Outcomes of indoor leisure consultation on alternative management arrangements
29 July 2011
More than 400 people responded to the Council's recent consultation on proposed management changes relating to indoor leisure facilities across the city.
As a result of the consultation expressions of interest and outline proposals were received from seven separate organisations interested in managing and operating various different leisure buildings and in addition more than one hundred people have agreed to become a volunteer to help deliver leisure services in the future.
Feedback from the consultation showed that the key concerns people had about future management arrangements at leisure facilities, related to maintaining opening times, ensuring facilities and programmes are available when people need them, and maintaining quality standards and cleanliness. Customer charges were less of a consideration amongst those who responded to the survey - suggesting that people are prepared to pay a little more for a quality service.
During the consultation the interest expressed by organisations ranged from providing over-arching governance and management support to programming and day to day operations at the centres. Discussions with these organisations included all aspects of operational management, detail on the savings to be achieved in the next two years, outline timescales relating to the process, and next steps to enable a formal procurement process.
Much work has also been carried out during the last few months on mapping how far people travel to access leisure facilities, and this work will be used to help determine the best locations for the new provision of facilities. A detailed strategy for swimming pools set against a 20 minute public transport benchmark will now be developed. The strategy will focus on the options for replacing Levenshulme and Miles Platting pools, but will also take into account other options for replacing the older and less efficient facilities across the city as a whole. Officers will report back on options for reprovision, funding, and locations for new facility investment in the autumn.
Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member Culture and Leisure, Manchester City Council, said: "We said we would listen to what local people have to say and this is what we have done.
"The key message coming out of the consultation was that there was a strong need to continue to provide existing leisure services and buildings, and that the Council should look at all options to maintain provision, existing programmes, and the opening hours that people want. This is what we aim to do.
"Given the current positive response on alternative management arrangements from various community organisations and operators we are asking officers to undertake a formal procurement process to select the most appropriate operator for each facility - whilst ensuring that the quality, accessibility, and availability of leisure facilities are not compromised."
A formal procurement process will be undertaken during August and September, with new management arrangements expected to be in place by 1 October 2011.
