Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth see also Council Report from 2004

From EDP24 5.1.07 http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED04%20Jan%202007%2020%3A56%3A17%3A990

Man behind council turnaround is moving on Stephen Pullinger

The council officer credited with leading Yarmouth's economic and environmental turnaround has announced his departure and promotion. Mark Barrow will leave his job as borough council deputy chief executive on March 31, and ... will become one of the youngest chief executives in the country at Newcastle-under- Lyme...

Mr Barrow, whose role has included being the council's director for the environment and economy, said...: "When I arrived we had just had a disastrous audit report giving our environmental services a zero stars rating and commenting there was little prospect of improvement. Our latest report said there are now promising prospects for the service..."

Mr Barrow, who lives in Surlingham, near Loddon, is also proud of having set up a sport and leisure trust to run the Marina Centre and oversee the long-term development of sport and leisure in the borough. He said: "We are hopeful that after our first year of trading as a trust, the Marina Centre will have made a small operating profit. In the days when it was operated by Leisure Connection it lost money and there were loads of complaints about the service."

Mr Barrow has led the council's long-term vision to turn a large swathe of the seafront, including the Marina Centre site, into a multi-million-pound tourist development. He said: "Soundings from the market have been very positive and show people do want to come and invest in Yarmouth." ...

From EDP24 20.12.05 http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED20%20Dec%202005%2009%3A39%3A14%3A047

Marina's pool could be saved (reproduced in full)

New plans have emerged that could yet save parts of Yarmouth's Marina Centre, including its swimming pool, in the short term. Closure of the seafront facility - considered state-of-the-art when it was built in the 1980s but now suffering from years of under-investment - had looked an increasingly likely option after the continued stalling of management firm Leisure Connection to extend its contract that expires on March 31.

But Barry Stone, the borough council's Cabinet member for the economy, last night revealed that the authority was now investigating the possibility of keeping parts of the centre open - and running it itself. He stressed that at this stage the plan remained just an option, and a decision was likely to be taken by the Cabinet at a special meeting next month.

The council has so far refused to agree to the substantial increase in management fee being demanded by Leisure Connection, or indeed other possible operators. Borough economic director Mark Barrow told the EDP earlier this month he had been talking to US and European leisure developers about a massive seafront redevelopment to give Yarmouth a top-drawer attraction - an all-weather water park or theme park being two ideas considered.

Mr Stone said: "Any large-scale development would not take place overnight, and keeping parts of the Marina Centre open would have the advantage that we would avoid having a major attraction boarded up for a considerable period."

He stressed that by running the centre itself, the council would keep the flexibility of being able to close it as soon as any redevelopment was possible.

Labour group leader Mick Castle said the possible new plan smacked of "make do and mend" and said the future of the Marina Centre should have been high on the agenda three or four years ago.

From Audit Commission "Cultural services whole service inspection Great Yarmouth Borough Council" January 2005 http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/reports/BVIR.asp?CategoryID=ENGLISH^576^LOCAL-VIEW^AUTHORITIES^103485^REPORTS-AND-DATA^283&ProdID=B9C825ED-62AA-42f3-9148-405C2486A2A6&SectionID=sect4#

57 There are very low levels of satisfaction with sports and leisure facilities. A significant rise in the level of complaints about the Marina Centre prompted a review by the Scrutiny Committee of the operation and management of this facility. As a result the council has decided to undertake a needs-based analysis of leisure and sports provision across the borough, including consideration of the future of the Marina centre and of the operation and management the Phoenix Pool.

73 Poor satisfaction levels with some services indicate poor value for money and there has been insufficient challenge to ensure that local residents are receiving good value from service provision. The report examining the operation and management of the Marina centre did not examine whether the £1.2 million annual expenditure represents good value for money for local taxpayers. However a well-written service level agreement has contributed to the good value for money represented by the work of the SeaChange Trust.

