Agenda item

Community use agreements with the Sigma Trust for the two Joint Use Sports Facilities at Brightlingsea and Harwich Sports Centres are due to expire on 31 December 2021. This report sets out options for consideration by Cabinet and a recommendation on how to proceed.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    notes that the Joint Use Agreements between the Council and the Sigma Trust for the Harwich and Brightlingsea Sports Centres end on 31 December 2021;

(b)     agrees to the provision of transitional support from existing resources, for up to three months, to extend the community use of the facilities where possible;

(c)     invites representatives from the relevant Town Councils and the Sigma Trust to join an engagement group to meet during the transition period to work through the operations of providing community use from the facilities;

(d)     considers the development of the leisure and sports offer across the District through the Corporate Plan and emerging strategies; and

(e)    welcomes the opportunity for the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee to provide an input into the work identified in (d) above over the coming weeks with the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Tourism and officers.

Earlier on in the meeting Councillor I J Henderson had declared a Personal Interest in relation to this item. However, he had been granted a Dispensation by the Council’s Monitoring Officer in order to allow him to speak on this matter.

The Cabinet gave consideration to a report of the Leisure & Tourism Portfolio Holder (A.5) which sets out options for consideration by Cabinet and a recommendation on how to proceed in the light of the fact that community use agreements with the Sigma Trust for the two Joint Use Sports Facilities at Brightlingsea and Harwich Sports Centres were due to end on 31 December 2021.

It was reported that, over a period of 30 years and 15 years respectively, this Council had managed community use arrangements at Brightlingsea (BSC) and Harwich Sports Centres (HSC). Agreements with the respective schools had enabled the Council to open facilities to the public on those non-Council owned sites after curriculum hours, and in some cases for daytime use also.

Cabinet was reminded that, in August 2021, the Council, in conjunction with the Sigma Trust, had decided to extend the agreements for five months, from their original expiry date of 31 July 2021, until 31 December 2021.  This was to ensure that all appropriate residents and stakeholders could be consulted and an evaluation could be undertaken for a considered decision by Cabinet on the Council’s future involvement.        

Members were advised that the combined subsidy for managing community use facilities on the school sites was £146,969 and prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, combined attendances had decreased year-on-year from 68,832 to 61,864 (between 2017 and 2019).  In order to address that decline, a significant investment programme was considered to be necessary.

Cabinet was aware that the Council’s own facilities at Dovercourt and Walton had been subject to investment over recent years and that a refurbishment was close to completion at Clacton Leisure Centre.  The Joint Use Facilities also required investment and Cabinet would need to consider the viability and advisability of investing in facilities which the Council did not own.  This should also be considered in the context of longer term investment requirements for the three facilities under the Council’s ownership at Clacton Leisure Centre (CLC), Dovercourt Bay Lifestyles (DBL) and Walton-on-the-Naze Lifestyles (WONL).

It was reported that in order to establish local views on current and future community use of those facilities prior to a Cabinet decision, a six week consultation exercise had been carried out.  The consultation focussed on those facilities incorporated into the Joint Use Agreements and the full breakdown of that exercise was set out in Appendix C to the Portfolio Holder’s report.  Consultation had also taken place with both Brightlingsea Town Council and Harwich Town Council, to establish opinions and whether they would consider future involvement in the operation of BSC and HSC respectively.  Officers could facilitate further discussions with the respective Town Councils and the Trust, to establish if there was an appetite for involvement in opening the facilities for community use.  This would also apply to any health partners, who might consider opening up a dialogue. 

Members recalled that the Schools which hosted the Joint Use Sports Facilities at BSC and HSC were managed by the Sigma Trust, who also retained responsibility for Clacton County High School.  BSC had been under the Trust’s management since 1 January 2019 and HSC from 1 June 2017.  Consultation with the Sigma Trust had also taken place. 

Cabinet was informed that how people accessed physical activity had changed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, with a visible increase in those exercising in public open space and making use of the natural environment.  This had included walking, running, cycling and water sports such as Stand up Paddle Boarding.  Involvement with partners in the Sport England Local Delivery Pilot was one of the Council’s key priorities for 2021/22 and that scheme had invested in alternative activities which did not rely on built facilities, such as Essex Pedal Power and community ‘gamification’ such as Street Tag and Beat the Street.

