PAPER C

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, TOURISM AND LEISURE SERVICES SELECT COMMITTEE - 27 MAY 2003

CONSULTANT’S REPORT – WIGHT LEISURE – MR. TONY HALL

HEAD OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

The Chairman has required the report produced by Tony Hall into the Wight Leisure externalisation process be considered by this Committee in advance of its receipt by the Executive.

ACTION REQUIRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE

To come to a view on how the Council should respond to the report of Tony Hall and ask the Executive to take this view into account when it considers the report at its meeting of 4^th June 2003.

BACKGROUND

At the previous meeting of this committee, Members received an update report on the externalisation of Wight Leisure. The Committee was advised of the appointment of Mr. Tony Hall from the Institute of Public Finance to undertake a project which would help the Council come to a judgment that the work completed to date provided a sound basis for the externalisation of Wight Leisure.

Mr Hall provided his report in draft at the end of April and those persons named within the report were invited to comment on its factual accuracy to enable him to provide a final report in good time for the Executive to consider the recommendations at its meeting scheduled for 4 June 2003. The final draft was received on the 23 May 2003.

To enable the report to be published with the Executive’s agenda, the Monitoring Officer has confirmed that he wishes to ensure that its publication will not prejudice any actions the Council may wish to take arising from the report and also that does not create any liability to any party mentioned within it.

The papers for the Executive Committee are to be published on Tuesday 27 May and the review will need to be completed in time for this date. The report will be published as a background paper to the Executive report during 27 May when the ensuing report has been approved through normal processes

RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Wight Leisure Best Value Review, May 2002.

Audit Commission Inspection of Wight Leisure, October 2002.

CONSULTATION PROCESS

In preparing his report, Tony Hall has completed interviews with the following:-

Officers and Members of the Isle of Wight Council

Independent Advisors

IWEP

FINANCIAL, LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER IMPLICATIONS

• The total cost of procuring Tony Hall’s report was £7,400
• The Council must take care to ensure that all of the documents and reports it published are not libellous or defamatory, nor prejudice it in any proceedings against any party.

Contact Point : John Metcalfe, F 3825 e-mail [email protected]

J METCALFE

Head of Community Development and Tourism