Lead Member – Councillor Stuart West – Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture

Report of the Director of Place and Enterprise, TO FOLLOW

Contact: George Candler   Tel: 01743 255003

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet confirms that:

1. The Council’s preferred location for improved swimming provision in Shrewsbury is the Shrewsbury Sports Village.  This decision is based on the options appraisal which was reported in detail to Cabinet on the 13^th July 2016.
   
   
2. In view of the outcome of the public consultation and interest in the retention of a town centre location any interested organisations who wishes to do so, is given the opportunity of up to 12 months to develop alternative business case proposals to retain swimming provision at the Quarry or other town centre location.
   
   
3. There should be an interim stage and that interested organisations are provided with the opportunity to submit a Strategic Outline Business Case.  Any interested organisation which does not meet minimum criteria will be given an opportunity of addressing weaknesses or may choose to withdraw their interest.
   
   
4. All Strategic Outline Business Cases and Full Business Cases, including the Council’s Strategic Outline Business Case and Full Business Case for the Shrewsbury Sports Village, will be evaluated against the process, timetable, evaluation requirements and methodology set out within the Terms of Reference included as Appendix 1 on a comparative basis.
   
   
5. A report on the outcome of the evaluation of all submitted Full Business Cases will be brought back to Cabinet in due course for a decision on the final preferred location.  A decision on whether to go ahead with the replacement of the existing pool can be taken thereafter in light of the Council’s Financial Strategy.
   
   

Councillors Malcolm Price and Alan Mosley left the meeting during consideration of this item. 

The Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture presented a report from the Director of Place and Enterprise on improved swimming facilities for Shrewsbury.

Councillor Roger Evans stated that he disagreed wholeheartedly with the content of the report; he considered that it was biased and had ignored the consultation results and the views of local people.  He stated that the Council should seek to work in partnership with the local community and keep the Quarry pool open.

The Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, Councillor Stuart West, stressed that the Council had listened and continued to listen to the local community and he drew attention to the 12-month period for interested organisations to come forward with business cases to keep swimming provision on the Quarry site.

The Deputy Leader commented that the report detailed the Shrewsbury Sports Village, the Sundorne site as the preferred option against which the Quarry option would be compared and thus opened the door for a true comparison to be made.  The Portfolio Holder for Adults, Councillor Lee Chapman agreed that the Council needed to identify its preferred option in order for a true comparison with any other bid to be made.  He suggested that the 12-month window needed to be used wisely by all parties.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet confirms that:

1. The Council’s preferred location for improved swimming provision in Shrewsbury is the Shrewsbury Sports Village.  This decision is based on the options appraisal which was reported in detail to Cabinet on the 13^th July 2016.
   
   
2. In view of the outcome of the public consultation and interest in the retention of a town centre location any interested organisations who wishes to do so, is given the opportunity of up to 12 months to develop alternative business case proposals to retain swimming provision at the Quarry or other town centre location.
   
   
3. There should be an interim stage and that interested organisations are provided with the opportunity to submit a Strategic Outline Business Case.  Any interested organisation which does not meet minimum criteria will be given an opportunity of addressing weaknesses or may choose to withdraw their interest.
   
   
4. All Strategic Outline Business Cases and Full Business Cases, including the Council’s Strategic Outline Business Case and Full Business Case for the Shrewsbury Sports Village, will be evaluated against the process, timetable, evaluation requirements and methodology set out within the Terms of Reference included as Appendix 1 on a comparative basis.
   
   
5. A report on the outcome of the evaluation of all submitted Full Business Cases will be brought back to Cabinet in due course for a decision on the final preferred location.  A decision on whether to go ahead with the replacement of the existing pool can be taken thereafter in light of the Council’s Financial Strategy.