Cabinet was aware that a Sports Facilities Strategy had been due to be brought forward for its consideration in 2020, but that this had been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  As there was significant turbulence in the leisure sector and wider economy, largely instigated by two national lockdowns, it had not been considered appropriate to adopt a strategy at that time. Proposals were in place to develop the sports facilities strategy by March 2022.

Members were advised that the aim in taking decisions on the future of the joint-use agreement was to sustain the greatest use of facilities for sport and leisure, whilst reducing significant pressure on the Council’s overall financial position and, in addition, to look at meeting the Council’s strategic ambitions for sport and leisure in improving local activity levels and opportunities for improving health outcomes.

To that end a number of options had been put forward by the Leisure & Tourism Portfolio Holder in his report for Cabinet to consider, namely:-

It had been recommended by the Leisure & Tourism Portfolio Holder in his report that Cabinet follow Option C above and note that the Joint Use Agreements for BSC and HSC on sites outside of the Council’s ownership, would expire on 31 December 2021.

The Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee (“the Committee”) had also considered the Portfolio Holder’s report at its meeting held on 13 December 2021 (Minute 45 referred) and had decided to recommend to Cabinet that –

“(a) the proposal to cabinet in the report to it on the joint use sports facilities at Brightlingsea and Harwich is placed on hold (and appropriate steps taken to facilitate this status quo continuing), to allow the proposal to be considered:

(i)      within the context of the councils emerging Sports Facility Strategy (due to be published in March 2022); and

(ii)     in conjunction with the future intentions of the Sigma Trust (which are, as yet, unknown).

(b) it adopts the above as it will allow an all-encompassing scrutiny of the future provision of Council sports facility provision and, as the Joint Use Facilities Budget is not to be immediately reallocated, there is no immediate need for this decision to be implemented.

[Note: In respect of appropriate steps in the above recommendation it was agreed that this shall include approaching the Sigma Trust on the issue, discussing the proposal and agreeing the extension of the agreement should the Sigma Trust agree to this.]”

The Committee had also decided to -

“(a) authorise the Chairman to discuss with the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Tourism the possibility of establishing a group of Members to consider the emerging Sports Facilities Strategy (including the provision for sports in Brightlingsea and Harwich).

(b)   note that the following were adopted statements by this Council in respect of sports and leisure provision:

Page 108 of Section 2 of Tendring District Local Plan 2013-2023 and beyond –in respect of provision for Healthy Places.

“Indoor sports facilities including sports halls, health and fitness facilities and swimming pools are classed as ‘Community Facilities’ and are protected through Policy HP2. The Council will work with partners to improve the provision of indoor sports facilities in the District and will support proposals for new facilities subject to meeting the requirements of other policies in this Local Plan and may consider the use of all delivery mechanisms including Community Infrastructure Levy to help deliver new and improved existing Indoor sports facilities to meet the needs of a growing population”.

Page 30 of the Playing Pitch Strategy and Action Plan for Tendring District Council and its partners (June 2017):

“Recommendation c – Maximise community use of education sites where there is a need to do so given the mix of provider in Tendring, there is a need for the Council and NGBs to work with other partners, for example, town and parish councils to help maximise use of outdoor sports facilities and in particular grass pitches and AGPs”.”

With the permission of the Chairman, Councillors Barry and Steady, Ward Members for Brightlingsea who were present in the public gallery, addressed the Cabinet on this matter.

During the consideration of this item the Chairman adjourned the meeting for a period of approximately 15 minutes.

Having duly considered all of the information, advice and available options contained in the Leisure & Tourism Portfolio Holder’s report together with the recommendations and other submissions made by the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee and by Members at the meeting and in order to enable this matter to be progressed to a satisfactory conclusion:-

It was moved by Councillor Porter, seconded by Councillor McWilliams and:-

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    notes that the Joint Use Agreements between the Council and the Sigma Trust for the Harwich and Brightlingsea Sports Centres end on 31 December 2021;

(b)     agrees to the provision of transitional support from existing resources, for up to three months, to extend the community use of the facilities where possible;

(c)     invites representatives from the relevant Town Councils and the Sigma Trust to join an engagement group to meet during the transition period to work through the operations of providing community use from the facilities;

(d)     considers the development of the leisure and sports offer across the District through the Corporate Plan and emerging strategies; and

(e)    welcomes the opportunity for the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee to provide an input into the work identified in (d) above over the coming weeks with the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Tourism and officers.