Thursday January 21st 2010
Chairmans Report

There have been recent decisions which all Broomhill Pool’s supporters should know about.

At The Executive Committee Meeting of Ipswich Borough Council on Tuesday December 16th 2009, Cllr Terry presented a paper describing the Options available for the future of the Pool and supported Option 2 ("transfer of Broomhill Pool to an alternative provider").

The Chairman of The Trust, Mike Cook, was then invited to speak; he supported Option 2 pointing out some of the sporting and cultural attractions that would be made available at no future cost to the Council. However, he was concerned that the cancellation of the £1m pledge would encourage the idea that the Council was not supportive of the project. He said there would be no financial improvement to the Council’s balance sheet [by withdrawing the £1m] as the pledge would remain there [in IBC contingency fund] until April at least.

Below is a copy of the relevant IBC Exec minute: -

++++++QUOTE++++++

“118.1.Councillor Terry reported that following the receipt of 16 expressions of interest in support of Option 2, three companies had been requested to submit costed proposals by early February 2010.

118.2.Dr Cook spoke on behalf of the Broomhill Pool Trust and reported that the Trust were in support of Option 2, which provided the best opportunity for Broomhill Pool to be turned into a cultural attraction for Ipswich. He was concerned that the Council was not providing financial support in the commercial negotiations.

118.3.Councillor Terry reported that the advertisement for expressions of interest did not indicate that the Council would be  providing funding, and that an application for funding could be made
to Executive in the future.

118.4.Councillor Terry thanked the Broomhill Pool Trust and the officers for all their hard work in preparing the options for Broomhill Pool.

118.5.A revised recommendation in support for Option 2 was tabled and agreed.
Resolved:

(i) Executive resolves to support pursuing Option 2, namely the transfer of Broomhill Pool to an alternative provider, and authorises the Head of Culture and Leisure Services to report back to the Portfolio Holders for Arts, Culture and Leisure and Finance the outcome of negotiations with potential providers,and further, that the Head of Culture and Leisure Services subsequently reports to Executive on any viable proposal – in the absence of a viable proposal, that the Head of Culture and
Leisure Services maintain the position as set out in Option 4 until further report;
       Reason: The Council needs to make a decision based upon the leisure/cultural needs survey

(ii) that Executive note that the Borough Council offer of £1million to support the BHT efforts to refurbish the pool expires on 31st December 2009 and that any future application for support would be subject to the usual budget setting.”

++++++UNQUOTE++++++

The Broomhill Trust have had lengthy discussions of this outcome; generally members felt that the Council were giving it away without any financial pledges or guarantees. However, the Chairman remained 85% sure of a good outcome; he felt the Council knew that they would have to give some financial support at some time but they were not prepared to put their cards on the table at this time but would wait for commercial proposals.

At the present time, therefore, the function of the The Broomhill Pool Trust has changed.

If there were to be a successful commercial bid, the Trust would be an essential part of that - as a vital link to to ensure that a restored facility would integrate back into the community, a source of volunteer labour and as a fund raising group.

If there is not a satisfactory commercial outcome and IBC were to adopt Option 4 [mothballing] we would revert to a full campaigning mode.

IBC has received three expressionsof interest, and we believe that a large well run not-for-profit leisure trust are preparing a fully costed proposal to take over the Pool, restore it and then operate it for presentation to the Council in mid February.

We await the outcome with great expectations.

Mike Cook
Chairman
The Broomhill Pool Trust
www.savebroomhillpool.org/WhySave.aspx

Tooting Bec  - the largest fresh water lido in England - featured on yesterdays Blue Peter (in a article on Zorbing):

Key times:
16 mins:40 secs feature on Zorbing starts
17 mins:30 secs filming from Tooting bec
20 mins:20 secs outline on lidos

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00q0cnw/Blue_Peter_12_01_2010/

The positive news is resolution 1 that IBC Exec will allow expressions of interest with operators to be fully explored.

The bad news is resolution 2 that IBC Exec has withdrawn their £1m manifesto pledge right at the most critical moment. Remember that both Conservatives and Lib-Dems were voted in with manifesto pledges to "work with the Trust on the future of Broomhill…to conduct a feasibility study into the future of the pool [managed by the Trust] …and if salvageable a pledge of £1,000,000 towards its restoration".
 

