Forward plan

Authority to Tender Contract for the Management of Vale Farm Sports Centre (Urgent Officer Key Decision)

Decision maker:  Corporate Director of Service Reform and Strategy

Decision:   3 Oct 2025

Lead officer:  Eugene Minogue

Decision status:  Recommendations Approved

Notice of proposed decision first published: 03/10/2025

This decision will be taken under urgency procedures.

Reason for urgency:
The current leisure contract expires on 28 February 2026. To ensure service continuity, the procurement must be launched no later than 10 October 2025. Delay would compromise the critical procurement timetable and create a material risk of insufficient time for tendering, award, and mobilisation before the expiry of the current contract. For this reason a waiver of the requirement in relation to notice on the Forward Plan and Call-in has been sought.

Cabinet approved withdrawal from the Tri-Borough procurement on 8 September 2025 and confirmed our intention to commence a standalone procurement. The new contract will use an agency agreement model with the Council as principal and the operator as agent. This approach provides legal certainty, stronger local control, better financial outcomes and alignment with the Council’s strategic priorities through to 2031.

Anticipated restriction: Open  -