Issue - meetings

The Portfolio Holder for People and Communities to submit a report on the leisure procurement framework and to seek approval to commence the procurement of an operator for the Council’s leisure facilities from 1st April 2024.

Cabinet:

1.    APPROVED the Leisure Procurement Framework (Appendix A).

2.    DELEGATED authority to the Director for Housing and Communities, in consultation with the Portfolio holder for People and Communities, to make minor amendments to the leisure procurement framework and to finalise the associated procurement documentation.

3.    DELEGATED authority to the Director for Housing and Communities to commence a procurement process to seek a leisure operator for the Council’s Leisure Facilities from 1st April 2024.

Director for Housing and Communities introduced the report the purpose of which was to update Members on the Leisure Procurement Framework and seek approval to commence the procurement of an operator for the Council’s leisure facilities from 1st April 2024.

The Portfolio Holder for People and Communities said that leisure is a big part of people lives and huge benefit to both mental and physical health.  The Council needs to ensure that good leisure facilities are available to our communities, and it is important for us to find a provider who will deliver both high quality and affordable facilities for our communities.

Members gave their thanks that this work is going ahead to ensure the town has the leisure facilities that it needs.

Cabinet:

1.    APPROVED the Leisure Procurement Framework (Appendix A).

2.    DELEGATED authority to the Director for Housing and Communities, in consultation with the Portfolio holder for People and Communities, to make minor amendments to the leisure procurement framework and to finalise the associated procurement documentation.

3.    DELEGATED authority to the Director for Housing and Communities to commence a procurement process to seek a leisure operator for the Council’s Leisure Facilities from 1st April 2024.

Reason for Recommendations:

To maintain the provision of leisure facilities in Melton, a procurement process is required to seek and to secure an operator for Melton Borough Council’s leisure facilities from 1st April 2024. This process will need to commence before the end of the current financial year. The current contract cannot be extended.

The leisure procurement framework has been developed with the support of sector experts and is informed by market engagement and workshops with a range of officers with experience and expertise in relevant areas (for example property, health and leisure, legal, finance, procurement). It has also been shaped through a workshop with the council’s scrutiny committee and with Portfolio Holders.

The leisure procurement framework will directly inform the associated tender and evaluation documents. Approval of the leisure procurement framework is required to enable conclusion of the preparatory work and commencement of the procurement process.

The leisure procurement framework seeks to achieve a balance between achieving the council’s financial and social value requirements whilst also ensuring the opportunity is attractive to the leisure market. It provides an important opportunity for the council to test the market, and assess the viability, affordability and quality of proposals from the leisure sector before any decisions on contract award would be made.

Final decisions in respect of contact award would be reserved for Full Council through consideration of a preferred provider following the procurement process (recommendation from Cabinet).