Agenda item

Consider report by Acting Chief Executive.  (Copy attached.)

With reference to paragraph 9 of the Minute of 15 December 2022, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Chief Executive setting a proposal to help mitigate the financial challenges facing the Jedburgh Leisure Facilities Trust (JFLT), following approval of a grant of £127,000 to the Berwickshire Recreation and Education Sports Trust (BREST) at Council on 15 December 2022.  The JFLT, like BREST, had had significant increases in their cost base since the COVID 19 pandemic due to rising energy costs and reduced patronage income.  It was therefore proposed to provide financial assistance to JFLT of £127,000 from the Council’s recovery fund for the 2022/23 financial year to assist with the costs of a programme of energy efficiency works that would significantly reduce the running costs of the Laidlaw Memorial Pool.  The report explained that with increasing energy costs in recent years, the three Leisure Trusts operating in the Borders had seen increasing costs of running their facilities.  Live Borders was the largest of the three charitable trusts commissioned by SBC for the delivery of sport, leisure and cultural services operating 6 pools across the Region.  The other two Borders based trusts operating swimming pools were the Jedburgh Leisure Facilities Trust, which operated the Laidlaw Memorial Pool in Jedburgh, and Berwickshire Recreation Educational Sports Trust, which operated Duns Swimming Pool. The increase in energy costs had been especially felt in those leisure centres operating swimming pools, with pools facing particular challenges in continuing to operate while keeping their costs of admission affordable to users.  Sport, physical activity and cultural activity played a vital role in delivering the Council Plan and Community Plan priorities and outcomes, in particular the priority of ‘Good Health & Wellbeing’, where the people of the Scottish Borders would be “enabled and supported to take control of their health and wellbeing, and enjoy a high quality of life” so that the Borders would have “more people in good health, leading an active lifestyle at every age and stage of life”.  Swimming pool buildings consumed significantly more energy per sq. m than most other building types; careful design and the operation of pools to conserve energy was therefore of fundamental importance in ensuring their continued viability.  Without sufficient funding to assist the Trusts to reduce their energy usage and their carbon footprint, the financial viability of swimming pools in the Borders was at risk.  This is turn risked the delivery of the Council’s corporate priorities associated with Health and Wellbeing, and the important community benefits they delivered.  Council had already agreed to assist BREST, and this paper sought approval to also provide the same level of grant funding of £127,000 to the Jedburgh Trust.  Discussions with Live Borders were also progressing and would be reported to Council at the earliest opportunity.  Members supported the proposal and highlighted the importance of swimming for health, wellbeing and safety given the length of coastline and number of rivers in the Scottish Borders.

DECISION

AGREED to provide one-off financial support to Jedburgh Leisure Facilities Trust in the current financial year of £127,000 from the Recovery Fund to help finance a programme of energy improvement works identified by the Trust at the Laidlaw Memorial pool.