Decision

The Director of Neighbourhood Services has
agreed to approve the award of Revenue Grant Funding from Sport
England. The total Revenue Grant is £156,500, broken down
into 2 facilities as below:
Calday Grange Swimming Pool- £7,200
The Oval Leisure Centre- £149,300

Reasons for the decision

Swimming Pools represent the highest
consumption of energy across the Council’s estate. DCMS has
allocated funding to support public sector leisure centres with
swimming pools that face immediate cost pressures to limit closures
and reduce running costs, specifically energy and chemical costs
(the “Swimming Pool Support Fund”).
Representatives from DCMS, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and
Communities (“DLUHC”) and Sport England form a
committee to determine jointly whether individual applications for
funding are suitable and the amount of funding to be
allocated.
Sport England is the body designated to distribute the allocated
funding to approved applicants and monitor the application of the
funds.

Alternative options considered

In some circumstances, grant funding may be
declined due to misalignment with the Council's short and long-term
plans, or unfavourable terms of the grant funding.
The grant links in with a number of the Council's themes within the
Wirral Plan, including Sustainable Environment and Active and
Healthy Lives. Given the financial situation the council faces, not
accepting the grant funding is considered a non-viable option at
this time.
Some of the funding is also allocated towards an outside
organisation, and not accepting this funding could also impact the
viability of an external community asset.