To receive an update on work to identify options for swimming provision from George Candler, Director of Commissioning

George Candler, the Officer leading work on options for Swimming Provision in Shrewsbury gave a detailed verbal update to the meeting:

Background to the Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre:

• The Quarry Pool originally dates back over a 100 years and has been through a series of refurbishment/ investment projects with the latest being in the mid 1990's, and £300,000 being spent in 2007.
• It is the busiest pool in the county with over 300,000 visits last year.
• Swimming provision has increased in the last 12 months.
• Has very diverse users including over 30 schools and a wide number of clubs as well as casual users
• The fitness facility is a recent addition and is akin to most swimming pools that have a supporting facility to help with the high running costs of pools.
• Widespread recognition that the facility is in need of investment

What is Shropshire Council (SC) currently working on?

• Agreement was made by SC Cabinet in July for an officer team to look in detail at options for improved swimming provision in Shrewsbury. This officer team is being given expert assistance from Sport England (SE) and from the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA).
• Reassurance was given that SC are looking very seriously at all options and the retention of swimming provision on the existing site is very much one of these
• There are 4 Options:     1. Refurbishment of existing facility

                                      2. New build on existing site

                                      3. New build on a stand-alone site in                    ownership of SC

                                      4. New build adjacent to an existing leisure offer in SC ownership

• A full condition survey of the existing facility is underway by a specialist company.  This is looking in detail at all aspects of the building and will give us a much better understanding of what investment is required.
• For each of the other locations being considered a detailed business case will be developed looking at a range of factors including  accessibility, sustainability, economic impact, capital costs and running costs.
• Detailed analysis is ongoing of a range of data that is helping us to understand what a new pool could look like and offer to the community. This data currently informs us that there is more water than current and future demand in Shrewsbury and that the most appropriate pool provision in Shrewsbury would be a 25 metre 8 lane pool with a moveable floor, a 10m by 17m learner pool with variable floor accompanied by appropriate “dryside” fitness equipment.

What happens next?

• A formal 3 month public consultation on the options will commence in January. This will be undertaken in a range of ways including conversations with key groups and users including the Quarry Forum, a range of consultation events, displays at key venues, an online survey, social media etc.
• Further engagement with the Severn Loop Forum will form part of the consultation process
• The results of the consultation will then be analysed and reported back to SC cabinet in April/ May 2015 with a recommendation of next steps.

A range of questions were then raised by the audience and where possible answers given. If an answer could not be given a commitment to report back through the minutes was made:

Q: Can we have some reassurance that the consultation will be wide ranging and not solely dependent on a web based survey?

A: A lot of planning is going into the consultation process to ensure we make it as thorough as possible. We are learning from other area’s good practise and lessons learnt. A commitment was given to undertake a very wide ranging and thorough consultation including ongoing dialogue with the Quarry Forum, dialogue with users and clubs, face to face sessions at the pool, social media, survey work and the internet.

Q: Why doesn’t the proposal for the community to purchase and run the Quarry appear as an option?

A: The Localism Act provides the right for communities to bid for buildings/ sites of significant community value. The Quarry Forum has registered the facility as a building of community value. Through this process, should the building be put up for sale, it provides the community a six month period to raise funds against a full valuation of the building. We will make reference to the Forum’s registration in our consultation and cabinet reports, however this wouldn't necessarily have a bearing on the final decision made.

Q: Concern over the data currently showing the need for only 2 pools when the current facility with its 4 pools struggles to meet demand.

A: We continue to scrutinise this data and we are looking very carefully at programming as part of the consultation work.

Q: The existing facility has an important role in supporting the economy of the Town Centre and we need to ensure this is taken into account.

A: We are looking at economic impact of all the options and this will be clearly explained as part of the consultation process.

Q: There have been reports in the press that Serco are thinking of giving up their leisure interest? Could the Council look to work with the community like in the case of Central baths in Wolverhampton.

A: Not aware of any intention by Serco to change its role in running the facilities it operates on SC behalf. Shropshire Council has a contract for 10 years with Shropshire Community Leisure Trust to manage the facility, any potential break in the contract would have to have a very strong business case behind it but the offer of community help is very welcome and is taken on board. 

Q: What is the likely funding package for these options?

A: Funding will vary on the locations but based on work with Sport England and the ASA an indicative budget is between £7 and £8 million. Currently there is nothing allocated in the SC Capital budget and any Council investment would be subject to Cabinet approval. It is likely that external funding will be available but this will be subject to a detailed application process. 

Q: What are the other sites under consideration?

A:  we are looking at pieces of suitable land in Shropshire Council ownership in various parts of the town.

Q: The Sixth Form and the University- will depend on a central location. Is this being fully considered as part of the work?

A: Very aware of both current and future student users as well as proposed housing developments in various parts of the town. We are factoring all of these elements into our considerations

Q: Have the Council made contact with other authorities to learn from best practise, for example in St Albans?

A: We have spoken to a number of authorities. There is no- one location that replicates what we have here but we are learning lessons from what's gone well and what hasn't, particularly on the consultation and engagement work.

Cllr Williams reminded the audience that the decision will ultimately be made at SC Cabinet and that the Cabinet Member is Cllr Gwilym Butler.

Cllr Bannerman thanked George for his very useful update and reminded the audience of the consultation timetable and to ensure that all people’s views are submitted.

It was agreed that a meeting of the Forum would take place during the three month consultation period.