option 2, subject to 2) below.  Also, subject to agreement above, to agree timescales, the closure of the current centre being no later than at the end of the current management contract with 1 Life as of 30th April 2018, starting on the demolition during May 2018;

 

2)        it be noted that confirmation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 81