Issue - meetings

To follow 

Matter for Decision: To consider the Leisure Management arrangements for post October 2013.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Arts, Sport and Public Places

 

The Executive Councillor resolved to;

 

i.          Approve proceeding to the ‘Invitation To Tender’ (ITT) stage and release of contract specification documentation to the selected companies.

 

ii.          Approve the proposed principles underpinning the contract

specification highlighted in sections 4.5-4.7 of the committee report.

 

iii.      Note the timetable for the remainder of the procurement process outlined in section 4.8 of the committee report.

 

Reason for the Decision:

 

As per the officer report

 

 

Any alternative options considered and rejected:

 

Not Applicable

 

Scrutiny Considerations:

 

The committee received a report from the Head of Arts and Recreation regarding the Leisure Management contract.

 

The committee made the following comments on the proposed decision.

 

i.        The improved performance at Parkside was welcomed, however clarification was requested on the nature of the problems experienced. The Recreation Services Manager explained that the problems had primarily related to the responsive of the contractors. It was also noted that a number of the problems had been addressed by the infrastructure improvements.

 

ii.          Clarification was requested on the latest position as to whether it would be possible to include a clause in the contract requiring the payment of the living wage as a minimum to all staff.

 

The Executive Councillor explained that he was very supportive of the suggestion but that the Council had to satisfy certain legal conditions in order to include it within the specification. The Head of Legal Services reminded the committee that there was a legal prohibition on taking “non-commercial considerations” into account other than in limited circumstances. The Head of Legal Services said that the Council was taking specialist legal advice on its powers with regard to the “living wage”. This followed the decision of the Executive Councillor for Customer Services and Resources in July 2012 to instruct officers to “Report further to the Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee on measures to ensure that future council contracts pay at least the ‘living wage’.” (Minute 12/44/SR.)

 

Members were encouraged to highlight any good practice elsewhere.

 

The Scrutiny Committee considered the recommendations and endorsed them by 4 votes to 0.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations

 

 

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

 

N/A