As the last report shows, we are meeting with officers next week to kick off the serious discussions on the future of the centre.
The following is my report from after the meeting. Comments in brackets not part of meeting but rather my own actions/observations.
Present
Cllr Mamie Simmons
Cllr Amanda Hopgood
Cllr Mark Wilkes
Peter Hall – Chair – Abbey Steering group
Steve Lister – Head of Indoor Leisure
Stephen Howell – Head of Leisure
Terry Collins – Director Neighbourhood Services
Aim:
To make Abbey cost neutral.
Issues Discussed:
General:
Centre to continue to be run by Council, who will make all final decisions.
Officers provided details of next stage of process.
Steering group and councillors updated on their views.
Staffing:
Council to determine future staffing for Abbey taking into account views on service provision put forward by staff, councillors and Abbey Steering group. No public discussion on staffing to take place without Council consent.
Council to take account of investment proposals in looking at staffing issues.
Hours:
Agreement that changes to hours will be based on minimum impact on centre.
Consideration of Sunday closure and alteration to other hours to try to ensure both off peak and peak membership remains as little impacted as possible. Proposals to be reported to users of centre once full plan determined.
No changes to opening hours before 1st October.
Investment:
Council agrees that County Councillors can invest Neighbourhood budget funding into the centre immediately following the finalising of new running operations and for this to include possible improvements to conference facilities/rooms for hire, and provision of improved youth facilities possibly including gym and fitness equipment.
Council to agree to ensure that existing gym equipment is retained and improved from within Council’s existing stock where possible.
Council has added Abbey onto the program for provision of solar pv panels to help reduce running costs at centre and subject to completion of suitability survey these will be installed in current financial year subject to the wider case being made with those operating the Solar PV scheme.
Membership:
Agreement promotional offers/methods of seeking new members will be informed to Councillors/Steering group with a view to implementation at earliest possible point.
Covenant:
Confirmation from leisure officers that they have not had any discussions with the company with the rights over the covenant . Council comment: Abbey LC has been retained and the focus is on operating the site at nil cost. [I have a freedom of information request in to find out if any non- leisure officers have been is discussions]
Future Meetings:
Council officer(s), councillors and Steering group members to be present at meeting to update users of centre and wider public of progress on 31st August.
Meeting between officers, councillors and steering group members to discuss in detail proposals for centre on 5TH August. Officers to have sufficient information at this meeting to detail financial implications of options.
[Any comments given to council from users off back of posters being displayed in centre by the council i expect to be included in discussion along with steering group information.]
Additional:
In addition to the above details, Councillors also ask if the following information can be made available for the meeting on the 2nd August.
1. Although not being part of the required savings, please can a breakdown of the support services costs for the six centres be made available to look at wider cost issues.
2. Answer to whether a proportion the Feed-in Tariff payments from any solar pv will be attributed to the running costs at the centre and if the energy savings will be considered in calculating the cost neutrality of the centre.
3. Details of what the Council will be investing in relation to repairs and maintenance in the current financial year
So overall, all parties are doing all they can to get the best solution possible for the centre.