Agenda item - Sports Facilities Investment Programme progress update

44.1    Cllr Robins presented the Sports Facilities Investment Plan (SFIP), key points included: the current sports facilities were showing their age, which prompted the  SFIP originally – which resulted in the recommendation to create 3 hubs – in the West, North and East of the city; We are in the process of identifying a  location for the east hub which will potentially be in Moulsecooomb or Whitehawk; and a potential replacement for  Prince Regent Swimming Complex; The 10 year plan is on track with many projects already achieved by a very small team.

44.2    Cllr Shanks said that in Tower Hamlets the council are taking leisure centres back under their control, that the Padel Courts at Hove Beach Park are really busy and the operators are making a lot of money from it. Cllr Robins said that the operators pay the council to run their services, that currently Padel is very popular but that may change over time and it's the operators who are taking on that risk. Kerry Taylor said that 7sites are managed by Freedom Leisure who are a not-for-profit trust/company, and that procurement for a new contract will be advertised to the market in November. If there is an opportunity and the capacity for the council to operate Padel or another sport within a park, then that will be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

44.3    Mark Strong said that the smaller facilities like St Luke’s and Stanley Deason are all to the east of the city and that the smaller community based sites are easier to get to. Cllr Robins said they will be looking further east to create the new hub, probably Moulsecoomb or Whitehawk. Kerry Taylor said that they are looking at green ways of travelling to these sites including having electric charging points for bikes on site.

44.4    Cllr Loughran asked whether the new pool at Withdean will have windows. Kerry Taylor said they had received feedback for more natural light so plans have been updated to include frosted windows in the pool area.

44.5    Cllr Cattell praised the achievements made by the team.

44.6    RESOLVED – that the report be noted.