Agenda and draft minutes

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, apologised for the lateness of circulation of the Agenda and main report.  This matter needed to be determined before the end of the month, but it had been necessary to consider carefully all of the relevant information prior to recommending an appropriate course of action.  The grant proposed to Hyndburn Leisure was a large sum of money and the Cabinet would be accountable for this expenditure.  The controlling administration wanted to ensure that this was the right decision for the people of Hyndburn.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Kimberley Whitehead and from standing invitees from the Opposition, Councillors Kath Pratt and Zak Khan.

Councillor Noordad Aziz declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 3 - Hyndburn Leisure, in view of his position on the board of the Leisure Trust and in the light of the leisure facilities membership of a close family member.  Councillor Walsh declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 3 on the basis that close family members were participating in a swimming programme operated by Hyndburn Leisure.

There were no reported declarations of dispensations granted.

Report attached.

In accordance with Regulation 11 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, approval had been given by Councillor Steve Button, Chair of the Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to the following decision being made by Cabinet on 29^th January 2025, under the special urgency provisions for key decisions, on the grounds that the decision was urgent and could not reasonably be deferred.

Approval had also been received from the Mayor to the disapplication of the call-in procedure on the grounds of urgency, in accordance with Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule C14.

The Cabinet considered a report of Councillor Noordad Aziz, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Transformation, Education and Skills, seeking approval to pay a grant of £1,000,000.00 to Hyndburn Leisure in respect of the period 1^st April 2024 to 31^st March 2025.  The report also presented the outcome of the recent leisure review and made a recommendation regarding the next steps.

Councillor Aziz provided a short introduction to the report.  He reported that the withdrawal of the item from the previous meeting had enabled further discussions to take place with Hyndburn Leisure and about the steps to be taken to secure the future of community leisure services in the Borough.

He confirmed that the Cabinet would be invited to support the decision to provide a grant of £1m to Hyndburn Leisure for the period 1^st April 2024 to 31^st March 2025.  This investment would support vital community leisure services.  However, the funding would not be made available without appropriate scrutiny measures being in place.  The grant would be subject to a review that would set the direction on how it was to be delivered, ensuring transparency, accountability and best value for taxpayers’ money.

The Cabinet had noted the findings of the Leisure Management Option Reports, which provided crucial insights into the state of local leisure provision and outlined potential improvements.  The Council would discuss these with Hyndburn Leisure to refresh a long term strategy that wold deliver sustainable and efficient services to Hyndburn residents.

The Council would explore ways and work with stakeholders to review Hyndburn Leisure’s structure, operations and reporting lines and Cabinet would receive a further report on this in due course.  It was noted that the previous political administration had only budgeted for 15% of the funding required.  The intention now was to work with stakeholders to deliver a service which was fit for purpose.  The wellbeing of residents remained a priority.

The forthcoming Council Budget would recognise any likely pressures and address them appropriately.  The Cabinet was committed to responsible governance, transparency and sound financial management.

Councillor Aziz acknowledged that residents had some wider concerns about leisure provision and gave a commitment that these, including the future of the Wilson Sports Hub, would be addressed at the appropriate time.

Councillors Alexander, Fisher, Brerton, Walsh, Eaves and Dad all spoke in favour of the proposals, although concerns were expressed by some about how  ...  view the full minutes text for item 305.