Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 14 January 2025 were noted as a true and accurate record.

Guidance is available online to Councillors and co-opted members on making declarations of interest

There were no declarations of interest.

Information on public speaking is available online

No members of the public had registered to speak at the meeting.

There were no matters of urgency.

To agree any items to be dealt with after the public (including the Press) have been excluded. Thereis one item which officersrecommendshould be dealtwithin thisway.

There was one confidential/exempt item (minute 38 refers).

The Senior Leisure Officer presented this report which outlined progress being made on car parking arrangements at Honiton Leisure Centre, following concerns raised by LED staff concerning inconsiderate and dangerous parking. 

Discussion and clarification included the following points:

·        Access in and out of the car park is also part of the challenge for the site.

·        Possible wider solutions to the parking issues could include a park and ride facility, or exploring a longer solution involving placemaking.

The Forum noted the progress being made on the car parking arrangements and that a more detailed report would come to the next Forum meeting.

The LED Chief Operating Officer presented this report which provided an update on the activities of LED including key achievements, performance highlights, recommendations and future focus, and a summary of the Community Team’s work.

Discussion and clarification included the following points:

·        Members congratulated LED on their ‘Active Standard’ accreditation, which is indicative of their good work and also reflects the high standards of EDDC’s property team who work closely with LED on health and safety and compliance.

·        Members thanked the LED team for delivery of the gymnastics project to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities children at Littleham Primary School.

·        Pickleball is proving popular as a more accessible activity than tennis, reducing technical differences and making it a more enjoyable social activity.

·        The figures set out in the Facilities and Activities report represent a snapshot of LED as a wider organisation whereas the KPI Dashboard is specific to facilities in East Devon.  Consequently, there can be some apparent discrepancy in the data but the reports give an indication of LED’s direction of travel and allow comparison relative to previous years.

·        LED have undertaken an extensive competitor analysis exercise as part of a recent price review, and yield has increased significantly as a result.

·        Meaningful benchmarking can be challenging due to the difficulty of finding another area of the country with a similar demographic and facility mix.  However, the Devon Leisure Operators Group carry out an anonymised review of pricing and other metrics annually, and the LED Chief Operating Officer will explore whether the data from this can be shared with the Forum.

·        Self-access systems with remote keypads and cameras have led to improved community access at dual use sites, with competitive prices which do not have to increase in line with staff salaries.

·        It is unacceptable that there is no EDDC branding on the LED website given that LED operates at a subsidy from EDDC, and EDDC maintains the buildings.  The LED CEO commented that he had not been aware that this had been a frustration, and he would be happy to explore with councillors or officers what they would like to see.  Members asked for a report to the next meeting outlining how this has been progressed.    

The Forum received and noted key details of the performance of LED Community Leisure for February 2025.

Discussion included the following points:

·        A challenging NPS score reflects known issues around capacity with classes and with Exmouth gym at peak times, car parking arrangements at Honiton Leisure Centre, and a leaking roof at Exmouth Tennis Centre which is now resolved.  

·        The average NPS score is an industry benchmark comprising an average of the scores of all operators in the country who engage with the system.

·        Concern was expressed that the Forum is not receiving the data it needs to enable full and meaningful scrutiny to take place in relation to the Council’s contract with LED.  The LED Chief Operating Officer invited officers or the Chair to suggest to LED what data the Forum would want to see.

The Senior Leisure Officer presented this report which provided an update on the Playing Pitch Audit (PPA) currently taking place, and the Leisure Strategy Delivery Plan.

The Forum noted the progress that has been made and the Chair provided suggestions for some updates within the Leisure Strategy Delivery Plan.  

The Senior Leisure Officer presented this report which provided an update on the Cranbrook Leisure Centre project. 

The Senior Leisure officer outlined the likely timescales for project programme, and members commented on the lengthy milestones and the importance of communications with the public throughout the lifespan of the project.

The Forum noted the progress being made by the Cranbrook Leisure Centre Project Team.

The meeting went into private session.

The Assistant Director – Place, Assets & Commercialisation presented this Leisure Review report.

Following discussion at length, the Forum agreed the following recommendations to Cabinet.

RECOMMENDED to Cabinet:

1.     To note the content of the report;

2.     To endorse the options to be considered in more detail as set out in the report.