Single operator for all leisure sites

All the leisure centres in three council districts, including South Holland, will be run by one operator in the future.

The arrangements for a so-called sub-regional leisure facilities have been outlined in a report due to go before the Policy Development Panel of South Holland District Council on Tuesday.
All leisure venues in Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland are currently outsourced in a variety of different contracts.
But the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership (S&ELCP) wants to streamline the process.
A scrutiny task and finish group was asked to review the scope and arrangements for a single operator.
A report due to go before the committee outlines a proposal for the contract to go out to tender in January.
There will be three contracts, one with each sovereign council and the operator.
All the contracts will be prepared the same for consistency and management.
The partnership had included an ambition to create a ‘sub-regional leisure and culture offer’ by the end of quarter three.
The venues in Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland include the Castle Sports Complex in Spalding, Princess Royal Sports Arena in Boston, Skegness Pool and Fitness Suite and Louth’s Meridian Leisure Centre. In total there are eight venues.
Once the tender is advertised, there will be a selection questionnaire stage which runs to mid November and invitations to tender will be issued in January next year.
The indicative timeline shows a provider will be decided in May before the final tenders are issued in July or August next year.
The contract would be awarded in December with a phased taking over of the venues from March 2026.
Any contract would use a Sport England standard form of specification with bespoke adjustments.
The terms would also protect current arrangements including opening hours.
For South Holland District Council it would see new operators of the Castle Sports Complex and its replacement with new pools and a health and wellbeing hub. The current contract expires in March next year. There is also an option to run the South Holland Centre from April 2026, but no further mention is made of the Spalding town centre venue in the presentation going before committee next week.
All five venues in East Lindsey are in contract until July 2027 and Boston Borough’s contracts expire in March and November 2026.
A start date has yet to be announced for the new facilities in Spalding.

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