The Executive Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report seeking permission to enter into a Planning Costs Agreement (PCA) with Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) to meet the proposed timetable to construct new leisure facilities at Rivermead Leisure Centre and Palmer Park Sports Stadium.  The Council had authorised the award of a 25-year contract with GLL to design, build, operate and maintain (DBOM) the Council’s four leisure centres; the contract included:

·       A new-build solution at Rivermead, incorporating a new competition standard pool with provision for diving;

·       A new community pool at Palmer Park linked to existing facilities;

·       Improvements to existing leisure centres at South Reading and Meadway;

·       Introduction of membership and customer schemes allowing access to all Council facilities.

The Council had also delegated authority to the Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services to finalise contractual arrangements in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, the Assistant Director for Procurement and the Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic Services.  The contractual discussions had been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary closure of leisure facilities which had delayed the signing of the DBOM contract.  In the interim, officers were seeking permission to enter into a separate PCA with GLL to progress the design and planning approval of the new build elements at Rivermead and Palmer Park.  This would reduce the impact of the lost time due to Covid-19 on the implementation of the scheme, secure the intellectual property rights of the designs developed since the contract award and progress the scheme through to planning approval and up to signing the DBOM contract.  A new timetable for both the signing of the DBOM contract with GLL and the construction of the facilities was set out in the report.

Resolved –

(1)      That the Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services be authorised to enter into a Planning Costs Agreement (PCA) with Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) at a cost of £816k, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, the Assistant Director for Procurement and the Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic Services;

(2)      That the updated timetable to formally enter into a DBOM contract and construct the new facilities at Rivermead Leisure Centre and Palmer Park Sports Stadium be noted.