(Relevant Portfolio Holder: Councillor Y Gagen)
Minutes:
Consideration was given to the report of the Corporate Director of Place and Community as contained on pages 675 to 693 of the Book of Reports, which sought approval of the proposed revised strategy for the procurement of new Wellbeing and Leisure Hubs and the future operational options for Leisure facilities.
A Motion circulated prior to the meeting was moved and seconded.
A vote was taken, the Motion was CARRIED.
RESOLVED: A. That the decision of Cabinet held on 2nd November 2021, set out in Appendix 2 to the report, be endorsed as follows:
"1. That the minutes of the West Lancashire Leisure Partnership Cabinet Working Group held on 12 October 2021 as attached as appendix 1 to the report and the preferred options recommended by the Group, be endorsed.
2. That given the assessments of future operational options detailed in section 6 of the report, Option 3 should be pursued as the preferred option for the future Leisure Procurement and Operating positions.
3. That in respect of the financial modelling detail in section 7 of the report, that in the first instance Option 1 should be pursued to reduce the reliance on prudential borrowing on the schemes and allow both buildings to be developed in parallel and consider what option is preferred should Option 1 be unsuccessful.
4. That in respect of the extension of the Leisure contract it is recommended that Option 2 in paragraph 8 of the report should be pursued as agreed by the Leisure Procurement Cabinet Working Group on 12 October 2021.
5. That the Director of Place and Community, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Human Resources and Leisure, be granted delegated authority to develop a Leisure only approach to the development of the Wellbeing and Leisure Hubs, as detailed in section 5 of the report.
6. That the Director of Place and Community, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Human Resources and Leisure be granted delegated authority to develop a Design and Build (D&B) approach to the development of the Wellbeing and Leisure Hubs as detailed in section 6 and section 8 of the report.
7. That the Director of Place and Community, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Human Resources and Leisure be granted delegated authority to develop a bid to the Levelling Up Fund in relation to the development of the new Skelmersdale Wellbeing and Leisure Hub as detailed in section 5 of the report.
8. That the Director of Place and Community and the Head of Finance, Procurement and Commercial Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Human Resources and Leisure and the Portfolio Holder for Resources and Transformation, be granted delegated authority to provide the necessary resources to support a Levelling Up Fund bid as detailed at 7.16 of the report.
9. That the Director of Place and Community and the Head of Finance, Procurement and Commercial Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Human Resources and Leisure and the Portfolio Holder for Resources and Transformation, be granted delegated authority to engage the professional design team as detailed in 7.17 of the report.
10. That the Director of Place and Community, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Human Resources and Leisure, be granted delegated authority to undertake a procurement exercise to procure a Leisure Contract using the approach detailed at paragraphs 8.5 to 8.15 of the report.
11. That the Director of Place and Community, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Human Resources and Leisure, be granted delegated authority to negotiate a short term contractual arrangement with Serco Leisure to cover the period from 1st April 2022 until the procurement of a Leisure Contract has been concluded and to enter into contractual arrangements as required."
Subject to the inclusion of the following, which reflects the outcome of the West Lancashire Leisure Partnership Cabinet Working Group held on 12 October 2021:
12. That in relation to 4 and 10 above, the number of variant bids included in the procurement exercise to procure a new Leisure Contract will not exceed 3 and it be agreed that variant options 4 and 5 as detailed at 8.5 of the report will not be included.
13. That the length of contract offered in the procurement exercise to procure a new Leisure Contract, as referenced at 8.5 option 2, should be defined as 10 years plus an option to extend of 5 years.
14. That in respect of the financial modelling detail in section 7 of the report, that in the first instance Option 1 should be pursued to reduce the reliance on prudential borrowing on the schemes and allow both buildings to be developed in parallel and that if option 1 is unsuccessful two redesigned buildings, still offering excellent facilities, should be pursued within an affordable prudential borrowing model.
B. That the financial elements set out in paragraph 8 of the report be approved.
(Note: Councillor Coughlan left the room whilst this item was under consideration.)