Agenda and draft minutes

The minutes of the previous meetings held on 11 June 2025 and 19 June 2025 were approved as a true and accurate record.

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

Minute 25. Update on Playing Pitch Audit.

Councillor Mike Goodman, Councillor is a member of Sidmouth Croquet and Tennis Club.

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. Thereare two itemswhich officersrecommendshould be dealtwithin thisway.

There were two items to be considered in private session (minutes 27 and 28 refer).

The LED Regional Manager presented this report which provided an update on facilities and activities including centre improvements and membership challenges, key achievements, special events and initiatives and community health and wellbeing.

During the discussion it was noted that pickleball is a popular and growing sport.  LED has launched this across all sites and, as part of its development plan, will be bringing booking online, rather than by phone as at present.

There were no further questions or discussion points and the report was noted.

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

Discussion and clarification included the point that at the meeting on 11 June, LED officers advised that they would look to manually extrapolate data specific to Axminster Leisure Centre, in order that this can be reported to the Forum.  This point to be followed up for future meetings.

There being no further questions or discussion points, the report was noted.

The Leisure Manager presented this report which provided an update on the progress with the Cranbrook Leisure Centre, part of Cranbrook Leisure, Health and Wellbeing Project.

Discussion and clarification included the following points:

·        The date at which the indexation of figures in the Addendum started would be checked for clarification;

·        Assurance was given that EDDC meet the costs of the leisure centre only and that Devon County Council and the NHS will meet the costs of their own provision;

·        The feasibility study had only recently been completed and would form some of the background to the forthcoming Cabinet report;

·        EDDC Officers have been liaising regularly with Sport England contacts.

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

It was agreed to recommend to Cabinet and then onto Council to endorse the Addendum to the Leisure Strategy.

RECOMMENDATION to Cabinet and then onto Council:

That the Addendum to the Leisure Strategy be endorsed.

The Leisure Manager presented this report which summarised the key findings of the 2025 Playing Pitch Audit of current facility provision, which would form part of the evidence plan for the emerging local plan.  The Leisure Manager advised that, due to the wide geographical spread of the district, scenario testing had been broken down into sub areas, west, central and east, which were in line with planning areas.  Details of the sub areas would be circulated after the meeting.  Scenario testing for each of the eight towns in East Devon would be used to inform current and future provision, with the caveat that this was subject to feasibility and funding.

The report explained how the outcomes would also inform the update to the Playing Pitch Strategy, which would be drafted for consultation in the autumn, prior to adoption.

Discussion and clarification included the following points:

·        Funding and location would be challenges for future provision delivery;

·        Town and Parish Councils had been involved in the audit process and would be contacted again for further consultation on the Strategy.

The Forum noted the findings of the 2025 Playing Pitch Assessment and Appendix which would be used to review the Playing Pitch Strategy to be submitted to the Forum later this year prior to adoption.

The Assistant Director, Place Assets & Commercialisation presented this report which summarised corporate property and FM activities for the first quarter of financial year 2025/26 (April to June 2025) and listed the tasks for the second quarter of 2025/26 (July to September 2025) on LED operated properties.

The report also provided an update on ongoing capital projects on LED operated properties and presented a comparison of maintenance spend and income from years 2019/20 to 2024/25, excluding the Covid years.  The Assistant Director identified areas where the report differed from the format and content of previous reports.

Discussion and clarification included the following points:

·        It was noted that there is typically a budget overspend on maintenance for LED and dual use buildings and that LED’s contribution does not fully cover costs;

·        Budget setting was based on previous years’ costs with an uplift, rather than a required budget;

·        It was noted that LED also incurs reactive maintenance costs which should be fed into the budget reporting for EDDC to show the full cost of maintenance.

The Forum noted the contents of the report.

The public part of the meeting concluded and the meeting went into private session (Part B).

The Leisure Manager presented this update report and invited representatives of the Flamingo Community Pool to speak.

The Forum discussed the report and relevant considerations at length.   At 7:33pm Councillor Simon Smith left and the meeting became inquorate.

As the meeting was inquorate this item would be discussed at the next meeting.