Minutes:
Submitted - a report by the Interim Head of Regulation and Economic Development.
The Leader of the Council said that the Leisure Plan attempts to demonstrate an integrated approach to preventative health care on Anglesey by ensuring the provision of sustainable and high quality leisure facilities to enable residents to live active lives, to prevent ill health and improve well-being. She noted that a number of briefing session has taken place to assess the future of the Authority’s leisure facilities.
The Interim Head of Regulation and Economic Development reported that a review of the leisure facilities has taken place to identify potential capital improvements to the leisure centres. It has been estimated that it would cost £21m to partially refurbish the leisure centres in line with modern building practices. The costs of constructing three new replacement leisure centres would be £37m. It is the Council’s intention to retain the four current leisure centres and given the current financial situation, it is proposed that a smaller scale investment programme, focussing initially on essential maintenance and smaller scale improvement works, is required to maintain current provision for the short to medium term; the value of these works is £1m and £3m respectively. He further referred to the capital improvements that has already taken place which was included within the report. Opportunities currently exist to secure modest levels of external funding to improve each leisure centre and the leisure services must be able to produce robust projects to be able to apply for such funding.
The Commercial Leisure Manager gave a brief presentation to the Committee and noted that the service users of the 4 leisure services has increased to 530,000 during 2018/2019. The centres provide many opportunities for physical activity and they encourage healthy lifestyles. He further said that Môn Actif brand has improved the perspective of the leisure facilities afforded to the public and direct debt packages has attracted further users of the facilities at the 4 leisure centres together with a corporate discount facilities for businesses.
The Committee considered the report and made the following points:-
· Reference was made that the leisure service intends to secure external funding to improve the leisure services on the Island. Questions were raised as to whether grant funding can be source from the Island Games that will be held on Anglesey in 2025. The Commercial Leisure Manager responded that it is not anticipated that extensive grant funding will be source from the Island Games in 2025 as the Island Games Association consider that the current facilities on Anglesey are adequate following installation of new 3G pitches at Plas Arthur, Llangefni and Menai Bridge and fitness suite at Holyhead. He referred to the Inter Games Football Tournament held on Anglesey in 2019 which was an immense success and noted that the aim of the Island Games is to celebrate leisure facilities and to afford opportunities for people to participate at the games;
· Reference was made to the introduction of the direct debt packages afforded at the leisure centres and comments were made that service users have express disappointment that no provision has been afforded as regards to a ‘family direct debit’ provision to use the leisure facilities on the Island. The Corporate Leisure Manager responded that the provision for a ‘family direct debit’ provision is under consideration and he acknowledged that the current payment provision can be expensive for a whole family to use the leisure facilities at the same time. He further noted that swimming lessons for younger children are now afforded at the leisure centres which encourage young families to use the facilities. The Corporate Leisure Manager further said that as the obesity levels for children under the age of 5 on Anglesey is still high, the leisure service need to work with the education service to promote the facilities available to promote heathier living;
· Reference was made to the Leisure Plan which refers to opportunities the County Council’s Schools Modernisation Programme provides to better integrate and/or co-locate leisure centres with education facilities and questions were raised as to how the Authority aims to incorporate the Leisure Plan within the schools modernisation programme. The Leader of the Council responded that since there will be consultation within the Amlwch area as regards to the schools modernisation programme in the future, this will give an opportunity, if sustainable and affordable, to integrate leisure facilities with education facilities in the Amlwch area.
It was RESOLVED recommend to the Executive that the Leisure Plan be approved.
ACTION : As above.