As part of the authority's move towards becoming a 'Strategic Council', Cheshire East is currently exploring new ways of delivering its leisure services. to ensure they remain sustainable in the future and offer residents the best value for money.
This is designed to reduce waste and duplication, drive down costs and represent better value for residents.
Cheshire East values highly its leisure services and currently invests £9m annually in this area. However, the authority is keen to reduce this amount for the tax payer – whilst ensuring that leisure and health opportunities continue to play an important role in the lives of residents and wider communities.
A number of options for the delivery of leisure services are being considered, and this – along with the thoughts and views of local residents – will inform the decision-making process.
Some of the options available are:
• The formation of a separate legal entity (arms-length company);
• Tender services to the private sector or existing trust
• The formation of a charitable trust; and
• Transfer elements of the service to another local provider such as town or parish councils.
Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: "Leisure services are important to our communities, this is why I want to get residents' thoughts on the best way of improving on and enhancing our current offering.
"Research shows that one well-established way of delivering these services, popular with other local authorities, is that of a charitable trust.
"The health and adult social care policy development group also gave their support for the trust model, pending full consultation. They also wished to explore the future role of town and parish councils in delivering some services.
"Any new organisation would acquire new sites, including the planned investment of £13m in Crewe's new lifestyle centre.
"However, we want to hear what residents think about this and I would encourage them to go online and fill in the questionnaire."
Councillor Janet Clowes, Cabinet member in charge of health and adult social care, said: "We realise that leisure services play an important role in keeping our communities fit and healthy, ensuring people live well for longer. This is especially important at a time when local authorities are taking on responsibility for public health.
"We are confident that a third party organisation would be able to deliver leisure services in a more efficient and targeted way, leading to improved services that will also increase health benefits."
A consultation is now underway. More information, including a questionnaire where people can leave their comments, is available on the Cheshire East Council website.
Residents can also submit their thoughts via email or post to Leisure Options Consultation, Leisure and Cultural Services, 2nd Floor, Westfields, Sandbach, CW11 1HZ.
The deadline for feedback is noon on Friday, April 19th.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Photos here:
http://bit.ly/166gd8O
Quote from above:
Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: "Leisure services are important to our communities, this is why I want to get residents' thoughts on the best way of improving on and enhancing our current offering.
"Research shows that one well-established way of delivering these services, popular with other local authorities, is that of a charitable trust.
Which research is that? What are the other well-established ways?
So, it's going to be out-sourced then? Foregone conclusion.
Quote from above:
"Any new organisation would acquire new sites...".
More green-belt developments?
The likely MBC outcome was for the Leisure Centres to be run by a Charitable trust and my researches revealed this to be the best solution in the same way as Trafford leisure services are being delivered.
This states first that leisure facilities "may be surplus to requirements" and secondly, that only larger towns such as Crewe and Macclesfield will have “facilities that attract large numbers of people”. There is also mention of increasing use of “shared space”. Buildings that combine public services, health and community functions are unlikely to have swimming pools, which would be highly detrimental to the health of the population. Many people with musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis and fibromyalgia can only access exercise by swimming.
CEC may well feel that by increasing the costs of attending the Leisure Centre, (which they have) they will drive people to use the private facilities at Handforth Dean and further afield. How do they think that people who can't drive (or can't afford to) will then access exercise? They can then say that people don't want to use the Leisure Centre. Young people, older people, people with visual impairments, epilepsy and other disabilities will not be able to access the exercise they need as they can't necessarily drive.
What will happen to the Swimming Club if the Leisure centre goes? How will school children learn to swim? Or will another part of the council have to provide the costs of longer coach journeys and more time out of school?
Providing leisure services on the High School site has been mentioned: but how would that work? The school presumably would not want adults who have not been CRB checked on the premises while the children are on site. So that might mean access to leisure services only at weekends and in the evenings.
There is a general underprovision of sports and leisure facilities in Wilmslow particularly for young people. I think that the Wilmslow Leisure Centre and Rectory fields should stay where they are. Concerns about energy costs could be allayed with an energy efficiency retrofit. Why not ask GoLo Macclesfield to do an energy audit?
I have a real concern about the provision of leisure facilities, which are absolutely fundamental to our collective health and well-being, and I am very disappointed to see mention of possible “over provision” of such facilities in the Local plan. If services are over provided, why is the Leisure Centre always full?
The maintenance of local leisure facilities is paramount, so that people can access them easily. Providing large scale leisure facilities only in Macclesfield and Crewe mitigates against this. I am very concerned about the comments in the Local Plan about “shared facilities”, and particularly about how the development of so-called “lifestyle centres” may mean that not every locality is provided with access to a swimming pool. The Rectory Fields provides our “green lung” and the town would be very much the poorer without it. We have a rising tide of obesity, increasing incidence of diabetes especially in children, increasing incidence of arthritis and other disorders related to obesity, significant numbers of people with mental health disorders that are helped by exercise and social participation, and an estimated 3.5 million deaths a year world wide related to physical inactivity.....how can loss of opportunities for exercise possibly be considered cost effective?
Mr Jones, why don't you and your colleagues on the Council come along to Wilmslow Leisure Centre and enjoy the facilities on offer? It could only do you good!
So, please respond to the CEC consultation and whatever your views about Leisure and sports provision in Wilmslow, make them known.
Instead they should actually just listen to residents, and look at the usage of the leisure centre. I can't believe it makes a loss, and if it does it's through poor management. If the council looks at ways to retrofit the existing building and bring in renewable energy, and take common sense measures such as use the pool cover I'm sure that costs could be reduced.
Wilmslow needs a leisure centre in the centre of town, not at the high school, or on the other side of the A34. The elderley, and mothers with kids need to be able to access the facilities by foot, and not have to drive. I use the leisure centre up to 3 times a week with my kids in swimming and classes. It's always busy so for the council to say that leisure facilities may be surplus to requirements in the Local Plan is misleading and incorrect. The residents of Wilmslow and Handforth need access to sports to leisure facilities without having to drive to Macclesfield.