Decision - King Alfred Leisure Centre – update on urgent works and potential improvements

(1)       That Cabinet notes the progress on the urgent works undertaken from the initial allocation of £859,000 to the capital programme as agreed at the Cabinet meeting on 20 November 2008.

(2)       That Cabinet approves an allocation of £641,000 to the capital programme to complete the health and safety and planned maintenance works as identified in the report to Cabinet on 20 November 2008.

(3)       That Cabinet approves an allocation of £0.75 million to undertake improvement works to benefit the operation of the building in the medium term (3-5 years).

(4)       That Cabinet agree that the Director of Environment and Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism and the Cabinet Member for Finance, determine the priority of works referred to in 2.2 and 2.3.

1.     The underlying reason for the recommendations regarding expenditure is to ensure that the King Alfred Leisure Centre remains operational for at least a 3-5 year timescale and thereby maintain for the City the provision of much needed sport and leisure facilities.

1.     An alternative option would be to not commit any further expenditure.  This would create a situation of considerable risk for the council and result in the potential loss of a key leisure facility for the City.

2.     The proposals in this report are about maintaining and improving a service for the community and the continued provision of sport and leisure facilities in the City. In addition, improvements would help alleviate the pressure on income at the facility in the medium term.