Decision details

(Report of Director of Street Scene, Leisure and Technical Services)

The report outlined the services provided by the Borough Council in relation to Sports Development and Youth Engagement and invited the Cabinet to review and advise on future levels of provision of these discretionary services.

Details of both service areas, including its purpose, how it was currently delivered and staffing and budget implications were outlined in Annexes 1 and 2.

Cabinet recognised the excellent work undertaken by the Borough Council but noted that the current level of service provision was relatively small and that the provision of youth service was the responsibility of the County Council. 

Careful consideration was given to a range of factors including the availability of alternative service providers serving the needs of both youth provision and sports development; the future of the Leisure Pass scheme; the legal, financial,  value for money and staffing implications and the potential impacts on healthy lifestyles and the health and wellbeing of residents. An Equality Impact Assessment was also annexed to the report.

Taking into account the Council’s financial position, the discretionary nature of the services and that the service areas were primarily provided by others such as Kent County Council and the Leisure Trust, Councillor Keers proposed, seconded by Councillor Boughton, that the provision of sports development and youth engagement services as currently provided be ceased.  However, the Leisure Pass Scheme, as outlined in the report, was to be retained to enable those requiring financial assistance to continue to access services. 

RESOLVED:  That

(1)             the provision of sports development and youth engagement services as currently provided, with the exception of the Leisure Pass scheme as outlined in the report, be ceased.

[In accordance with the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, this decision was the subject of a call-in and was scrutinised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 17 November 2022.   Members of the Committee considered the grounds for the call-in and had regard to the responses provided by the Cabinet Member for Community Services and the Leader.  After in-depth discussion and a formal vote the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had no further recommendations to make to the Cabinet and the decision came into immediate effect.  The proposals in respect of sports development and youth provision came into effect from 18 November 2022.]