Bridgnorth District Council currently manages three joint use leisure centres based at secondary schools in the district. These operate on a joint use agreement between partners that govern the management practices, finances and general operation of the three centres.

The Council has appointed Knight Kavanagh & Page (KKP) to fundamentally review the centres' management arrangements and structures. The review will determine, taking account of the needs and perspectives of all partners, whether there is a practical, financial and effective delivery model that enables leisure centres to improve service provision to communities and increases customer satisfaction whilst meeting the needs of partners. The key challenges for this review will focus on ensuring buy in from all stakeholders (including headteachers, local management committees, Shropshire County Council, customers and staff), challenging operational practices and assessing current governance arrangements.

KKP is a leading authority on management options appraisals. Over the last 12 months it has managed a range of projects that demonstrate its capacity to deliver complex and politically sensitive results and to take account of contemporary industry issues. In confirming the fact that the Company approaches all such assignments with complete objectivity and balance and has no affinity with any particular management option David McHendry cites the fact that ‘KKP recently advised one client to establish a new trust to manage a number of dual use facilities while recommending that another enter into a partnership with a neighbouring trust rather than extending its contract with the existing private sector partner. On other occasions we have assisted the client to confirm that an improved in-house management option would be most appropriate or brokered private sector partnerships.'

For further details, please contact:

David McHendry

Principal Consultant

Tel: 0161 764 7040