Agenda item

The report of the Executive Manager - Neighbourhoods is attached.

The Service Manager – Neighbourhoods presented the report of the Executive Manager – Neighbourhoods to provide information and performance data for the contract year January 2017 - December 2017 with regard to the delivery of the Council’s contract with Glendale Golf Ltd to manage the Edwalton Golf Centre.

The Service Manager - Neighbourhoods advised that during 2017, there had been a 35% increase in usage on the main course and a 17% increase in overall usage at the golf course. It was also noted that while usage remained very marginally below target by around 0.2%, there had been a national downturn in golf participation of 11% in 2017 that demonstrated the positive outcome Glendale Golf had achieved in the last year. The Service Manager advised that room hire bookings, including regular weekly slots, were also increasing which was positive to see. A detailed performance analysis on the contract was attached as an appendix to the officer’s report.

Tom Brooke, Managing Director of Glendale Golf and Simon Williams, Centre Manager at Edwalton attended the meeting and provided a presentation on the performance of the Edwalton Golf Centre during 2017. The presentation covered:

·       Strategic objectives 2017 – 2025 for the golf centre

·       Information on investment in the centre’s facilities

·       Room hire and regular bookings

·       Usage figures for 2017

·       Information on marketing and social media activities

·       Community outreach and engagement activities

·       Membership statistics and partnership working with Edwalton Golf Club

Councillor Mrs Jeffreys asked about the possibility of wedding fairs being held at the golf centre. The Centre Manager advised that this was an area of potential business that was being looked at for the future. The Centre Manager also advised that they were proactive in looking for customers who would make regular room bookings at the centre and notedthat they had already received bookings for three wedding receptions for later in the year

The Chairman asked about the club committee and the relationship between Edwalton Golf Club and Glendale Golf. The Managing Director advised that Glendale worked previously in partnership with the Club and had assisted them in areas such as IT,  but that the on-going relationship between Glendale and Edwalton Golf Club had been difficult. It was noted that Glendale had had difficulties engaging with the club and getting them to engage with the wider community in order to increase participation. It has therefore been agreed that Glendale would take over the running of the club which would hopefully change perceptions of the club and encourage a greater feeling of engagement and hopefully look to increase numbers. The Chairman noted that he would be interested in attending an Edwalton Golf Club Committee Meeting as an observer, the Executive Manager – Business Transformation and Operations advised that this would be looked into as a possibility.

Members of the committee noted with satisfaction the positive performance of Glendale Golf and the great improvements that had been made over the last year. Members agreed that the performance of the Golf Centre was looking far more positive than it had done a year previously and welcomed the increased usage of both the course and off the facilities and the investment that had been made in these, as well as Glendale’s activities to engage with the community and increase participation.

Councillor Plant asked with regard to paragraph 5.1 of the officer’s report about the Council accepting a proposal by Glendale to establish a community interest company who would operate the Edwalton Golf Courses on behalf of Glendale Golf Ltd. The Managing Director advised that Lex Leisure were a community interest company whose operation of the golf centre would provide further benefits to the company’s financial position whilst also supporting the promotion of golfing activities to different community groups.  It was also noted that the arrangement with Lex Leisure would provide VAT efficiencies for Glendale which would help them move closer to a breakeven point on their contract with the Council.  The Service Manager advised that Glendale’s arrangement with Lex Leisure would not change their contract with the Council and all public facing activities would still be branded as Glendale Golf.

The Chairman and members of the committee expressed disappointment that the discussions between the Council and Glendale regarding community interest company, as well as the removal of a Rushcliffe Borough Council Councillor on the committee of the Golf Club had not been communicated to the Performance Management Board as well as all other Councillors before.

The Chairman thanked Tom Booke, Managing Director of Glendale Golf and Simon Williams, Centre Manager at Edwalton for attending and answering their questions.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)    the report and presentation be noted.

b)    the Executive Manager – Neighbourhoods investigates the possibility of the Chairman attending an Edwalton Golf Club Committee meeting as an observer.

c)     members of the Performance Management Board be provided with further information on the proposal by Glendale to establish a community interest company who would operate the Edwalton Golf Courses on behalf of Glendale Golf Ltd.