Minutes:
Question
I welcome the intent of this report but I cannot
understand why as the Council who claim they face severe financial
pressure have already signed a 3 year contract using schools
capital funding which in essence is tax payers money to provide a
facility they the public will be denied access to.
The report states that only the new Bohunt academy will have access to the Gym
facilities at Arborfield Garrison when the school opens with no
public access to the facilities until at least
2018.
Can the Executive Member give me an assurance that the public can
have reasonable access to the gym from its first day of
opening?
Answer
Thank you for your question Gary and the opportunity to clarify the position here.
Officers have undertaken a financial assessment of the three possible in house options for the operation of the facility prior to March 2018. These being: School Use only which is already approved; School use with community use of the sports hall; school use with community use of the sports hall and a health and fitness gym; and a fourth option of a 1Life run caretaker style with community use of sports hall, but no gym. 1Life being our current leisure provider.
This assessment shows that any community use of the building is likely to cost the Council somewhere between £50k and £200k in additional net revenue costs over this18 month period. Once we have the benefit of the shared car park on the permanent school site and we have procured a new provider through the new 10-15 year Leisure Contract from 2018 then the opening of the facility to the public will become a much more financially attractive and affordable prospect; both to the operator and the Council.
So, in summary, we are committed to providing access for residents at the earliest practical opportunity, assuming of course the Executive approve that we do agree to negotiate a long term lease later this evening and that we do secure that lease.
Supplementary Question
The MOD was not going to demolish a valuable asset which the Council, by signing a new lease, has a responsibility to upkeep and to enable exclusive school access but the reasons for denying the public access I actually find quite vague. There is car parking and £50-200k worth of finance although I am not comfortable with the figures.
So really a similar question to before: why cannot the Council find a way to accommodate the needs of the council tax payer who are actually paying for the gym as well as the school from day one? Surely that is not beyond the wit of man.
Supplementary Answer
There are a number of aspects to that. It is a building site still and therefore there are definite practical problems with car parking. The school access to the gym was part of our agreement for an academy and that is solely on the lease that was provided for their use. I am sure we would all love to give access to everybody but I cannot find from my colleagues the money to provide that until we build it into a new contract.