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RESOLVED: That
the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee provided comments and
recommended to Cabinet the Leisure Investment Options – Part
1.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS TO CABINET:

 
That
Cabinet takes into account the matters
set out in the Part 2 report when reaching the following
decisions:
 

2.1 
That Cabinet agree in principle to terminate the
Combined Heat and Power Centrica contracts at North Herts Leisure
Centre (NHLC) and Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre (HSFC) at the
appropriate time during the PSDS project and recommend to Council
as per 2.6 below regarding the termination fee.

 

2.2 
That Cabinet expresses its profound disappointment at the position
taken by Centrica over the cost of the CHP contract termination,
given the company's stated position as "Energising a greener,
fairer future" and requests that the Council continues to raise,
and seek solutions to, the issue of long-term inflexible agreements
for gas CHPs with Salix and Government, which will inevitably
prevent many public sector organisations from achieving their net
zero ambitions.
 

2.3 
That Cabinet does not approve the business case for
Royston Leisure Centre Learner Pool and the capital budget is
removed from the capital programme, due to the matters identified
in the Part 2 report.
 
That
Cabinet recommends to Council:
 

2.4 
An increase in capital expenditure of £2.4m
into the capital programme for the decarbonisation work to the
three leisure centres. The overall budget will be profiled across
2024/25 and 2025/26.
 

2.5 
An increase in the capital budget of £250k for
the Royston Leisure Centre (RLC) gym extension, to ensure the
extension is built to net zero carbon standards.
 

2.6 
Approval of revenue expenditure of up to £757k
for termination and removal fees of the gas CHPs at North Herts
Leisure Centre and Hitchin Fitness and Swimming Centre. This would
be funded from General Fund reserves.

 

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:

 

(1)  
North Herts Council passed a climate emergency motion in May 2019.
This declaration asserted the council’s commitment toward
climate action beyond current government targets and international
agreements. This is currently pursued through the North Herts
Climate Change Strategy 2022-2027 which sets out what the council
will aim to do to reduce its own carbon emissions to achieve Carbon
Neutrality for the Council’s own operations by 2030 and a Net
Zero Carbon district by 2040.
 

(2)  
Gas use from our leisure centres is a significant contributor
towards the Council’s own emissions. In 2022-23, gas use
across the three leisure centres accounted for 1,428 tonnes CO2e.
This equates to 45% of the Council’s Scope 1-3 emissions.
Taking action to replace gas heating for our leisure centres with
low carbon alternatives is the single most effective action we can
take towards meeting our target of being carbon neutral by
2030.
 

(3)  
There is currently a capital allocation in the 2024/25 budget to
build a gym extension and learner pool (subject to business case)
at Royston Leisure Centre.
 

(4)  
During the procurement for the leisure and active communities contract, the Council committed to
deliver the gym extension project which is incorporated in to the
contractual management fee. The initial tender stage returns showed
that extension would generate additional income of at least
£150k per year, and subject to inflationary increases. The
latest estimate is that the capital costs will be £1.25m.
This is an increase from the initial estimate of £1m and
includes making the extension net-zero. The income generated will
still exceed the revenue cost of capital (at around £90k per
year), but in line with the financial regulation the increased
capital spend needs to be approved by Cabinet.
 

(5)  
The business case for the learner pool has not yet been agreed and
is included in the Part 2 report.