Following submission of an external funding application to Government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund via Sport England and receipt of a subsequent offer letter, this note sets out details of the scheme, to establish whether you are happy to agree with my decision to enter into two separate agreements for the grant funding and secure the investment.
As set out in the report of the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance
(ii)agrees that the approval of the necessary governance arrangements be delegated to the Corporate Director (Place and Economy), in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Council’s Monitoring Officer and Section 151 Officer, and that such arrangements aim to protect the Council as far as reasonably possible within the context of the responsibilities the Council may have in administering the grant funding along with any transfers of money to the independently operated Brightlingsea Lido.
As Sport England have agreed to fund the Brightlingsea Lido projects in addition to those for the Council’s facilities, the following two agreements are required:
(i)Capital Grant Agreement between Tendring District Council and Sport England.
This is to form an agreement between Sport England and Tendring District Council as the responsible authority for the grant funding. It should be noted that once the respective works are complete, the funding will be paid in arrears to the Council. Once Brightlingsea Lido have completed their requirements, the funding allocated to their project can be released.
(ii)Grant Adherence Agreement between Tendring District Council, Sport England together with Brightlingsea Town Council and Brightlingsea Lido CIO (the latter two organisations as the lease holder and operator respectively of Brightlingsea Lido).
Officers have worked with Sport England, together with Brightlingsea Town Council and Brightlingsea Lido to finalise an agreement which ensures the responsibilities of each organisation are clearly set out and formalised. This agreement ensures that direct responsibility for the projects under the jurisdiction of Brightlingsea Lido are the accountability of the lease holder (Brightlingea Town Council and operator (Brightlingsea Lido) respectively. Under this agree it is the responsibility of the Council to transfer the grant funding following receipt from Sport England to the operator, following completion of the works.
It should be noted that this decision will progress the project up to and including signing the respective agreements listed above and a separate executive decision will be published in consultation with the Council’s Section 106 Officer prior to placing an order for works. This is to account for allocating an additional budget of £0.150m towards this project, as set out in the report titled ‘OVERVIEW OF THE FINANCIAL OUTTURN 2023/24 AND PROPOSED ALLOCATION OF THE GENERAL FUND VARIANCE FOR THE YEAR AND OTHER IN-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS 2024/25’ considered by Cabinet at their meeting on 26 July 2024. Through that report, Cabinet agreed that this additional funding considered sufficient to deliver both projects should be agreed under a separate decision through a separate business case.

Following detailed consideration by Council Officers, to enter into the following agreements, in order to secure external funding under the Government’s ‘Swimming Pool Support Fund and progress the projects at Walton on the Naze Lifestyles up to and including a tender process for the upgrade of Building Management System and new Air Handling Unit for Walton on the Naze Lifestyles:-

(i) Capital Grant Agreement between Tendring District Council and Sport England; and
(ii) Grant Adherence Agreement between Tendring District Council, Sport England together with Brightlingsea Town Council and Brightlingsea Lido CIO (the latter two organisations as the lease holder and operator respectively of Brightlingsea Lido).

Note: No order for works will be raised until an executive decision has been published together with a business plan for the respective projects, to allocate additional funding as required.

Option 1 - The only alternative option considered was to not enter into agreements for the grant funding. This would have resulted in the projects receiving external funding and the business case for installation being weaker. The two installations at Walton on the Naze Lifestyles will support a reduction in energy costs and carbon emissions at the site.