The Executive Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report setting out proposals to make improvements to South Reading Leisure Centre’s Pool Tank and install a waymarked paving route for vision impaired users from Wokingham Road to the new swimming pool at Palmer Park Sports Stadium.  The report also sought authority to agree and sign a Sport England Strategic Facilities Funding agreement, subject to agreeable terms and conditions, of £1.5m towards the costs of the new leisure facilities at Rivermead and Palmer Park.

The report explained that the concrete and reinforcing within the South Reading Leisure Centre pool tank structure was corroding and sought spend approval for £295,000 to make repairs to extend the life of the swimming pool. The repair of this structure was the responsibility of the Council as set out within the Leisure Contract with Greenwich Leisure Limited.  Spend approval was also sought for £36,000 to provide a waymarked pedestrian route for vision impaired users from the bus stop on Wokingham Road to the new swimming pool at Palmer Park Sports Stadium.  Both schemes would be funded from the Small Leisure Schemes in the capital programme.

The report explained that throughout the procurement, planning and build process of new leisure facilities the Council had been working closely with Sport England, and had been invited to submit an expression of interest to their Strategic Facilities Investment Fund in 2021.  A bid for £1m for Rivermead and £500k for Palmer Park had been successful and approval was sought to enter into the funding agreements.

Resolved –

(1)      That spend approval be given of £295,000 for the repair to the structure of the South Reading Leisure Centre Pool Tank and £36,000 to install a waymarked paving route for vision impaired users from Wokingham Road to the new swimming pool at Palmer Park Sports Stadium, funded from the Small Leisure Schemes in the capital programme;

(2)      That the Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services, in consultation with the Director of Finance and the Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture be authorised to procure and enter contracts for the works to the vision impaired paving route (£36,000) from Wokingham Road to the new swimming pool at Palmer Park Sports Stadium, funded from the Small Leisure Schemes in the capital programme;

(3)      That the Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services, in consultation with the Director of Finance, the Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic Services and the Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture, be authorised to enter into Sport England funding agreements for Rivermead (£1m) and Palmer Park (£500k) in line with Standing Orders, subject to acceptable terms and conditions.