Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Healthy Lifestyles

RESOLVED THAT

1.    the revised programme of improvements to Leisure-at-Cheltenham as set out in section 3 of this report be approved.

2.    Authority be delegated to the Director Resources and Corporate Projects in consultation with the Cabinet Member Healthy Lifestyles and the Borough Solicitor to enter into a contract with Alliance Leisure Services and any other legal agreements and processes necessary to progress the scheme whilst safeguarding the Council’s interest.

Council be recommended to :

3.    Subject to the conditions in section 7 being met, authorise the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance, to seek prudential borrowing of up to £2.236m at an interest rate of 2% per annum to fund the improvements to Leisure-at-Cheltenham as detailed in Section 3 of this report;

4.    Authorise the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Healthy Lifestyles, to agree the most advantageous repayment methodology to reclaim the cost of the borrowing from the Cheltenham Trust;

The Cabinet Member Healthy Lifestyles introduced the report which sought Cabinet approval of the revised programme of improvements to Leisure-at-Cheltenham.

She explained that further to Council’s decision in March 2017 to agree the proposed works and financing arrangements the Cheltenham Trust had worked with its development partner Alliance Leisure Services to advance the scheme within the agreed financial framework. After work to further define the project it was clear that project costs would be higher but that these would be mitigated by a greater impact for customers and increases in income against a revised business plan. The original model presented to Council was based on the Trust delivering the project through a loan from the council. This method of project delivery would have incurred VAT which meant fewer improvements would have been delivered. A preferred method was now proposed whereby the council contracted Alliance Leisure Services. In doing so the VAT would be recoverable and the project would deliver greater public benefit for the cost incurred. The revised report thus provided cost certainty on the main project ad the benefits were laid out in paragraph 2.7 of the report. This would provide not only a good facility but also addressed the council’s concerns on financing and the future of Leisure-at-Cheltenham as a growing concern.

The Leader added that this had been a long and complicated process and thanked all those who had been involved.

RESOLVED THAT

1.    the revised programme of improvements to Leisure-at-Cheltenham as set out in section 3 of this report be approved.

2.    Authority be delegated to the Director Resources and Corporate Projects in consultation with the Cabinet Member Healthy Lifestyles and the Borough Solicitor to enter into a contract with Alliance Leisure Services and any other legal agreements and processes necessary to progress the scheme whilst safeguarding the Council’s interest.

Council be recommended to :

3.    Subject to the conditions in section 7 being met, authorise the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance, to seek prudential borrowing of up to £2.236m at an interest rate of 2% per annum to fund the improvements to Leisure-at-Cheltenham as detailed in Section 3 of this report;

4.    Authorise the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Healthy Lifestyles, to agree the most advantageous repayment methodology to reclaim the cost of the borrowing from the Cheltenham Trust;