74 The quality of performance management within cultural service is poor for directly provided services. The council has acknowledged corporate weakness in performance management and has taken a range of actions to address this weakness. However, performance information for contracted out leisure services is sparse and management of their performance is weak. It is therefore difficult for the council to demonstrate how well the services are performing and to what extent they are meeting corporate priorities. In contrast, specific projects supported by external funds have clear objectives, milestones and targets and performance is effectively monitor and managed, with progress reports produced and submitted to councillors. The council has not used learning from these projects to improve the performance management of directly provided services.

83 The council’s management of partnership and contractual arrangements is inconsistent across the range of cultural services. For example, the service level agreement with SeaChange Trust provides cost-effective support and promotion for arts development. However the management of contracted out leisure services, for example the Marina Centre, has been less effective. The council has not fully engaged with the contractor in the past. Lack of rigour in the original contract and limited performance management has only recently been addressed with councillors and staff monitoring performance on a monthly basis. The council has not consistently used partnerships to their fullest extent to deliver cost effective, good quality, services for local people.

From East Coast Live 18.7.05 http://www.eastcoastlive.co.uk/newsmaster/t_yarmouth_news_info.php?refnum=1707 Reproduced in full

Marina Centre Re-opens

The Great Yarmouth Marina centre is due to re-open this Monday, after it was closed earlier this month due to smoke-damage. A Norfolk fire service spokesman said it was thought wood cladding in the sauna area caught fire and caused smoke-damage to most of the centre. It was reported about 30 club members and staff were led to safety from the building at the time of the event after which the centre was closed for three weeks while the electrical system was repaired and smoke damage cleared.

Probe into leisure centre blaze from Norwich Evening News 29.6.05 http://snipurl.com/fxkr Reproduced in full

A seaside leisure centre in Great Yarmouth's Golden Mile was closed today after 50 firefighters tackled a blaze. Customers and staff were evacuated from the Marina Centre on Marine Parade after a fire broke out in a sauna. The centre was still open when the fire broke out on the ground floor at about 9.50pm. The blaze was under control by 11pm.

A fire investigation at the centre, which is managed by Leisure Connection on behalf of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, started this morning. A spokeswoman for the centre said it was closed today. The centre is normally open from 6.30am to 10.30pm. "We have not got any electricity and it smells of smoke," she said. She added it was not known when the centre would reopen.

A fire spokesman said it did not appear to be suspicious and they were looking at the cause of the fire as possibly electrical. "There was a fairly good covering of smoke throughout the building," Alan Jaye, watch manager at Yarmouth said.

Dozens of people lined the streets around the centre and congregated outside arcades and takeaways to watch about 50 fire-fighters tackle the blaze. Fire crews responded to an automatic alarm and six fire engines from Norfolk and Suffolk converged on the building. No one was hurt.

Assistant divisional officer Mick Hawkins from Yarmouth said he was happy with the way the incident had been dealt with. He said: "The centre was still trading when the fire broke out and procedures to clear the building were initiated. The evacuation procedures all went well and the building was cleared without anyone being injured. When we arrived, the fire in the sauna had led to a lot of smoke, and the whole building was well smoke logged. And at one point the fire threatened to spread through the ceiling to the floor above, but it was contained."

Fire crews from Yarmouth, Gorleston, Acle and Lowestoft attended plus the fire control unit from Wymondham.

13.12.04 From Evening News 24 http://snipurl.com/bbxo (reproduced in full)

Let's demolish eyesore centre

BULLDOZING The Marina Centre in Great Yarmouth is one of the options which has been backed by a town councillor for the future of the building. The 24-year-old building has been run by Leisure Connection for nine years, The 24-year-old building has been run by Leisure Connection for nine years, The 24-year-old building has been run by Leisure Connection for nine years, but its contract with the borough council expires in 2006, although it has an option of a two-year extension until 2008.

The council commissioned a review into the centre's future and came up with suggestions as to what to do with it, one of which was to knock it down and redevelop the site. Borough councillor Colleen Walker said: "It has always been a bit of a white elephant. I was one of the campaigners to keep the original swimming pool. It's an eyesore. My grandchildren won't use it because of the recent publicity about human excrement being found and the state of the changing rooms. "I would like to remove it and I would not be bothered if it was demolished."