It now remains to be seen what will transpire "behind closed doors" - and within realms of a commercial negotiation - between borough and would-be operators.

Here's the two IBC rulings:

(Tuesday 15th December 2009) the IBC Committee passed two recommendations from
the Officers and the BPT that :-

1. "That the Executive agrees to support Option 2, namely the transfer of Broomhill Pool to an alternative provider and authorises the Head of
Culture/Finance to report back to the Portfolio Holders for Culture and Leisure/Finance the outcome of negotiations with potential providers and,
further, that the Head of Culture and Leisure subsequently reports to Executive on any viable proposal. In the absence of a viable proposal, that the Head of Culture and Leisure maintain the position as set out in Option 4 until further report"

2. "That the Executive note that the Borough Council offer of £1 million to support the BPT efforts to refurbish the Pool expire on 31st December 2009 and that any future application for support would be subject to the usual budget setting procedures."

IPSWICH: Hopes rose today that Broomhill Pool could be open for business again in the summer of 2013.

Members of the borough's executive approved a proposal to hand over the lido to a private sector operator who would restore the pool and bring it back into use.

The move has the backing of the Broomhill Pool Trust - for whom Mike Cook said it could see the pool open again in three years' time.

The borough has short-listed three potential operators who are interested in taking over the pool, and will make a final decision on who will take it on in February next year.

If they decide that none of the potential operators have the financial stability to take on the work, the pool could be left in its current state until 2014 when its future would be re-examined.

Leisure spokeswoman Judy Terry said the £1 million dowry that had been on offer to attract an operator had not been renewed because of the financial problems facing all councils.

“However all three operators are aware of this before we go into talks with them about their proposals for the pool,” she added.

Mr Cook had asked the executive to extend the offer, but after the meeting remained confident that the long fight for the pool would have a positive outcome.

He said; “I'm 85 per cent confident a deal will be reached - we have spoken to one of the potential operators and they are very serious. This is good news for the pool.”

Would you use a reopened Broomhill pool? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Evening Star 14-12-09. Page 13:

BROOMHILL POOL CAN BE SAVED !
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Quality operators have expressed interest.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Open letter to Ipswich Borough Council Executive

Ahead of Tuesday’s key “all options” decision, the Broomhill Pool Trust, supporters of the Trust (some 18,500+), and enthusiasts of the lido in Ipswich and beyond, call upon Ipswich Borough Council Executive to do the right thing for this iconic 1930’s Grade II listed swimming facility. Quality operators are preparing their proposals for IBC’s 10th February 2010 deadline, so we respectfully appeal to the IBC Executive to:
 
1. Approve Option 2: Disposal of Broomhill Pool to a quality operator; to restore the pool as a swimming facility.
2. Fulfil manifesto pledges and continue your £1m guarantee, thus allowing Option 2 (and funding options) to be fully explored; and to encourage an operator to secure the facility’s future.
3. Commit fully to delivering a successful outcome for the facility.

The 2006 Feasibility Study and 2009 All Options Appraisal studies prove conclusively:-

o That there are clear expressions of interest from quality operators.
o That business plans in 2006 & 2009, professionally and independently prepared by leading consultants (with input from 22 similar situated outdoor pools and lidos), demonstrate that the facility can run without an operating loss.
o That the facility currently has no structural defects beyond repair.
o That it can be reinstated with just 9 months building work as a heated outdoor pool with enhanced community facilities providing benefits 12 months a year.
o That at a [2009] revised rebuild cost of just £3.6m (down from £4.2m), the project addresses an undersupply of water space in Ipswich - as highlighted in IBC’s Nov 2006 Swimming Needs Assessment (consultants: Torkildsen Barclay).
o That demolition would be both costly, and is highly unlikely. The facility is Grade II listed and is built within Broomhill Park (thus having no commercial resale value).
o That mothballing the facility will bring no benefit to the people of Ipswich; only continued health & safety and management costs. It would represent a wasteful use of a much needed public facility. The site would slip into further disrepair, increasing future refurbishment costs, and leave taxpayers with a much bigger bill for tomorrow.