Agenda and minutes

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda

No declarations of interest were made.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the meeting. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide three clear working days’ notice, in writing, in order for an informed answer to be given.

There were no members of the public present.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th October 2009.

In accordance with Minute 23, resolution (3) of the minutes of the Sub-Committee’s meeting of 8^th October, the Officers had prepared a demographic profile of the Borough, subdivided according to age and locality (Borough Ward). Copies were circulated at the meeting.

RESOLVED

That

(1)   the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th October 2009 be approved as a correct record; and

(2)   the demographic profile circulated at the meeting be noted.

The reports relating to the remaining items on the agenda have been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the matters may be determined with the press and public excluded.

The Committee may decide that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

PART 2 – MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT THE PUBLIC AND PRESS PRESENT

RESOLVED

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

To consider the conclusions and recommendation in the Consultants’ final report with a view to offering advice to Cabinet.

The Sub-Committee considered the final report by the Council’s consultants, PMP Genesis Consulting, on the Cheshire East Leisure Management Options Appraisal. The report set out the strategic context for the review, an analysis and evaluation of the options for future management and service delivery, and the consultants’ key findings and recommendations. Members noted the recommendation to pursue a new local trust vehicle for the reasons set out in the report.

Since the production of the final report, the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing and other Members of the Cabinet had considered the report conclusions in the light of the budget-setting process. It had been suggested that the implementation of any recommendations should be “put on hold” until a fuller assessment of the implications from the report could be conducted. There was an interest in particular in making connections between leisure services and other strategic interests of the Council, such as library services. In addition, if the Council were successful in securing Building Schools for the Future funding, it would be keen to explore the scope for library services and leisure provision to be appropriately integrated into new developments.

A further benefit of deferring a decision on the recommendation in the Consultants’ report would be to allow an evaluation of the Facility Improvement Service which was expected to produce a series of conclusions and a framework for the production of a facilities development strategy in February 2010.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet be recommended not to proceed at this time with any further work to progress a Trust as the delivery model, and the Consultants’ recommendation be placed on hold while further consideration is given to the wider strategic issues and opportunities identified.