Her husband Brian, also a borough councillor, added: "It's got a bad reputation and everybody is always talking about it, how the tiles are dirty and the paint is falling off. I think we have got to explore every avenue; maybe it should be sold to the private sector to renovate it and then sell it off to provide facilities around the town."

Other options include selling it, going into partnership with an external company, leasing out parts to specialist companies, improving the size of the pool or entering into another contract to provide leisure facilities at the centre.

The council review began after several complaints. Between April 2002 and May 2003, people complained about the cleanliness of floors and toilets, toilets being out of order for long periods, rudeness of staff, low water temperature, temperature of showers, lack of information on opening times, inadequate lockers and rooms being double-booked. The review found that although improvements had been made, the cleanliness and condition of some areas was still poor, and the building was looking tired and extensive refurbishment was needed. It also found that little maintenance had been carried out until recent months, and concluded that, in accordance with the terms of the contract, Leisure Connection should have undertaken most of the refurbishment in the last few years.

At the time of going to press, no one from the centre was available to comment on the future of the centre. Members of Great Yarmouth Borough Council's liaison committee will discuss the options for the centre on Wednesday after a tour of the building.

See what LC promised after complaints in January 2004.

24.11.04 Council to investigate pool hygiene from EDP24 (http://new.edp24.co.uk/) http://snipurl.com/avy4

by STEPHEN PULLINGER (Article reproduced in full)

Yarmouth council has pledged to investigate hygiene problems at a leisure centre after a mother's catalogue of complaints. Karen Stubbs, 31, vowed to stop taking her eight-year-old son Thomas swimming at Yarmouth's Marina Centre after spotting human excrement in the water on three family visits, the most recent on Sunday. She described the pool as like "swimming in a sewer" and said other areas of the centre were also "absolutely disgusting".

Mrs Stubbs, of Burgh Road, Gorleston, highlighted cracked and filthy tiles around the pool, drains blocked by hair, and dirty showers and changing facilities with used sanitary towels and nappies left on the floor. She said: "My son's best friend James was practising his lengths when the excrement floated past and he was really horrified. "When we told the lifeguard, he did not shut the pool but just fished it out with a net."

Mrs Stubbs, a probation officer, said that on another occasion excrement was on the walkway near the pool, and a lifeguard waited 30 minutes before he cleared it up. Claiming the reaction of staff was rude and unhelpful, she said: "We have no other accessible facilities in the area unless you are prepared to travel out of town and pay ridiculous joining fees. "Our only leisure centre is being run into the ground and no one of any authority seems to care."

Borough environmental health officer John Hemsworth said the pool should be closed as soon as excrement was found, and stay closed while water was recycled through the plant. He said: "They have an obligation to keep the pool clean and if that is not being done we will take action to ensure it is under the Health and Safety at Work Act."

Yarmouth Borough Council's deputy leader Bert Collins described Mrs Stubbs' experiences as "absolutely diabolical" and pledged to tackle the problems. He said: "This should not be happening in a swimming pool. If she writes to me and gives me the details I will bring it up at Cabinet and we will do something about it."

The centre's managing company Leisure Connection has frequently come under fire over customer complaints and in January was set tough deadlines by the council to clean up its act. It was given six weeks to repair all minor items such as tiles, sinks and toilets, and ordered to keep the centre clean and tidy at all times. The firm was warned that serious contract breaches could lead to the agreement being ended.

Wayne Nixon, contract manager for Leisure Connection, said the cleanliness of the centre was of paramount importance to the company. He said: "We ensure that standards are monitored via both internal and external quality assurance checks and these are carried out on a regular basis. "However, as the building is 23 years old, ongoing issues with structural materials such as tiles are inevitable." Mr Nixon said the Marina Centre was QUEST accredited - the leisure industry's quality assurance scheme - and recently gained its highest score to date.

