Agenda item

(Leisure & Community Services Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-031-2017/18).

(Leisure & Community Services Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached Appendices alongside the main report (C-031-2017/18).

(1)        That, given the level of ongoing subsidy required for a relatively small number of customers and the alternative new opportunities being provided by Places for People, the provision of a crèche at Loughton Leisure Centre be not supported; and

(2)        That provision be made in the Capital Programme in the sum of £324,000 for 2018/19 to fund the refurbishment of the Changing Village at Loughton Leisure Centre.

The Portfolio Holder for Leisure & Community Services presented a report concerning the provision of a Crèche and the refurbishment of the Changing Village at Loughton Leisure Centre.

The Portfolio Holder reminded the Cabinet that there had never been a requirement for the Council’s Leisure Management Contractor to provide a Crèche facility at Loughton Leisure Centre. There had also never been a purpose built Crèche at the Centre, and Crèche facilities had been provided in the small Hall, which was being redeveloped. Although the demand for the Crèche was not high, there were a small number of regular users, and it had always been made clear by Places for People Leisure (the Council’s Leisure Contractor) that the Crèche provision would cease when the redevelopment of the Centre started.

Following concerns expressed by existing Crèche users at Loughton Leisure Centre, the Portfolio Holder had requested Places for People Leisure to provide a cost estimate for the provision of crèche facilities as part of the redevelopment of the existing site at Loughton Leisure Centre. It had been concluded that the only option was to provide a further extension to the building and this would cost approximately £325,000; there would be a further operational cost of £25,000 per annum to cover staffing. Given the relatively few users of the Crèche facilities at the Leisure Centre, the Portfolio Holder was reluctantly recommending that Crèche facilities not be provided in the future, as it simply was not cost effective.

The Cabinet had sympathy with the Mothers who had been using the Crèche, but the Council was not under a statutory obligation to provide this service and it would not represent good value for the Council to provide a Crèche facility for seven regular users. The Portfolio Holder informed the Cabinet that Loughton Library and Loughton Town Hall were considered as alternative venues for the Crèche, but neither venue was owned by the Council so there was no jurisdiction. The Director of Neighbourhoods added that Places for People and Officers had gone to considerable lengths to consider alternative venues, but none could be identified.

In response to questions from various Members, the Director of Neighbourhoods stated that the level of subsidy required from the Council would increase if the number of places available at the Crèche increased. However, the evidence indicated that it was the same parents who had used the previous Crèche each time. Places for People had agreed that the consultation exercise could have been performed better, and they were putting steps in place to improve their communication with users generally. Members concurred that the communication from Places for People to users of the Leisure Centre on this issue had been poor. Cllr Chambers, a local Member for Buckhurst Hill West, agreed that it would not be appropriate for the Council to fund a Crèche used by only seven parents, and that the Portfolio Holder had examined every option for an alternative venue.

Cllr Patel, also a local member for Buckhurst Hill West, expressed concern about the estimate within the report to provide Crèche facilities as he felt that some of the costs could have been absorbed as part of the redevelopment. Cllr Patel pointed out that Epping Sports Centre had a Crèche, and wanted to know why Loughton Leisure Centre could not also have a Crèche facility. The Director of Neighbourhoods explained that certain key objectives had been set out for the new Leisure Management contract, which included the improvement of the existing facilities, and Places for People had put forward proposals for Loughton Leisure Centre which did not include a Crèche facility. There had never been a purpose built Crèche at Loughton Leisure Centre, it had been held in the small Hall next to the Sports Hall, and it was not possible  to use any of the new purpose built utility spaces for a Crèche. Epping Leisure Centre was an old Drill Hall; there was space within the building to provide a Crèche facility but, again, it had not been purpose built. Loughton Leisure Centre had been built on a slope, so therefore it was not an easy location to redevelop, and advice had been taken from the Quantity Surveyors involved in the Project for the cost estimates that had been provided.

Cllr Patel was of the opinion that Places for People did not wish to provide a Crèche facility at Loughton Leisure Centre. Cllr Patel accepted that the Council had subsidised the charges for the relatively few users of the Crèche, but Places for People could have examined how the provision of a Crèche could have increased usage of the Leisure Centre; there was nothing in the report to illustrate this. The new draft Local Plan also referred to making provision to alleviate mental health issues – a Crèche could have been useful for this. The Director of Neighbourhoods commented that Places for People were a not-for-profit organisation who also had to face commercial realities. There had been no intention from Places for People to include a Crèche facility in the redeveloped Loughton Leisure Centre as they felt it would not make a financial return; it was unfortunate that a Crèche facility could no longer be provided. The Director acknowledged that a Crèche facility could benefit residents’ health and wellbeing, but there would be an opportunity for many more residents to benefit from the new facilities being provided at the redeveloped Loughton Leisure Centre.

Cllr Brookes, a local Member for Loughton Roding, felt that a room should have been provided for use as a Crèche during the daytime and for other activities at other times. She emphasised the “This Girl Can” campaign being run by Sport England to encourage more women to regularly participate in active sport, and cited that a major reason discouraging women was the lack of childcare facilities available. The provision of a Crèche facility at Loughton Leisure Centre would have helped to alleviate this problem and would be a low cost intervention. The Cabinet was urged to take a longer term view over the twenty years of the current Leisure Management contract.

Cllr Philip (Planning & Governance) reminded the Cabinet that different centres had different facilities, and the Council could not guarantee that all facilities would be available at all of the different venues. It had not been an easy decision but it did not make financial sense nor was it worthwhile to provide a facility used by so few residents. Cllr Mohindra (Finance) added that the return on investment from providing a Crèche facility at Loughton Leisure Centre would be very low when only seven families used the facility on a regular basis.

The Portfolio Holder added that, as part of the health and fitness extension scheme at the Centre, Places for People were seeking a financial contribution to a major refurbishment of the Changing Village at the Centre, which would assist users with disabilities in particular. The continued high use of the Changing Village since its opening in 1999, and the lack of availability of spares, had meant that a longer term solution was now required. The capital cost of the Changing Village refurbishment would be £324,000, for which no revenue contribution would be sought from the Council.

The Cabinet welcomed the upgrade and refurbishment of the facilities for the Changing Village, which would also improve the facilities available for disabled people. However, the Finance Portfolio Holder cautioned the Cabinet that the Council’s Capital budget was now restrained, and any further requests for Capital funding would deplete the available funds.

Decision:

(1)        That, given the level of ongoing subsidy required for a relatively small number of customers and the alternative new opportunities being provided by Places for People, the provision of a crèche at Loughton Leisure Centre be not supported; and

(2)        That provision be made in the Capital Programme in the sum of £324,000 for 2018/19 to fund the refurbishment of the Changing Village at Loughton Leisure Centre.

Reasons for Decision:

Any proposed provision of new Crèche facilities or investment in the Changing Village at Loughton Leisure Centre would have potential capital and revenue implications for the Council outside of the existing agreed budgetary framework.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

With respect to the provision of a Crèche, no other available suitable location had been identified either in or close to the centre. 

To not refurbish the Changing Village; however, this could lead to a drop-off in participation as customer dissatisfaction increased and the condition of the area was such that it would require work in the medium term.