Agenda item

To consider a report by the Lead Officer: Commercial Leisure, which summarises the WAO report and outlines the performance of Denbighshire Leisure Services in comparison to other Local Authorities in Wales, had been circulated previously.

                                                                                                            9.35 a.m.

A copy of a report by the Lead Officer: Commercial Leisure (LOCL) had been circulated with the papers for the meeting.

The Lead Member for Community Development introduced the report which summarised the Wales Audit Office’s (WAO) national report on Leisure Services from Denbighshire’s perspective.  He explained that:-

·                     on the whole the national report reflected positively on Leisure Services in Denbighshire, with a number of ‘best practice’ examples being cited as ones being operated in Denbighshire’s Service e.g. the Service having a clear long-term vision and strategy, and subject to a very strict service challenge process that was supported and evidenced via a ‘dashboard’ that contained a varied range of useful performance data;

·                     whilst, contrary to a number of local authorities, Denbighshire had retained control of its Leisure Services it did take a very commercial approach to the delivering the Service.  It provided the fourth lowest subsidy in Wales to Leisure Services;

·                     whilst the national WAO report seemed to be advocating a ‘trust model’ as an appropriate model for delivering leisure services during times of financial constraints, Denbighshire was firmly of the view that this was not the most cost effective model for delivering the services residents expected.  Nevertheless, the Council regularly reviewed its service business model and, if following an options appraisal a more effective model for delivering the Service came to the forefront, Members would be asked to examine it.

Responding to Members’ questions the Lead Member and officers advised that:-

·                     some of the data in the report was confusing as it did not compare ‘like’ with ‘like’ e.g. the number of leisure centre users – Denbighshire only counted those who actually used the leisure facilities in the county, whilst some other counties counted the ‘number of visitors’ to leisure centres, regardless of the fact whether they utilised any of the facilities, classes or events;

·                     Denbighshire’s usage figures were based on actual data and not on estimated figures;

·                     the Council’s subsidy to the Service was reducing year on year;

·                     Leisure Service’s staff were now being utilised more wisely and consequently deployed hen needed to relieve pressure within the Service at busy times e.g.  meeting holidaying visitors at the refurbished Nova Centre and directing them to where they want to go, promoting services on offer to enhance service-users’ health-being;

·                     the Nova Centre had already achieved its first year operating target and the recently re-furbished Leisure Centre at Ruthin was also performing well and on target to deliver in line with its objectives;

·                     the Service on all occasions monitored its energy usage and was constantly exploring cost effective methods and technological developments that might reduce running costs.  To date it had installed a biomass boiler in Rhyl, pool covers, LED lighting in certain premises, variable speed pumps etc. The installation of solar panels had not to date been deemed to be a viable option.

Members highlighted the various opportunities available in Denbighshire to promote and support residents’ health and well-being and the need to promote all activities, be they those provided by Leisure Services or those available via Countryside Services.  They emphasised the need for both services to work together to promote all opportunities and the activities arranged by voluntary organisations in the county and liaise with the Communications and Marketing Service with a view to highlighting and promoting the availability of all types of physical activity to enhance residents’ general health and well-being on the Council’s website.  The Committee:

RESOLVED – that subject to the above observations:-

(i)            to congratulate the Service on its excellent work to date, and on where it is placed in terms of leisure service provision in comparison to other local authorities in Wales;

(ii)          to encourage the Service to continue to deliver and improve the services it provides; and

(iii)         that consideration around an options appraisal for different operating models should continue to be reviewed as the landscape changes.