Issue - meetings

Heysham Swimming Pool

Meeting: 05/12/2017 - Cabinet (Item 53)

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Darren Clifford)

Report of Chief Officer (Health & Housing)

Minutes:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Clifford)

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Health & Housing) to consider a proposal from the Leader of Lancashire County Council to share the shortfall in funding required for Heysham High School to take ownership of and operate Heysham swimming pool.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

	Option 1: Grant capital funding of £36k to Heysham school to enable the pool to continue to operate.	Option 2: Do not grant the funding.
Advantages	Gives the best chance of allowing the pool to remain open for the community. Sends a strong message to the community that the council values the importance of such a community facility for its health, wellbeing and social importance. Primary school swimming lessons and club use would continue at Heysham pool reducing the burden on limited space at SALC for these.	Costs remain as originally budgeted.
Disadvantages	Additional unbudgeted council resources are required to fund the request.	Would potentially mean the pool closes as the school have stated they cannot take on the pool without all the funding being in place.
Risks	As with any new venture, there is no cast iron guarantee that the pool will remain a viable business in the future. Mitigating factors are the financial and time commitment shown by the school, the county council and Sport England.	Reputational risk as the council could be seen not to support communities trying to secure local facilities or the council could be seen as not to value health and wellbeing.

Cabinet was asked whether it wanted to grant capital funding of £36k to Heysham School to support the continued operation of the pool for the benefit of the community.

Councillor Clifford proposed, seconded by Councillor Pattison:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1) That Cabinet supports the proposal to share the shortfall in capital funding to enable Heysham School to take on and operate Heysham Pool.

(2) That Cabinet approves to grant capital funding of £36k (to be funded from the Budget Support Reserve) to Heysham School, subject to the City Council being satisfied that, as far as is reasonable, the school has a robust business plan in place to support the ongoing operation of the pool to the benefit of the community.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Officer (Health & Housing)

Chief Officer (Resources)

Reasons for making the decision:

The decision is consistent with the Health & Wellbeing priority within the City Council’s Corporate Plan and enabling the continued operation of the pool for the benefit of the community will mean greater access to leisure facilities including the vital resumption of school swimming provision in that vicinity.