Since taking over the contract to run the centre, Leisure Connection had invested more than £500,000. A group of borough councillors has just started work on a report to Cabinet looking at what to do with the centre in the long-term once the council's mortgage on the building has been paid off in the next two years. Labour leader Mick Castle said it was his group's view that it would need to be developed by the private sector because of the massive investment it would entail.

When asked by Private Eye LC have said that "...the offending item was actually a brown pebble from the landscaping which surrounds the pool and this was fished out of the water. No trace of excrement or faeces was found.” However, Private Eye also reports that 'Mrs Stubbs is adamant that she knows a turd when she sees one. “It definitely wasn’t a pebble,” she tells the Eye.' See this Private Eye Report on LCW. LCW awaits the council report. PB

22.1.04 from http://www.eastcoastlive.co.uk/newsmaster/t_yarmouth_news_info.php?refnum=1400

Following a catalogue of complaints Great Yarmouth Borough Council has given Leisure Connection, the management company operating the seafront Marina Centre, six weeks to complete a list of minor repairs and clean-ups. Items to be dealt with include tiles, sinks, toilets, bookings procedures, staff attitudes and locker security.

5.3.03 from Lowestoft Live, http://www.ctc-web.co.uk/newsmaster/t_news_info.php?refnum=1218

Leisure Connection, the company with the long-term contract to manage the council-owned Marina Centre sports and leisure complex on Great Yarmouth seafront, has been criticised in a report. The report highlighted various disputes concerning the contract and claimed that the Council had to repeatedly get on to the Centre management to get anything done.

Items such as equipment maintenance were said to be not being addressed properly, and preventative maintenance was non-existent." Environmental health called in.

A specific incident was mentioned wherein the kitchens were found to be so dirty that a firm of caterers using them to supply food to a conference at the Centre felt it necessary to call Environmental Health officers.

What future for Marina Centre? from http://snipurl.com/6ro3 March 10, 2004 EDP24

In its heyday it was hailed as a model for sports centres, one of the busiest in Britain and the envy of many towns. But 20 years on, Yarmouth's Marina Centre looks a white elephant on the seafront with little car parking and no access by buses.

Its interior is depressingly tired and dated, with fixtures and fittings - starved of investment by successive councils - reaching the end of their life at the same time. These were some of the observations of borough councillors and officers, who started their lengthy review into the centre's future with a tour of facilities.

The reconvened Marina Centre liaison committee met yesterday to begin their task of looking at short-term solutions to the centre's problems, and what to do in the longer term. Committee vice-chairman Bernard Williamson said it was clear that the centre's contractor, Leisure Connection, had responded to on-going criticism about cleanliness, and the maintenance of plant had also improved with a full-time engineer now on site.

But he said: "The centre is suffering from 20 years with no injection of cash to bring it up to date. It would now take £2m to £3m to bring it up to scratch."

Committee member Gerry Jarvis agreed that cleaning had improved, but the neglect of longer-term maintenance issues meant some areas still looked "a tatty mess".

Mark Barrow, the corporate director for environmental services, said the centre had to be judged on how it was performing on functional, technical and economic levels. "We have to work out where we go from there, and decide whether it worth finding the money to improve the building," he said. Mr Barrow said he would continue to explore the possibility with Leisure Connection of giving the centre charitable status by running it through an industrial and provident society. This would mean the council would be £130,000 better off through not having to pay business rates.

That cash could improve maintenance of the centre in the short-term, and help to fund a needs-based leisure strategy looking at where sports facilities were needed in the longer term. Possible scenarios could include developing facilities in conjunction with schools and using the Marina Centre site in a different way.

Craig Forbes, regional director of Leisure Connection, whose contract has another possible four years to run, said there were still maintenance issues to sort out with the council. In the longer-term he concurred with the view that the centre might have had its day in its present form.

He said the centre had been "state-of-the-art" when he came into the industry, but 20 years on it was in the wrong place and the wrong type of building to deliver 21st-century strategies for leisure.