Westminster Lodge plans to be called-in by Scrutiny

A news update from St Albans Council

On Tuesday 26 July, the Council’s Scrutiny Committee* (O&S), called-in* the Cabinet decision on the Westminster Lodge leisure centre which was agreed on 7 June.

Following Cabinet on 7 June** the Chair of Scrutiny, Councillor Robert Donald called-in this Cabinet decision for the following reasons:-

• No cross party or external public consultation has been conducted or independent professional verification of Capita Symonds consultants’ report carried out.
• The decision does not openly state Cabinet’s agreement to change the contract to provide a 10 lane swimming pool when it is clearly one of the mitigating actions that Cabinet members regarded as necessary to continue with the existing contract.
• Section 4.8 of the report refers to an alleged “….current shortfall in public water space in the district….” without evidencing this precisely or the options for resolving this if actually accurate, which would meet Sport England’s advisory standards.
• An explanation has not been given for what options were considered in arriving at a decision and the reason for that decision. There is no evidence of why the contract should be changed or the options considered to provide ten lanes instead of eight, or whether other numbers of lanes were considered.

Councillor Robert Donald, Chair of Overview & Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee commented: “In my view, the need to alter the size of the main 25 metre swimming pool in the new Westminster Lodge redevelopment has never been conclusively proven or substantiated. I called this in, as Chair Of Overview and Scrutiny, because in my view Cabinet changed the contract to increase the pool to ten lanes without proper prior due diligence being given to the revenue impact of these changes on the future maintenance costs and loss of income from the proposed facilities that will not now be provided, potentially risking tax payers money. Furthermore, I consider replacing the existing irregular sized pool with another one does not indicate financial efficiency. I am also concerned about the loss of energy saving reductions that would have resulted from the environmentally sustainable measure of using solar panels on the roof, and I would expect the committee to be asking questions about these issues. In my opinion, this change was rushed.  Closer scrutiny of this change to a multi-million pound Council contract is not only therefore desirable but essential. This is a valuable development contract and the committee members will need to satisfy themselves that the revised scheme will deliver value for money to the District’s residents.  Otherwise, in my view, residents could be paying more for decades to come for a flagship leisure centre that was designed not to cost them any more than now and to provide an income for the Council through the widest possible range of sports and recreational facilities.”

Notes:

*Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee

See the Council’s website for more information about Overview and Scrutiny, how topics are chosen, what powers the committee has and details of meetings:-

http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/Overview-and-Scrutiny/

Details of the next meeting can be found at:

http://stalbans.moderngov.co.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=134&Year=2011

A call-in

A call-in is where members of the appropriate Overview & Scrutiny Committee have evidence which suggests that the Cabinet did not take the decision in accordance with the principles set out in Article 13.02 of the Council’s Constitution on Decision Making.  See Article 13 on the Council’s website:  http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/Images/02%20Articles%20of%20the%20Constitution%20-%20May%202011_tcm15-16832.pdf.

The appropriate O&S Committee considers the decision and if it is still concerned about it, then it may refer it back to the decision making person or body for reconsideration, setting out the nature of its concerns or may refer the matter to full Council.  

The O&S Committee cannot substitute its own decision for the decision made by Cabinet.

**Cabinet decision 7 June re Westminster Lodge:

“..That Cabinet confirms its acceptance of the independent due diligence review by Capita Symonds, agrees that its membership assumptions now form the basis of the business plan for Westminster Lodge, notes the estimated costs to cease the entire project and agrees to proceed with the project provided the mitigating action set out in the reports is taken forward….” More

Related press release:-New Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre to get two extra swimming lanes 15 June 2011. Read it here.

Webcast of this meeting.

The Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee meeting on Tuesday 26 July will be webcast live, and can be accessed via the Council’s website: http://www.stalbans.ukcouncil.net/site/ by selecting “Recent Webcasts Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee, District Council Offices, St Peter's Street, St Albans AL1 3JE Thur, 26 July 2011 @ 19:00.”