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Issue - meetings
Bohemia leisure and cultural facilities study
Meeting: 06/01/2020 - Cabinet (Item 227)
227 Bohemia leisure and cultural facilities study PDF 158 KB
Additional documents:
Decision:
1. To agree in principle to provide a new leisure centre and leisure water, and primary entertainment centre on the Bohemia site, significantly improving on the town’s current leisure and cultural offer, with provision for adding an arts centre if capital and revenue funding can be obtained
2. £100 000 be set aside to commission detailed site and topographical surveys of the land, to inform and de-risk the next stage of the work; £35 000 to come from existing budgets, £65 000 to be a ‘growth item’ funded from general reserves
3. A report be brought back to cabinet in autumn 2020 reporting on the outcome of the site surveys, recommending a location for the new leisure and entertainment centre, with provision for an arts centre, which would also take into account the potential value of investing in housing elsewhere on the site. This would consider alternative models for financing the work, and include a
funding/partnership/investment strategy.
Minutes:
The Director of Operational Services presented a report that updated Cabinet on the Bohemia leisure and cultural facilities options appraisal study. The report makes recommendations for the next steps in the scheme.
The study had been undertaken led by consultants Continuum. They have done a considerable amount of work and have held regular meetings with the relevant officers and lead councillors. They have consulted with a number of stakeholders including leisure and cultural sectors locally, and sport’s national governing bodies, operators and local authority neighbours.
The next step is to commission detailed site and topographical surveys of the land. This would be before detailed site and building design works would commence. This would help to de-risk the project before more substantial sums are invested in detailed design work, and will make any development a more attractive proposition for investors/partners.
Councillors discussed the benefits that this would bring to the town’s residents. Residents were looking forward to this development and there was a real need for access to high quality activities to improve wellbeing and health within the town. The current leisure facilities are no longer fit for purpose based on the town’s needs. Repairing the facilities would actually cost more in the long term.
Councillors were pleased with the proposals but some felt that it was the wrong time to be spending the money given the Councils current financial position.
Councillors spoke about a council that had completed a similar project which produced significant measurable positive effects for these residents including savings for other public bodies such as health services. They believe that this could negate the effects of deprivation within the town.
The proposed works aim to offset the costs. Councillors felt that spending the money for survey work was a good investment in a project that would benefit residents.
Councillor Forward proposed approval of the recommendations of the report, seconded by Councillor Batsford.
RESOLVED (7 for, 2 against)
1. To agree in principle to provide a new leisure centre and leisure water, and primary entertainment centre on the Bohemia site, significantly improving on the town’s current leisure and cultural offer, with provision for adding an arts centre if capital and revenue funding can be obtained
2. £100 000 be set aside to commission detailed site and topographical surveys of the land, to inform and de-risk the next stage of the work; £35 000 to come from existing budgets, £65 000 to be a ‘growth item’ funded from general reserves
3. A report be brought back to cabinet in autumn 2020 reporting on the outcome of the site surveys, recommending a location for the new leisure and entertainment centre, with provision for an arts centre, which would also take into account the potential value of investing in housing elsewhere on the site. This would consider alternative models for financingthe work, and include a funding/partnership/investment strategy.
Reasons for Recommendation
To ensure that the project can be taken forward in a sensible, cost-effective way.
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