Part 1 (Open to the public)
ITEM NO.6 a
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
DIRECTORATE
TO the Lead Member for Customer and Support Services
on Monday
12th February, 2007
TITLE : Facility Improvements at Fit City Eccles
RECOMMENDATIONS :
Lead Members for Culture and Sport and Customer and Support Services are recommended
to:
1. Approve the remaining funding of £283,000 from the Local Public Service Agreement 1
Reward Grant for sport and leisure facilities (£500,687) for facility improvements at Fit City
Eccles
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY :
In April 2005 Lead Members for Culture and Sport and Customer and Support Services
approved the allocation of £500,687 from the Local PublicService Agreement 1 Reward
Grant for a programme of capital improvements to sport and leisure facilities to be approved
by Lead Members.
Lead Members for Culture and Sport and Customer and Support Services have previously
approved funding from the LPSA1 Reward Grant for swimming pool improvement schemes
at Fit City Irlam and Fit City Cadishead.
The scheme at Fit City Eccles is predominantly around required DDA works
 Improve changing provision in terms of quality and access
 Redesign the main entrance and foyer to improve access
The scheme will be undertaken by Urban Vision in accordance with the City Council’s
agreement.
There is £283,000 remaining of the £500,687 LPSA Reward Grant to fund the scheme at Fit
City Eccles. (The remaining funding has been identified by Salford Community Leisure and
the City Council Corporate DDA pot).
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS :
(Available for public inspection)
Report to Lead Members for Culture and Sport and Customer and Support Services (April
2005) on the Local Public Service Agreement 1 Reward Grant for Sport and Leisure
ASSESSMENT OF RISK:
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Low
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
LPSA 1 Reward Grant for Sport and Leisure Facilities
COMMENTS OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER AND SUPPORT SERVICES
(or his representative):
1. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
Provided by :N/A
2. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Provided by :Keith Darragh
Funding of £60k loss of income required from the City Council (through the Management
Agreement)
3. ICT STEERING GROUP IMPLICATIONS
Provided by:N/A
PROPERTY (if applicable):
Ken Whittick
HUMAN RESOURCES (if applicable):
N/A
CONTACT OFFICER :
Andy Howitt Assistant Director Culture and Leisure (Community, Health and Social Care
Directorate
WARD(S) TO WHICH REPORT RELATE(S):
Eccles;
KEY COUNCIL POLICIES:
Community Strategy; Cultural Strategy; Health; Regeneration; Social Exclusion;
DETAILS (Continued Overleaf)
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Details
The proposed scheme for Fit City Eccles has been planned for a number of years
due to the requirement to ensure the site is DDA compliant and the problems
associated with the existing design of the reception area.
The proposed scheme aims to address a number of customer critical issues that
have been identified through research and experience of managing the facility. In
addition there are also statutory requirements under the DDA.
There are three components to the scheme although they are all inter linked under
the overarching DDA requirement:
 Improved changing provision in terms of quality and access. The current
changing provision will be refurbished and new changing areas adjacent to
the fitness suite and sports hall will be created.
 Redesign of the main entrance and foyer to improve mobility of customer
access/egress.
 DDA works: mechanical entrance doors, accessible reception counter,
widening of access doors to all changing areas and sports areas, modification
of easy access changing area adjacent to the pool and general improvements
to toilet facilities.
Fit City Eccles has the largest membership of any of SCL sites and is an absolutely
critical site. The scheme will bring this prestigious and busy facility up to modern
standards. The improvement will increase customer retention. Current changing
provision falls short of Sport England requirements in terms of size. Current facilities
are cramped particularly during the day when schools are sharing with adult
customers of the pool and fitness suite. Creation of new dry changing will facilitate
independent use of the pool changing rooms by the primary schools, which has been
identified by schools and Children’s Services as an important factor regarding safety
and supervision. Changing rooms are inaccessible to wheelchair users. Wheelchair
access to the pool is currently achieved via a fire door off the pool itself. The scheme
has been assessed by an independent DDA consultant commissioned by the City
Council and has been revised to meet all the requirements of the assessment.
Timetable
The project timetable is for a 17-week programme delivered over 2 phases.
Phase 1: duration, 9 weeks. Creation of dry changing rooms. No reduction in activity
programme.
Phase 2: duration 8 weeks. Works to reception and wet changing rooms. The pool
will be closed during this phase and admission to fitness suite will be to members
only through a temporary entrance.
The decision deadline for Seddons to start work on site for the Eccles scheme is
12th February (the work would commence in March so that the centre can open
ready for the school holidays). SCL will have to start cancelling bookings as soon as
possible and try to relocate the programme, particularly the school swimming
programme.
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Funding
Lead Member for Culture & Sport has previously approved (April 2006) the use of
the LPSA 1 Reward grant for capital improvement schemes for leisure facilities
managed by Salford Community Leisure Limited.
Proposed project costs
Salford Community Leisure Limited
LPSA 11
DDA (City Council)
Total scheme costs (including fees)
£47,466
£283,000
£87,944
£418,410
Loss of income
Loss of income for phase 2 period (8 weeks) £60k (includes reduction through staffing
efficiencies).
1
This is based on £217,500k of the LPSA 1 funds being spent on tiling for Fit City Irlam & Fit City
Clarendon (figures provided by N.Doyle from Urban Vision)
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