Issue - meetings

Cabinet Agreed

1.         That Cabinet notes the Concept Design of the project and the proposed facility mix as set out in Section 4, inclusive of a spa facility, and agrees to proceed to RIBA Stage 3 (Spatial Coordination).

2.         That Cabinet notes:-

(a).  the consultation undertaken with stakeholders during this phase of work and the further consultations required, including public consultation, as set out in Section 3.

(b) the working project timeline in Section 6.

3.         That Cabinet notes the forecast project costs (detailed in Part II Appendix) and recommends Council approves a maximum drawdown of £550,000 from the Dacorum Development Reserve to proceed with the next project stage (RIBA Stage 3 – Spatial Coordination).

4.         That Cabinet notes the approvals strategy set out in Section 2 and recommends that Council approves a maximum drawdown of £425k from the Dacorum Development Reserve to proceed with RIBA Stage 4 (Technical Design).

5.         That Cabinet delegates the decision for proceeding from Stage 3 to Stage 4 to the Assistant Director, Corporate and Contracted Services and the S.151 officer in consultation with the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council.

6.         That Cabinet notes and endorses the Main Contractor procurement strategy set out in Section 5, utilising the Procure Partnerships Framework for a two stage, design & build tender process and delegates authority to the Assistant Director, Corporate and Contracted Services and the S.151 officer to award the first stage pre-contract services agreement to the preferred Main Contractor.

7.         That Cabinet endorses the proposal to provide a further update once the public consultation has completed and the on and off-site football provision and potential residential option has been developed in more detail (within the next phase of work) before proceeding to Stage 4 and to report again at the end of RIBA Stage 4 (Technical Design), at which point cost certainty will be achieved for the proposed Main Contract, aligned with the known project risks and Operator strategy.

Cllr Williams stated that they have been asked to move onto the next stage of this process, into more detailed design and costings.

Mark Brookes presented the updated report to council, in which they have developed site options, preferred facility mix and created an outline cost and revenue business plan. Mark believes this plan will meet the requirements of sporting groups and the public, and is adaptable to changing user demands over time. Subject to cabinet authorising this report, the project will proceed to stage 3, which is public consultation, detailed design development for planning applications, and the first stage of contractor procurement. During this stage, the final position of the 3G pitches, opportunities for residential development and sustainability measures will be worked on. Mark stated that a report to update members will be produced at the end of this stage, with a further report at the end of stage 4, the technical design stage. This stage is where greater clarity will be achieved on contractor costs and revenue projections for the contract with Everyone Active. At this point, members will need to commit financially to the scheme. Mark introduced Richard, a project manager from the consultancy team, and asked for any questions.

Cllr Tindall asked about paragraphs 3.6 and 3.7 on page 116, which pertain to football provision and Langley Meadow, whether these issues will be part of the public consultation.

Mark B responded yes, but they are only trying to improve the Langley Meadow site rather than developing on it, so they will keep the grass pitch, but the discussion around on or off site will be part of the public consultation.

Cllr Elliott asked about page 128, the financial assumptions, and whether the baseline hybrid facility mix is the worst case scenario, and where the figures have come from.

Mark B replied it is a combination of taking existing pre-Covid numbers, national data on income for facilities of this type, and projections for 3 years’ time when they hope the recovery will have continued. He assured that they will monitor the recovery on a monthly basis, and report back in the next stage, but they do expect an uplift due to the new facilities that will be provided.

Cllr Elliott asked about the income figure for the spa, and questioned whether the residents of Berkhamsted would use it due to competition in the area with private operations.

Mark B answered that they have mapped out all the competition in the area, and found that actually what they will provide will go beyond what is already in that area. He noted there is a similar spa facility at Westminster Lodge in St Albans, so there is one comparison there.

Richard added that the St Albans facility is Everyone Active as well, and they are also opening another Lifestyle Centre in Amersham, therefore as the same operator will have all 3, the intention is for them to be complementary rather than competing. KKP, the business planner, has been involved  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92