Note:The text in blue italics has been added by me in an attempt to relate the text of the response to the appropriate questions. The text of the response has not been altered.
Received: Wed. 18th June 2008
Dear Mr Brotherton,
Thank you for your email on 04 June 2008 in relation to the Riverside Redevelopment Project. Councillor Whitehead has requested that we respond to you with a full and detailed response and I will therefore provide answers to each of your questions in turn.
Now that the Council has agreed to a full consultation with regard to the proposals for Riverside, please provide details of the format of the process:
What meetings are planned and what say will interested parties have at the meeting(s)?- What material will be made available to the public prior to any meeting(s)?
- What notice will be provided to the public of the schedule of meetings and how will this notice be provided?
Chelmsford Borough Council is committed to engaging with customers and the wider community in due course with matters relating specifically to the redevelopment of Riverside. However, in order to plan comprehensive and meaningful consultation the Council must be confident that it is able to provide clear and detailed information at that point in time to key stakeholders, local residents and Riverside users to allow them to provide useful feedback.
As previously mentioned by Councillor Whitehead, we have a number of commercial companies who are currently in the process of bidding for this project, and at present the Council is still undergoing an assessment of the proposals submitted. These will be subject to further negotiations over the next few months, and due to the financial and commercial nature of their proposals, we must respect their confidentiality and abide by the legal requirements which are part of this formal process. The current economic climate has also meant that project timetables for many development projects of this nature and on this scale have had to be shifted to accommodate the realities of more complex and significant financial risks for all those involved.
It will not be until this assessment stage has been completed that the Council will know whether the scheme is in fact affordable and deliverable. When the final proposals are submitted they may actually indicate that in order to make the project viable, Chelmsford Borough Council will be required to carefully consider a range of options. Each of these may have different implications on resources, funding (both capital and ongoing revenue) and an impact on the configurations of both the new leisure centre and enabling development. The content of these options will in turn will influence the type of consultation (e.g. surveys, exhibitions and public meetings), how it is undertaken (e.g. face to face, by phone, online or by post), as well as the frequency, duration and range of participants involved. Therefore, until we are at the appropriate stage in this project where we are able to make these decisions, I cannot provide you with any specific consultation dates. However, as and when these dates are agreed, the Council will be issuing information to local residents and customers of the centre via a number of means such as the website, notice boards, press releases and the Borough’s Life publication.
I am not sure whether you are aware that the Council has in fact already received a significant amount of input from its staff, customers and local residents over the past few years, through major surveys, focus / user groups and its comment system, which have helped us to identify the priorities to future facilities. For more information on the research undertaken, please visit the Responses to Questions “Customer Involvement” page on the website www.chelmsford.gov.uk/riversideredevelopment- With regard to the basis for the Councils assessment criteria for the level of service that Riverside makes to the overall leisure provision in the borough:
- Please can you provide the detailed results of the Council’s RS14 assessment activity, along with those of the other projections for population growth that the Council are using as the basis for the projected leisure provision of which the Riverside complex provides a substantial part.
- Have these projections been compared with similar regional projections for services such as health (e.g. APHO population projection).
Given that these assessments covers a time spans to at least 2021:- What is the expected lifespan of the proposed development?
- What element of forward projection outside the bounds of the population assessments have been designed into the proposals for Riverside, for the element of the expected lifespan that falls beyond 2021 or the projection time spans?
The aim of this exciting project is to replace the existing dated and inefficient facility with a brand new multi-purpose leisure facility that is fit for the 21st Century and will meet the needs of the growing local community. It is Chelmsford Borough Council’s intention to secure the highest quality of design and construction to ensure that the new Riverside is not only a top class destination but is a highly functional, efficient and sustainable building for the future benefit of the community as a whole. It is anticipated that the lifespan of a development of this nature will be at least 40 years.
This redevelopment will provide the Council with the opportunity to ensure that the configuration of facilities is both customer-friendly as well as operationally viable. Over the years, Chelmsford Borough Council has worked with a range of independent sporting national, regional and local governing bodies, and leisure specialists to aid strategic demand modelling and analysis of national trends. A number of officers involved in this project have also visited a number of successful leisure facilities elsewhere in communities of similar size and location to Chelmsford to establish best practice principles. The size of any new proposed leisure facility is influenced a number of variables other than just the status of Chelmsford as the County town. The size and facility mix of any new leisure centre needs to reflect both current and future predicted demand levels, as well take into consideration how our facilities’ catchment populations are impacted by the supply of existing and future planned neighbouring local authority and community centres. In addition, the Council needs to ensure that the new Riverside is a sustainable leisure centre that is both cost effective to build and maintain. - Based on the fact that a substantial part of this development comprises housing provision:
- What type of tenure is planned for the housing element of the development?
