Beechwood Recreation Centre was built in the early 1970’s, being managed and operated by Wirral Council until 2009, when the Centre was jointly managed by the Community Service Section and Beechwood Joint Management Committee. The staff were still employed by Wirral Council. Beechwood Joint Management Committee withdrew their services in 2011 and, as a result, the Centre has been managed and operated as part of the Leisure Services estate since April 2013. Since April 2013 Wirral Council has been approached by a number of community groups and organisations interested in taking over the management and operation of the Centre.

Resolved: That

(1)  a 5-year concession contract for the delivery of a community leisure service based at Beechwood Recreation Centre be awarded to Tranmere Rovers; and

(2)  the Director of Delivery Services be authorised to enter into the grant of a lease of the Beechwood Recreation Centre at a rent based on the offer made by Tranmere Rovers Football Club on terms that the lease runs concurrently with the concession contract and is only granted after service of notices under the landlord and Tenant Act 1954 to exclude inappropriate grant of rights.

Three options for the future delivery of services from Beechwood Recreation Centre were considered:

1.  Transfer to a provider on a leasehold basis, with user restrictions. This would require a competitive process.

2.  Concession Contract, service delivery monitored through contract monitoring. This would require a competitive process.

3.  Retain ‘in house’ as a part of Council run Leisure Services.

Closure is not an option as Elected Members have been clear that they wish the Centre to remain open. From these options the preferred option was to offer a Concession Contract.