Issue - meetings

(a)        That the strategic significance of the sports centre be recognised and the Councils role as the applicant for grant funding for the project be noted.

(b)        That a further report be submitted to Cabinet in the spring of 2013 reporting progress made on the project and the outcome of external funding applications.

Cabinet received a report providing it with an overview on the strategic significance of Clayton Sports Centre and the key issues concerning its long term sustainability.

The Portfolio Holder stated that the facility had strategic significance in terms of the provision of a multi use publicly accessible sports hall which could be used for a range of sports such as football, badminton, cricket and others.  The location of this facility, within the same general location as Newcastle Rugby Club, Newcastle and Hartshill Cricket Club, Newcastle Town Football Club and the cycling velodrome, with all the associated sports development activities that took place, increased the importance of the venue.

For the past forty two years Clayton Sports Centre had been directly managed by the SDSA as a charitable trust.  During this period the centre had been exceptionally well used by the local community, and had an annual footfall of circa 35,000.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance Budget Management confirmed that Cabinet was not being asked for capital funding but officer time to help with fundraising.

The Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities requested that a safeguard be included in the resolution to ensure that a management process was put in place at the sports centre to ensure that a contingency fund would be available in the future should funding be required again. The Leader confirmed that this would be written into the final agreement with the Sports Centre but that care had to be taken to ensure that this did not lead to an increase in prices.

Resolved:      (a)        That the strategic significance of the sports centre be recognised and the Councils role as the applicant for grant funding for the project be noted.

(b)        That a further report be submitted to Cabinet in the spring of 2013 reporting progress made on the project and the outcome of external funding applications.