South Kesteven District Council decides fate of £850,000 grant for Deepings Leisure Centre

South Kesteven District Council has given the green light to an £850,000 grant to refurbish and reopen Deepings Leisure Centre.

An extraordinary meeting of the authority’s full council today (Thursday, January 11) considered the request by the Deepings Community Leisure Centre Community Interest Company (CIC).

The funds are earmarked for the refurbishment and reopening of the Deepings Leisure Centre in Deeping St James, which closed in July 2021 due to safety concerns related to a faulty roof. The decision comes on the same day a report revealed that leisure centres in Stamford, Grantham and Bourne are at risk of closure if the council doesn’t approve a £150,000 bail out next week.

The council's approval is a pivotal step forward for the local community enterprise, which aims to raise more than £2 million for the renovation project.

While concerns were raised during the meeting regarding potential understated refit and running costs, a majority of councillors rallied behind the initiative, emphasising the positive impact on the community.

Supporters of reopening the Deepings Leisure Centre say the closure had a notable impact on the local community, forcing residents to travel to neighbouring towns for leisure facilities.

Coun Virginia Moran, who chairs Deepings Community Leisure Centre CIC, told councillors that supporting the facility would give 1000s of residents access to mental and physical health benefits via the facilities.

“The Deepings is truly the least supported area within SKDC, and as we have watched over the years, one service or another after another has been taken away,” she said.

The group is looking to run the leisure centre using volunteers and running on a not-for-profit basis.

She praised the support of Lincolnshire County Council in handing over the buildings and offering financial support - though how much has been given to the leisure centre was not revealed during the meeting.

She said renovation costs were “significantly different” to previous estimates for several reasons, including the formula used, the consideration of specific costs, and the benefit of several local companies doing work at cost or free of charge.

However, Coun Moran reassured councillors this would not mean “inferior” quality of work.

“These are local well-qualified people who want this centre not just for their own benefit but for their children, and grandchildren's benefit for the community as a whole,” she said.

The group will concentrate on getting the inside of the building sorted first and will consider external repairs and improvements at a later date.

Coun Moran said the group were ready to tender to five companies, and there would be six immediate income streams from the use of the sports hall.

Further discussions with the Anthem Trust have resulted in more time for public use of the facilities, including the swimming pool.

The group, she said, had the support of a number of parish councils both within and outside the district, and she felt confident that funding could be found for the refurbishment.

The council had received a last-minute letter from Lincolnshire County Council leader Councillor Martin Hill, which Deepings Independent Councillor Ashley Baxter said he was disappointed by and disputed.

He told councillors about the types of groups which used the centre, including martial arts and aspiring young Olympians.

He was also confident that third-party providers being considered would be able to do the work needed to get the centre up and running.

“If I can encourage you all to vote for it, we can get to the next stage and start properly to plan for the reopening of a much-needed facility in the Deepings,” he said.

A number of conditions are in place before the group can receive the money and, in fact, Councillor Paul Stokes felt the CIC was being asked to “jump through more hoops than a circus entertainer”.

“There are an awful lot more people not taking part in leisure and suffering in terms of mental health and wellbeing and fitness opportunities,” he said.

However, some councillors have expressed apprehensions about the potential risks associated with the project, including concerns that refurbishment and running costs may exceed initial projections.

Concerns were raised about the accuracy of cost calculations provided by the CIC, prompting councillors to take a more cautious approach.

They emphasised the need to carefully allocate resources across the district's existing leisure centres.

Conservative Group leader Councillor Graham Jeal voiced legal concerns, questioning the council's comfort in potentially becoming a test case under new government subsidy rules.

He sought clarity on business failure insurance and expressed reservations about the lack of written confirmation from the school supporting the Leisure Centre transfer.

Coun Jeal highlighted the authority's commissioned consultancy firm's doubts about the project's realism and cautioned against a prolonged debate, emphasizing the significant cost burden on taxpayers.

“The work undertaken by the community has been and is inspiring… this project is going to require a lot of luck because there’s a lot of evidence that we’ve been presented with that suggests they’re going to need it,” he said.

He noted that just to hold the building as it was was costing Lincolnshire taxpayers £70,000 a year; however, those in support of the grant said it would also remove this cost without demolishing the site.

Conservative Coun Mark Whittington raised significant concerns, stating, "There are too many unanswered questions."

He highlighted particular focus on cash flows, emphasising the critical importance of financial sustainability in the initial stages of operation.

Whittington expressed apprehensions about the new CIC's ability to cover fixed costs, including salaries and utilities, urging a closer examination of their financial plans.

“If you can’t pay the gas bill, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got a great business case,” he said.

“On the basis of what I’ve got in front of me I don’t think I’ve got a full complete picture of everything and I am in a quandary because I don’t think I could safely commit £800,000 of taxpayers money.”

Following approval the final business case will now go before the authority’s cabinet for a final approval based on the conditions.