- What other tenure combinations have been considered, and why were they rejected?
- In light of the current decline in the housing market, who carries the element of risk if the properties remain vacant?
In relation to your questions on how housing will be incorporated into the development, as yet no specific tenure combinations have been considered as the project has not yet proceeded to an appropriate point to do so. It will be the developer who will carry the risk if the properties remain vacant. - What type of tenure is planned for the housing element of the development?
- The Council has made public the fact that they have allocated in excess of £600,000 (£250,000 reclaimable on progression of the project) to funding a variety of consultants; has any of this funding been allocated to sports development consultancy, if so, to whom and what approximate percentage?
A leading national leisure consultancy firm was engaged by Chelmsford Borough Council in the early stages of this project to review and update findings from a previous indoor sport and recreation facilities assessment. As a result their findings, a facility mix for the new leisure centre was used as the basis for the leisure client brief issued to developers. The consultants established the projected demand for a number of leisure ‘facilities’ based on both projected housing demand for this area and Sport England’s ‘Game Plan’ aspirations. The results included indications of a significant deficit in the number of health and fitness stations in the Borough and an oversupply of swimming pool water. This provided, for example, the rationale for proposal to include a tripling of the current health & fitness provision but did not justify an increase in swimming pool water. However, once we have established whether this project is financially viable, we will be taking further professional advice to ensure any final proposal is based on the latest demand and supply information available.
Over the years, Chelmsford Borough Council has built up a well deserved reputation as a result of continued investment its four sports centres and the sports development unit. However I am sure you can appreciate that it is not always possible for a local authority, such as Chelmsford, to support all of the vast range of sporting activities available to everyone. By assessing the impact and interest level that certain sports have on the local community, we can ensure that our resources are allocated in an efficient and effective manner to maximise their benefits for everyone. - Once the complex development has been completed:
- Who will manage the facility?
- If managed by an external provider, which providers are being considered and how long will they manage the facility for? What will happen at the end of their tenure?
- What provision is planned for ‘included’ maintenance for the complex, how long will this provision last, and what exclusions are likely to be made?
In terms of a maintenance budget, the Council will ensure that an appropriate level of funding is allocated to the centre’s annual revenue budgets over its expected lifespan. It is the Council’s intention to retain the ownership and continue its management of the new leisure centre, with any additional enabling development on the site remaining within the responsibility of the appointed developer. - Who will manage the facility?
- In this time of increased environmental awareness:
- What will the eco-credentials of the proposed development be?
- How will it compare to the recent facility created in Leeds, which is recognized as one of the most eco-friendly leisure developments in the country?
- How well does the proposed development meet the environmental policies to which the Council is already committed?
Chelmsford Borough Council is committed to helping to reduce energy use and is therefore seeking advice on how to make this a more efficient and eco-friendly development. Newly adopted Council Policies require residential premises to attain a minimum Level 3 under the Code for Sustainable Homes and non-residential properties to attain a minimum of ‘Very Good’ under the BREEAM assessment scheme. Typical leisure centres consume large amounts of energy, so the actual building fabric, lighting, heating and ventilation systems need careful consideration. As the scheme design for the new leisure centre is not yet known, we are unable to provide details on how the Council will incorporate environmentally friendly technologies into the new centre at this present time. However the building will be required to meet the minimum standards as stated above.
If any of the above have not yet been decided, when will the decision be made?
At appropriate stages in this project, the Council will be keeping the public and customers updated on progress as well as informing them on any possible impacts of the existing centre’s operations. We are monitoring all questions and comments relating to the redevelopment of Riverside and have registered your concerns. I hope this satisfactorily answers the points you have raised, with the information that we have available to date on this project.
Regards,
Riverside Redevelopment Team,
Chelmsford Borough Council
Website: www.chelmsford.gov.uk/riversideredevelopment
Email: riversideredevelopment@chelmsford.gov.uk
Address: Riverside Redevelopment Project, Leisure & Cultural Services, Chelmsford Borough Council, Civic Centre, Duke Street, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1JE
[Opinion - Detail is the one thing that this response seems to be very light on. It may just be that we are not worth a full answer, but I fear that the truth is more likely to be that there has been so little preparation, that the detail simply is not available -"...with the information that we have available to date on this project." - a bit scary really.
A reply will be dispatched soon.]
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