Minutes:
(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Ashworth)
In accordance with Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chairman agreed to consider the following report as an item of urgent business to allow Cabinet to consider the view of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee after calling-in the Cabinet decision taken on 19 January 2010 regarding the Community Swimming Pools.
A referral report from Overview and Scrutiny was considered by Cabinet. The report presented the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s recommendation following the call-in meeting held on 8 February 2010 in relation to the Community Swimming Pools.
The recommendation set out in the report was “that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommend that Cabinet should not give notice to terminate the contract until a suitable agreement is obtained from Lancashire County Council to take over community swimming. If no agreement can be reached within 12 months then Cabinet should review the funding. Parish and Town Councils should be involved in the talks.”
It was moved by Councillor Ashworth and seconded by Councillor Langhorn:-
“(1) That Cabinet notes the desire of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee that ‘a suitable agreement is obtained from Lancashire County Council to take over community swimming.’ Cabinet believes that its original decision is the best way to achieve this aim and notes the progress already made in discussions with the County Council. Therefore, in order to achieve its objective of the maintenance of the community swimming pool service within the district, Cabinet reaffirms its original decision:
(2) That the City Council issues the necessary 12 months notice to terminate the partnership agreement with the County Council, from 1 April 2010.
(3) That community swimming is redirected to the pools identified in 3.3 of the report considered by Cabinet on 19 January 2010.
(4) That the school and club swimming be handed back along with the facilities to Lancashire County Council.”
By way of addendum, which was accepted as a friendly addendum by the mover and seconder of the original proposition, Councillor Barry proposed and Councillor Fletcher seconded:
“(5) That the City Council negotiates with the County Council to achieve a significant revenue reduction for the City Council and reports back to Cabinet on the results of these negotiations with the County Council.”
Councillor Mace proposed an amendment, seconded by Councillor Thomas:-
“That the recommendation of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be approved.”
2 Members (Councillors Mace and Thomas) voted in favour of the amendment, 7 Members (Councillors Archer, Ashworth, Barry, Blamire, Fletcher, Kerr and Langhorn) voted against, whereupon the Chairman declared the amendment to be lost.
Members then voted on the original proposal with the friendly addendum:-
Resolved:
(7 Members (Councillors Archer, Ashworth, Barry, Blamire, Fletcher, Kerr and Langhorn) voted in favour and 2 Members (Councillors Mace and Thomas) voted against.)
(1) That Cabinet notes the desire of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee that ‘a suitable agreement is obtained from Lancashire County Council to take over community swimming.’ Cabinet believes that its original decision is the best way to achieve this aim and notes the progress already made in discussions with the County Council. Therefore, in order to achieve its objective of the maintenance of the community swimming pool service within the district, Cabinet reaffirms its original decision:
(2) That the City Council issues the necessary 12 months notice to terminate the partnership agreement with the County Council, from 1 April 2010.
(3) That community swimming is redirected to the pools identified in 3.3 of this report.
(4) That the school and club swimming be handed back along with the facilities to Lancashire County Council.
(5) That the City Council negotiates with the County Council to achieve a significant revenue reduction for the City Council and reports back to Cabinet on the results of these negotiations with the County Council.
Officers responsible for effecting the decision:
Corporate Director (Regeneration)
Head of Cultural Services
Reasons for making the decision:
The decision allows the City Council to negotiate with the County Council in an effort to reduce the City Council contribution to swimming, particularly in terms of school swimming.