Issue - meetings

Report of Chief Finance Officer and Director of Tourism and Enterprise

Lead Cabinet members: Councillor Zoe Nicholson and Ruth O’Keeffe

(Key decision):

(1) To welcome the support and recommendation from the Policy and Performance Advisory Committee at its meeting on 15 September 2020, and to agree, at this stage, to provide a loan to Wave Leisure Trust up to a maximum of £500k.

(2) To delegate authority to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Lead Member for Finance and Assets and the Lead Member for Tourism and Devolution to agree terms for the loan.

(3) To write to the Government and ask that financial support be provided for leisure centres and that policy and legislation be considered that allows leisure centres to operate.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive and Director of Tourism and Enterprise, noting the impact of Covid-19 on Wave Leisure Trust and the Trust’s plans for re-mobilisation. The report considers the provision of financial loan/grant support to the Trust to assist it in its recovery programme.

Duncan Kerr, Chief Executive for Wave Leisure Trust addressed the Cabinet on this item, thanking them for their support and responded to questions.

A referral from the Policy and Performance Advisory Committee (PPAC), held on 15 September 2020 was presented by Councillor Liz Boorman, Deputy-Chair of PPAC and considered by Cabinet during their discussions.

Following discussions, the Cabinet resolved to make revisions to the officer recommendations, incorporating PPAC’s recommendation and this was detailed in full below.

Resolved (Key decision):

(1) To welcome the support and recommendation from the Policy and Performance Advisory Committee at its meeting on 15 September 2020, and to agree, at this stage, to provide a loan to Wave Leisure Trust up to a maximum of £500k.

(2) To delegate authority to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Lead Member for Finance and Assets and the Lead Member for Tourism and Devolution to agree terms for the loan.

(3) To write to the Government and ask that financial support be provided for leisure centres and that policy and legislation be considered that allows leisure centres to operate.

Reason for decisions:

To recognise the value of the service provided by Wave Leisure Trust (WLT) as a long-term partner of the Council in the provision of leisure services across the district and to contribute to the re-mobilisation of WLT’s services in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown.