Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director – Resources, Environment and Cultural Services which provides the Committee with the monitoring data for service and financial performance of Finesse Leisure.

A presentation on the Hatfield Swim Centre will also be presented.

Members received a report which provided monitoring information on the services provided by Finesse Leisure covering their managed sites.

It was noted that visitor numbers for the Hatfield Swim Centre, Hatfield Leisure Centre and Panshanger Golf Complex had reduced compared to the same quarter last year and year to date.  This was despite an increase in the number of users for private swims, swimming clubs and school use of the Swim Centre.  Also, whilst golf usage had decreased, there had been an increase in numbers for badminton at the Hatfield Leisure Centre.

Work is being done to increase participation in golf with the recent appointment of a new golf professional and remedial work was being undertaken on some of the tees to overcome the damage caused by Footgolf.

It was hoped to encourage ex-members to return following the recent £320,000 refurbishment of the gyms at Hatfield Swim Centre and Hatfield Leisure Centre which were funded directly by Finesse.

The Finesse Executive Board had made the decision to reduce the cost of membership by 25% to £29 per month as it was felt that this was competitive when taking into account the facilities and services that were included within this price.

Members commented that they had visited Stanborough Park during the Christmas school holidays and were disappointed to find nothing open.  They also expressed concern that there were no signs up giving contact details should there be an emergency.

Finesse replied that they were endeavouring to extend the usage period of Stanborough Park, but staff tended to work long hours during the current period of opening (1 March to 31 October, the warmer months of the year).  Finesse had taken the view that it was too expensive to open fully during the off-season when there were too few visitors to cover costs.  It was also noted that the café on the south side is managed under a lease to a third party and not directly by Finesse.  Finesse had not control over the opening times.

A review of contact information signage will be completed.

Members asked how long a period would be allowed for new activities to become popular and cost-effective before these were changed.  They were advised that Finesse held monthly management meetings where targets were discussed.  If it was felt that an offer or activity was not going to be profitable, they would react quickly and change the offer.

Members asked whether there was a possibility of the membership fee reducing even further as, even at £29, this was twice the cost of some of the other gyms.  Finesse replied that they offered instructor-led sessions, had professionals on site, provided a staffed reception and pleasant changing facilities, none of which was available at the other cheaper gyms in the area.

Members then received a presentation which provided them with an overview of the work that had been done at the Hatfield Swim Centre.

The presentation highlighted the following:

·         The gym had been refurbished and re-opened in January 2017

·         The 50^th birthday of the Centre was held in September 2016 – a free “open” weekend was held which raised £298.50 for the Mayor’s charity

·         Hatfield Swim club had used the Centre for its charity fundraising and £2778 had been raised for the British Heart Foundation

·         900 children and adults were learning and improving their swimming skills every week

·         Approximately 6,000 school children from local schools attended every month

·         New “This Girl Can” adult swimming lessons have been introduced

·         Finesse and the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) are working on delivering a Swim Teacher CPD course

Work had also been done to address the issues regarding negative comments about the Centre by the public and recent feedback from customers on this have been positive.

Future plans included a partial refurbishment of the Changing Village which would focus on the key areas of dissatisfaction, the toilets, showers and related amenities.  This was planned for December 2017 when the centre had its quietest trading period, in order to minimise the level of disruption for customers.

Members asked whether referrals from GPs were accepted for use of the gym.  They were informed that these were accepted but Welwyn Hatfield GPs had been reluctant to make referrals to date because this incurs a cost to the primary health provider, so keeping numbers low.

Members asked whether there were screens in the spin room which provided riders with a film of riding through, for example, Arizona.  They were informed that there was not a screen as the Centre provided instructor-led classes which were more interactive for those using the spin cycles.

Members asked why the splash pool was closed during the week.  They were advised that there had been problems with recruitment of lifeguards.  Finesse was trying to overcome this issue by offering free training/qualifications.  However, until a full complement of lifeguards was available, the splash pool would be subject to restricted hours for safety reasons.

Members asked whether, during the refurbishment, consideration would be given to changing the layout of the facilities.  They were advised that this was not planned during the upcoming refurbishment, as there was a limited budget for this, but it might be considered in the future.

RESOLVED:

To note the report and presentation which provided monitoring information on the services provided by Finesse and details of the refurbishment of the Swim Centre and the improved facilities available.