Agenda and minutes

To sign the minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2018.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2018 were approved, taken as read, and signed by the Chair as correct.

Councillors are reminded of the need to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests that relate to business on the agenda and which have not already been included in the register of interests, before any discussion takes place on the item. Unless the interest is sensitive, you must also disclose the nature of the interest. In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, you must then leave the room and must not participate in any further discussion of the item.  Councillors requiring clarification should seek the advice of the Monitoring Officer prior to the day of the meeting.

No declarations of pecuniary interest were made.

To consider the report of the Director (JY).

Councillor Mrs Thompson attended the meeting and spoke under Standing Order 44 on this matter.

The Director (JY) presented a report which sought final approval for the Business Plan for the operation of the new leisure complex, St Sidwell’s Point and to seek approval for the proposed procurement route for securing a new operator.

Councillor Mrs Thompson referred to the recommendation in the report and sought an explanation of the pre-tender activity and date which was anticipated to be April 2019. The Chair, thanked Councillor Mrs Thompson for raising this matter and explained that the recommendation would be amended to provide more clarity.  He advised that the phrase “pre-tender activity” would be removed altogether, as it was the procurement process itself that would commence in April 2019. The pre-tender activity would need to commence immediately, as this included work such as market engagement and consultation, preparation of tender documentation such as the Official Journal of the European Tender (OJEU) notice, an evaluation criteria, specification, and contract documentation. He added that the procurement process would need to commence in April 2019, in order, that the preferred bidder could be secured by May 2020, to allow time for a formal contract award, building handover, mobilisation and fit out for the contract to commence in December 2020.   

The Director responded to a request by Councillor Mrs Thompson for further information on the link to the procurement of all of the Council’s built leisure facilities and confirmed that further details of this would be included in the presentation.

The Director provided a high level summary of the Business Plan for St Sidwell’s Point and the procurement process. The circulated report provided Members with the detail of the pre-tender activity. The report included a recommendation which sought Executive approval for the way forward with a procurement time line of April 2019 to ensure that a new operator for the City Council’s leisure estate could be identified by 2020.  It was also important to acknowledge the relationship between procurement of the operation of St Sidwell’s Point, and the wider leisure built facilities which included the Riverside Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre, Exeter Arena and Isca Centre, Wonford Sport Centre and Northbrook Pool and Golf Course.

The Business Plan is based on the facility mix previously agreed by Members and specification and wider design included:-

·         Main Pool (25m)

·         Learner Pool

·         Multi-purpose Room/Crèche

·         Gym (140 stations)

·         2 x Group Exercise Studios

·         Spa – Sauna/Saunarium, salt vaporium, relaxation room, manicure/pedicure station and 4 x treatment rooms

·         Small soft play area

·         Café

The Director set out the priorities identified by Members which included how the Centre should operate, the membership options, desired opening times, staffing model, health and safety standards and parking arrangements all of which would be negotiated with any potential operator.  The key assumptions were presented, based on 2018/19 prices along with the inclusion of a competitive procurement process. The Director explained that the forecast Business Plan had now taken account of a number of assumptions not available  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

To pass the following resolution:

RESOLVED that, under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press excluded from the meeting for item 6 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act.

RESOLVED that, under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of the following item on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part I, Schedule 12A of the Act.

To receive the St Sidwell's Leisure Centre Operator Forecast Business Plan and Procurement detail and consider items raised in the Director’s report.

The Director (JY) sought authority for Members for approval to enter into a competitive Dialogue Procedure for the procurement of the operator of the St Sidwell’s Point Leisure Centre. The presentation included more commercially sensitive information.

A Member sought further clarification on a number of assumptions set out in the Business Plan. The Director responded and stated that the Plan included a rigorous and realistic approach to the assumptions set out.  Members welcomed the more conservative approach to the surplus estimates with the opportunity to over achieve rather than be too ambitious at the outset. 

In response to a comment by a Member requesting assurance on the quality of the Business Plan, the Chief Executive & Growth Director reminded Members that senior officers and expert consultants had produced a robust and updated plan based on Members’ priorities and assumptions using benchmarked methodologies.

RESOLVED that the Leisure Complex and Bus Station Programme Board noted the following:-

a)      forecast Business Plan for the operation of the new leisure complex, St Sidwell’s Point, and 

b)      the link to the procurement for the single operator for all built leisure facilities, and

approved the commencement a Competitive Dialogue Procedure for the procurement of the operator for the St Sidwell’s Point Leisure Complex with a specification based on the forecast Business Plan.

The next Leisure Complex and Bus Station Programme Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday 27 November 2018 at 5.30pm.

The date of the next meeting of the Leisure Complex and Bus Station Programme Board will be held on 27 November 2018.