Rutland County Council has been struggling to make a decision about the future of Catmose Sports Centre, following a delay in the process as options for the future of the leisure facility are considered.

The sports centre looked set to close last year but, following public outcry, the council opted to extend the contract with the operator, Stevenage Leisure Ltd., by one year. Now that the year is up, the council is once again considering the viability of the centre, with hopes to keep it open at nil cost - something has proved a challenge.

RCC's Cabinet is to consider options around the financing of public leisure provision at its next meeting on Tuesday 16 April 2024.

This follows the recent Full Council debate on the contract for operating public leisure services at Catmose Sports Centre in Oakham, which took place Monday 25 March. 

March Full Council did not reach a final decision on the award of a new leisure contract for Catmose Sports Centre. Further consideration of the Council's leisure contract is therefore required by Councillors and must be informed by a recommendation from Cabinet.

The Cabinet report on leisure financing (Report 55/2024) is available to read online. Part of the report is exempt from public view because it contains commercially sensitive financial information.

Cabinet's recommendation will be considered at a Special Full Council meeting, which will be held on Thursday 18 April. 

If Councillors choose to subsidise the Catmose Leisure contract, a budget is required for each of the contract's 10 years. This would require changes to the Council's annual budget for 2024/25, which was unanimously approved by Councillors in February and assumed that any future Catmose Sport Centre contract would continue to operate at net nil cost to the Council. 

The agenda and reports for April Cabinet, together with details of how to follow the meeting live online, can be found on the Council's website.