LEISURE CEN T RE S
MISSING A TRICK? In response to our Talking Point: ‘Are councils asking too much of contract operators?’ and our editor’s letter on the same topic, Duncan Wood-Allum, managing director of SLC, shares his thoughts on the future commissioning and delivery of leisure services
T
he leisure operating market has never been in such
The article was in
a dynamic state of flux.
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Continued austerity, major
Issue 2, 2018
budget cuts and polarisation of political philosophies on
how services should be run all add to
overheated and councils were demanding
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an environment where, more than ever,
too much from their contracts.
A key factor missing in the article was
leisure operators have to be on their toes. In the Sports Management Talking Point,
The article was right to note that in
the broader strategic role of leisure in
some instances, councils (which sometimes
contributing to agendas such as adult
a number of operators and advisors shared
take the wrong advice or do not take any
social care, regeneration, economic
their views on whether the market had
advice) are seeing leisure contracts as
development, placemaking and social
cash generators only, rather than
cohesion. Leisure cannot continue to
a sustainable market intervention
try to justify itself for its own sake – it
to contribute to a number of wider
needs to co-create local solutions to
strategic outcomes.
bigger issues that can act as a catalyst for
With borough treasurers putting
through joint commissioning, and leverage
savings, revenue-positive leisure
investment from regeneration. This can
contracts can be seen as a potential
often lead to co-location of new facilities
‘easy win’. However, I believe council
with other functions and services, making
officers and members should
better use of scarce resources.
establish a joined-up approach
Duncan Wood-Allum is managing director of consultancy SLC
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ISSUE 3 2018
partnership working, combine funding
the pressure on councils to find
The transformation of our town
to commissioning, identify their
centres and cityscapes is paving the
community’s needs, facility
way from a retail-based core to a mixed
requirements and investment
economy of retail, leisure, community,
opportunities, and set sensible
commercial and housing. This creates
and achievable affordability levels.
huge opportunities for developing new
They then have the option to
models to support people’s changing
select the optimal management
lifestyles, health and wellbeing needs.
model – often over a period
Local authorities have an opportunity
of two to four years before
to leverage the expertise of the leisure
procurement – to enable them
sector to bring investment that will inject
to achieve both their financial goals and
life and atmosphere back into these town
deliver significant social value.
centres. But I’m not convinced anyone
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