To consider the draft Leisure Facilities Strategy prior to consultation for development as a Supplementary Planning Document.

The Committee heard from three members of the public who had registered to speak.  Letters were also circulated to Members of the Committee in support of the statements.  The speakers raised issues in relation to the following:-

·                 The current membership of the dry-side of Houghton Regis Leisure Centre.

·                 The previous closure of the swimming pool at Houghton Regis Leisure Centre had been to the detriment of the local community.

·                 The level of support locally for a new leisure centre on the existing site in Houghton Regis.

·                 The considerable amount of local support for reopening the swimming pool at Houghton Regis Leisure Centre.

·                 Specific issues relating to the distance that children of Houghton Regis Lower School and Hawthorn Park Schools have to travel to Dunstable to use a swimming pool.

The Deputy Executive Member for Sustainable Communities Services presented a report that set out the methodology and key findings of an audit and assessment of leisure facilities in Central Bedfordshire and the emerging preferred options.  The Deputy Executive Member Cllr Dalgarno highlighted the purposes of the Strategy including the intention for it to be ultimately adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document and its importance to provide a strategic direction for leisure facilities in Central Bedfordshire.  In response to the report and further clarification provided by Cllr Dalgarno the Committee discussed the following issues in detail:-

·        Progress in relation to development of the strategy had been slow.  The process had not been run in an order that permitted the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) to consider the full proposals prior to their consideration by the Executive.  Concerns were raised that some information would be made available to the Executive in January that had not been made available for the OSC.  The Chairman suggested that the report was incomplete and as a result of the lack of information (including financial) the Committee could not comment in a meaningful way.  In response the Deputy Executive Member commented that the timeline for developing the strategy was on time.  There would be more time during the development of chapters 2, 3 and 4 of the strategy to provide additional supporting information to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

·        Cllr Dr R Egan suggested that 8 lane swimming pools should be provided in new build leisure centres as they were more suitable for swimming clubs and allowed for more simple dual usage of the pool.  The Deputy Executive Member agreed to consider this principal and consider amending the report in relation to the emerging long term proposal of a new Houghton Regis Leisure Centre.

·        The Council needed to encourage the use of facilities throughout the opening hours of leisure facilities.  The Council should not seek only to address demand for court space at peak hours as this will lead to over-supply during non-peak hours.

·        A Councillor’s concern that some of the issues raised at the stakeholder workshops had not been included in the report (this included issues relating the use of sporting facilities in schools).  It was also commented that the Council needed to ensure it supported those schools who wanted to make their sport facilities available for outside use by helping to publicise these facilities.  The Council should also consider the support that could be provided to academies. In response the Deputy Executive Member commented that several schools had indicated support for increasing accessibility to use their facilities outside of school hours.  Some other schools were more protective of their assets.

·        The importance of investing in leisure facilities for the future so as to increase long term financial returns.

·        References in the report to Tiddenfoot in Houghton Regis should be amended to Tiddenfoot, Leighton Buzzard.

·        Councillor Williams suggested that the report be amended to read the Council should “open Houghton Regis swimming pool at existing centre for short-term provision”, removing the reference to considering this possibility.  It was suggested that this would make the facility more attractive during the tender process.  In light of the support for the dry-side of the pool the Council should put faith in the local community to ensuring the swimming pool was successful.  In response the Deputy Executive Member commented that the Council was undertaking a process to determine the feasibility of this proposal.  The Council would need to invest £150k in the swimming pool prior to being able to reopen it.

·        The current situation at Flitwick Leisure Centre and concerns relating to the difficulty of delivering the new leisure centre facility.  In response the Deputy Executive Member provided an update on the process for delivering a leisure centre facility in Flitwick and particularly the financial contributions that were required.

·        The lack of interest of private leisure operators in bidding for contracts as many of these operators did not have an interest in running leisure facilities that contained sports courts.

·        The usefulness of adding a map to the report to indicate the location of leisure facilities throughout Central Bedfordshire.  This would also support the identification of possible transport routes and travel times to use these facilities. 

·              Concerns that comments suggesting all residents of Central Bedfordshire could access a pool within a 20-minute travel time assumed that everyone had their own transport.  Due to the rural nature of Central Bedfordshire it was suggested that the 20-minute travel time was unfeasible for many residents.

·              The report referred to providing a new indoor bowls facility within Central Bedfordshire, which was not regarded as necessary.

·              The importance of considering the benefits of leisure facilities in relation to their place-making role.

·              The use of the Leisure Facility Strategy as a planning document.  The Head of Leisure Services commented that the intention was for the strategy to become a supplementary planning document (SPD).  The SPD process would involve further consultation following consideration by the Executive and involve further work in 2013 in order for the strategy to be used to secure Section 106 contributions.  The strategy would direct the Council’s capital programme, which was a separate piece of work.

Following discussion Members considered a recommendation that the swimming pool at Houghton Regis should be reopened immediately.  Members discussed the financial implications of this proposal and whether it would be feasible for the Council to take this course of action.  The Committee agreed that whilst the Council should consider reopening Houghton Regis Swimming Pool with immediate effect this could only be done it is was considered to be financially viable.

RECOMMENDED TO EXECUTIVE

1.                  That the Committee feels the process of the review has been comprehensive to date.

2.                  That the Committee is unable to comment in a meaningful way on the emerging preferred options for inclusion in the Strategy due to the lack of full financial information.

3.                  That progress in relation to the development of the Leisure Facility Strategy has been slow to date.

4.                  That the Committee urges the Executive to consider reopening Houghton Regis Swimming Pool with immediate effect with due consideration to financial implications.

Meeting Adjourned at 11.35am and reconvened at 11.42am