Agenda item

To consider a report seeking approval to implement the series of proposals from the review, some from 1April 2024, whilst having considered and taken due regard to the output of the consultation process.

The committee considered the report which provided an update on the progress of the implementation of Cheshire East’s Strategic Leisure Review following approval of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy 2023-27 at Full Council on 22 February 2023 and following the previous report to the committee in November 2023 which gave approval to undertake a consultation exercise.

Cllr Sewart attended the meeting to speak as a visiting member and expressed that he felt that the report had a geographical bias against the north of the borough. Cllr Sewart felt that it was unfair to ask Town and Parish Councils to bridge funding gaps, particularly where contributions would vary between towns, and was concerned that residents from surrounding areas would also be using the facilities without those Town and Parish Councils contributing. Cllr Sewart also raised a concern that air source heat pumps had been installed at the Poynton site but were not yet connected. During discussion of the item, officers advised that the delay with the air source heat pump was with the electricity provider as an upgraded grid connection was awaited.

Cllr Kolker also spoke as a visiting member and as the Council’s representative at Everybody Health and Leisure and the Chair of Trustees. Cllr Kolker thanked all Cheshire East officers and members who had worked with Everybody Health and Leisure to seek fair solutions. He believed the recommendations overall would help to safeguard the leisure estate for future years.

During consideration of the item, the committee resolved to move into part 2 to consider the confidential report and appendix. Cllr Whitaker left the meeting before the committee returned to part 1 and gave apologies for the rest of the meeting.

The committee moved back into part 1 for the debate in which the following points were raised:

• There was concern that a lack of investment in the Knutsford, Poynton and Alsager sites could negatively impact their chances of sustainability
• Where leisure facilities would be transferred to schools (Holmes Chapel and Middlewich), there was a request for the Council to work with schools to ensure affordable, quality provision long term
• Some members felt that all Town and Parish Councils with a leisure centre should be asked to provide the same amount of funding support
• There was also a view put forward that there should be recognition of Town and Parish Councils varying in size and that any funding agreement should be based on a ratio to avoid smaller towns and parishes subsidising larger ones
• There was a need to be mindful that there were several pieces of work within the committee’s remit to which Town and Parish Councils were being asked to contribute and that it may not always be possible to secure the required funding

An amendment was moved and seconded which sought to amend recommendation 4 in the report to the following:

Note the requirement for a further update to be brought to Committee in mid-2024/25 to set out the progress in delivering the required MTFS saving, to set out further proposals in order to deliver a balanced budget and a programme of investment to counter the current lack of future proofing at Poynton, Alsager and Knutsford for inclusion in future MTFS programmes subject to favourable fiscal conditions.

This was carried by majority and became part of the substantive motion.

There was a request for the update report to be brought to committee no later than the 26 September 2024 meeting.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

That the Environment and Communities Committee:

1. Note the progress made to date in implementing the Strategic Leisure Review included as a specific proposal within the Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2023-27 as approved at Council on 22 February 2023, including the feedback from the recent public consultation exercise

2. Approve the final details of the proposals to meet the MTFS budget savings target for 2024/25 onwards, as set out at paragraphs 39-51 of this report

3. Delegate authority to the Interim Director Environment and Neighbourhoods to take all necessary steps to implement the proposals including but not limited to:

a. Make the necessary changes to the operating agreement with Everybody Health and Leisure to secure additional income or cost reductions to the Council subsidies paid

b. Enter into a modification of the existing leisure operating agreement, subject to the constraints set out in the associated Part 2 report

c. Take forward to completion asset disposals at the Holmes Chapel and Middlewich joint use sites, to allow alternative local delivery models to establish

d. Implement pricing increases to the joint / access facilities access agreements for joint use school sites and

e. Enter into “top up” funding agreements with Town and Parish Councils relating to the safeguarding of leisure provision for their local area

4. Note the requirement for a further update to be brought to Committee in mid-2024/25 to set out the progress in delivering the required MTFS saving, to set out further proposals in order to deliver a balanced budget and a programme of investment to counter the current lack of future proofing at Poynton, Alsager and Knutsford for inclusion in future MTFS programmes subject to favourable fiscal conditions