Meeting documents

TDBC Special Full Council
Tuesday, 22nd January, 2019 6.30 pm

If there are no documents available for this meeting, please click on Attendance details, as the meeting may have been cancelled.

Venue: Council Chamber, Shire Hall, Shuttern TA1 4EU

Contact: Richard Bryant 

Items
No. Item

15.

Apologies

    Minutes:

    Councillors Mrs Adkins, Beale, Booth, Bowrah, Edwards, Farbahi, Govier, Mrs Hill, Mansell, Nicholls, Mrs Reed, Mrs Smith-Roberts, Wedderkopp and Wren.

     

    The Mayor referred to the recent death of Councillor Tom Davies.  Members stood in silence in his memory.

     

    The Mayor also reported upon Councillor Bob Bowrah who was currently very poorly.  She proposed to send the best wishes of the Council to Councillor Bowrah for a speedy recovery.  This was agreed.

     

    Mr James Hassett, the newly appointed Chief Executive of Taunton Deane Borough and West Somerset Councils, and from May 2019 Somerset West and Taunton Council, introduced himself to Members.

     

    He acknowledged that there were many challenges ahead as a result of the current Transformation process and the formation of the new Council but was optimistic these could be overcome with the full involvement of Councillors.

     

     

16.

Declarations of Interest

    To receive declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or personal or prejudicial interests, in accordance with the Code of Conduct, in relation to  items on the agenda.  Such interests need to be declared even if they have already been recorded in the Register of Interests. The personal interests of Councillors who are County Councillors or Town or Parish Councillors will automatically be recorded in the minutes.

    Minutes:

    Councillors Coles, Hunt and Prior-Sankey declared personal interests as Members of Somerset County Council. 

     

    Councillors Brown, Cavill, Gaines, Hunt, James, Mrs Stock-Williams, Townsend, Mrs Warmington and Watson all declared personal interests as Members of Town or Parish Councils.

     

17.

The following item is likely to be considered after the exclusion of the press and public because of the likelihood that exempt information would otherwise be disclosed relating to the Clause set out below of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

    Minutes:

    Resolved that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item as it included exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, and that the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

18.

Confidential - Leisure Operators Contract. Report of the Localities Manager (attached).

    PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A SPECIAL MEETING OF FULL COUNCIL. THEREFORE SOME OF THE USUAL FULL COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS ARE NOT APPLICABLE.

    Minutes:

    Considered report previously circulated, concerning the proposed award of the new Leisure Operators Contract.

     

    The existing leisure contract was currently delivered by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) following their merger with Tone Leisure in 2016.  It covered the management and operation of four sports and leisure centres and a golf course and high ropes facility.  The contract would come to an end on 31 July 2019.

     

    The Authority had advertised a new contract initially for 8 months and 10 years to 31March 2030 (with the potential to extend by mutual consent for a further 10 years to 31 March 2040) to operate the leisure centres in one ‘Lot’ (Lot 1) and the golf and high ropes facilities in a second ‘Lot’ (Lot 2).  The first 8 months would align the new contract with the Council’s financial years.

     

    The Council’s aim was that there would be no management fee payable from the Authority to operate the contract (a ‘zero subsidy’ or a ‘positive management fee’) and that the operator should take on additional repair and maintenance obligations when compared to the current situation.

               

    Following an extensive procurement process, it was now recommended that the Council should proceed to award the contract to manage the Lot 1 and Lot 2 facilities.

     

    When factoring in the saving based on current payments by Taunton Deane, the saving on maintenance responsibilities passed over to the operator of the new contract, the receipts and payments of the management fees and the one off transition costs, this represented an improved financial position for the Council over the initial life of the contract.  In the event of an extension being awarded after this time then the saving was likely to grow. 

     

    Resolved that:-

     

    1)    The contract award and associated leases of Lot 1 to the recommended contractor for an initial 8 months and 10 years with the option of extension for up to a further 10 years be approved;

     

    2)    The contract award and associated leases of Lot 2 tothe recommended contractor for an initial 8 months and 10 years with the option of extension for up to a further 10 years be approved;

     

    3)    Revisions to the Medium Term Financial Plan to reflect the new budget profiling including the necessary transition costs be approved; and

     

    4)    The principle of a capital financing loan be also approved with delegated authority being granted to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council to negotiate the final terms.  Provision for such a loan to be included in the Capital Programme for 2019/2020.