Agenda and minutes

Councillors’ Pickup, Stringer, Stubbs and Waring all represent Kidsgrove Wards and Councillor Pickup is a Governor at Kings School.

A verbal update will be given in relation to the attached Cabinet report.

With regard to the replacement facility:

Consideration of a constant depth pool of modular construction had been undertaken by officers with partners and moveable floor for the main 25m six lane pool is now recommended as the preferred solution to provide optimum flexibility in the operation of the pool and its programme.

Officers are working with the Kings School, the Litchfield Dioceses Education Board, the County Council, the Penda Partnership and their architect to progress the feasibility study. Further details were reported under item 4 below.

Cabinet had resolved to establish a Cabinet Panel to provide the leadership and governance to bring the project to fruition and this was the first meeting of the Cabinet Panel.  

With regard to extending the current agreement:

The existing Joint Use Agreement makes provision for the parties to extend the

current agreement. Members were keen to see this concluded and the temporary contracts of staff at Kidsgrove Sports Centre extended in line with the Joint Use Agreement.

With regard to a Community Use Agreement for School Facilities:

A draft agreement has been sent to the school for discussion. The principle is that the school sports hall and astro-pitch are operated by the sports centre to comply with the planning condition for community use and on a self-financing basis.

The draft agreement is to be circulated to the Cabinet Panel for comment, prior to approval.

Discussion also took place in relation to the size of the new school sports hall. Members felt that a 3court sports hall was far from ideal for community use and that the school and/or the Diocese should fund the extension to a 4court hall in order to compliment the proposed investment in the leisure centre. A representative from the Diocese Education Board will be invited to the next Cabinet Panel to explore this further. A paper, explaining the efforts that the school had gone to so far was submitted by Councillor Geoff Locke, Chair of the Governors at Kings School and this demonstrated that even if successful in obtaining a grant from Sport England there was still a shortfall in funding.

Resolved:       That the information be received.

An overview of the Feasibility Reports dated 18 January 2016 and 22 January 2016 was given by the Head of Leisure and Cultural Services:

The first report considered location on the campus and demonstrated that the only place to redevelop was on the site of the existing sports centre. It considered two options: A two storey design located over the existing foyer sports hall, studio and dry-side changing, which would allow the existing pools to remain open during the construction of the new leisure centre; and a single storey design that was considered to be a more suitable replacement facility and could be extended (with a sports hall at a later date – If required), but the footprint of this design went over the existing swimming pool. It was reported therefore that the architect has been instructed to move this design further forward on the site to meet the requirement of keeping the existing swimming pools open throughout the construction.

The second feasibility report, dated 22 January 2016 addressed these issues by moving the building forward on the site, so that the existing swimming pools can be kept in operation during construction of the new swimming pool and then demolished post completion. However, this approach introduces a further phase in that the studios would need to built after the demolition of the existing swimming pools.  

Costings based on the design will be produced in due course but it was noted that currently there is no funding committed to the project by either the County Council or Borough Council, to deliver the aspiration of the New Leisure Centre that has been agreed in the District Deal Letter.    

Resolved:       That the information be received.

It is anticipated that the school will take occupation of the new block in January 2017, so work on the new leisure centre cannot start until early 2017.

Demolition of the existing dry side will need to take place (12 weeks) before construction of the new pool and gym (50 weeks) and demolition of the existing pool (12 weeks) and construction of the studios (8 weeks).

Resolved:       That the information be received.

Agreement to extend current Joint Use Agreement to be concluded by the end of February 2016.

Draft Agreement for the management of community use of the new school facilities (astro-pitch and sports hall) to be circulated to Cabinet Panel.

Feedback on designs is to be relayed to the Architect at next partnership meeting on 2 March 2016).

Costing for the single storey leisure centre, keeping the existing pools open is to be obtained from Kier, both in terms of capital expenditure and lease back.

Resolved:       That the information be received

To be confirmed.