Issue - meetings

The Committee considered the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Working Group (the Working Group) providing its initial assessment of a scrutiny request from Councillor E L Stephens regarding the Leisure Contract Post-Implementation Review (PIR).

A scrutiny request had been received from Councillor Stephens (as set out in Appendix A to the report) focusing on the need for a PIR of the Leisure Contract and the report set out the initial assessment undertaken by the Working Group. It was noted that this request had been considered alongside the separate scrutiny request from Councillor A M Lay regarding communications and messaging associated with the Leisure Contract. As agreed by the Committee in the previous item of business, the Working Group’s conclusions from Councillor Lay’s scrutiny request would be included within this PIR review.

The Working Group had concluded that the Committee should be recommended to add this item to its scrutiny workplan to allow a further detailed review in the form of a PIR of the Leisure Contract.

In response to a question, it was confirmed that the bullet point in the recommendation regarding ‘defining the scope’ related to the entirety of the Leisure Contract.

The Chairperson put the recommendation as set out in the report and this was duly seconded.

It was questioned whether inclusion of risk management relating both to the Council and residents / users of the facilities and in particular lessons learnt to ensure any future projects would benefit could be added to the bullet points in the recommendation. In response, the Corporate Governance Project Officer suggested that the recommendation did not need revision so far as the principles of the proposed review were concerned but that the points raised along with similar points of this nature would be noted and included.

The Commercial Manager agreed with the point raised regarding risk management and advised that when defining the scope, the procurement specification and financial risk and service delivery could be included. This work would be done in collaboration with Members so if there was anything that needed to be included it could be done as part of the process.

The Chairperson referred to the Council’s Play Strategy which she hoped might benefit from and be informed by the proposed review. She commented that it may be useful to hold some of the Working Group meetings on this review in person. The Chairperson then put the recommendation to the Committee and this was duly agreed.

RESOLVED that the scrutiny request raised by Councillor E L Stephens relating to the Leisure Contract Post-Implementation Review be added to the Committee’s scrutiny workplan to enable further scrutiny to be undertaken in the form of a Post Implementation / Performance Review involving all relevant stakeholders to cover the following points:

·                defining the scope;

·                selecting the Procurement contractor;

·                decision on whether to go ahead, or re-run the procurement;

·                communications.