Agenda item

Purpose: to respond to the Task and Finish Group report and recommendations presented to the Resources and Place Scrutiny Committee on 16 September 2025 which sought to determine whether there was a strategically and financially sound business case for the Monks Lane Sports Hub, whether the project was well managed, and whether reliable and consistent advice was given to members about the project to assist them in their decision-making roles. The report considers any lessons learnt and responds to the recommendations to inform the Council’s approach to future sports and leisure projects.

Resolved that: Executive considers the proposed responses to the recommendations of the Resources and Place Scrutiny Committee as set out at 5.4 and agrees the responses and to undertake the following actions:

·       Strengthening the Projects service to centralise project delivery including a review of the Council’s project management methodology to ensure that key projects are governed by and monitored through appropriate, robust processes from inception to closure.

·       Undertake a review of project management documentation including business case templates, prioritisation tools and project health checks.

·       Embed the output of this review through training for all who have roles within project delivery (i.e. PMs, sponsors)

·       Introduce quarterly status reporting for all Tier 1 projects in an appendix to the finance quarterly monitoring reports to the Executive

·       Review how time recording can be implemented and the level/type of projects that this would apply to. 

·       Share the recommendations of this Sports Hub Task and Finish Group and the LRIE Task and Finish Group of 2020 with the Chairman of the Project Management Task and Finish Group and log the Sports Hub Task and Finish Group the report in the central Corporate Programme Office repository.

This decision is eligible to be ‘called-in’.  However, if the decision has not been ‘called-in’ by 5.00pm on 2 January 2026, then it will be implemented.

Councillor Nigel Foot introduced and proposed a report (Agenda Item 10) which provided a response to the Task and Finish Group report and recommendations presented to the Resources and Place Scrutiny Committee on 16 September 2025 which sought to determine whether there was a strategically and financially sound business case for the Monks Lane Sports Hub, whether the project was well managed, and whether reliable and consistent advice was given to members about the project to assist them in their decision-making roles.

Councillor Foot thanking members of the Task and Finish Group, chaired by Councillor Culver and highlighted that the majority of recommendations had been agreed or accepted by the Council. Councillor Foot also referenced recommendation four regarding the recording of hours spent on capital projects by business-as-usual staff, explaining that this was partially agreed and that the Council was considering how to record officers’ time in a fit-for-purpose manner.

Councillor Adrian Abbs noted that whilst there was extensive information about recommendations, there was less clarity on whether the original objectives had been met, such as determining whether the Sports Hub project was value for money. Councillor Jeff Brooks explained that it was not the Executive’s report.

Councillor David Marsh, as a member of the Task and Finish Group, welcomed the Executive’s acceptance of many recommendations. He queried the use of the phrase ‘in place’ in the responses, commenting that the recommendations would not have been made if they were already in place. Councillor Brooks confirmed that actions were now in place.

Councillor Marsh referred specifically to recommendation seven, regarding partnership with local groups, and queried whether the Council would consider working with community football groups, for example by offering a long-term lease on Faraday Road and leveraging external funding. Councillor Foot responded that the Council was happy to work in partnership with local groups, provided there was a robust business case.

Councillor Marsh referred to recommendation twenty-two, regarding contradictory advice given during the Monks Lane project and whether the Council believed the issue had been resolved. Councillor Brooks responded that the chronology of meetings and decisions had been considered by the courts, and that the focus should now be on project management learnings rather than revisiting past events.

Councillor Jeff Brooks seconded the recommendations within the report.

RESOLVED that: Executive considers the proposed responses to the recommendations of the Resources and Place Scrutiny Committee as set out at 5.4 and agrees the responses and to undertake the following actions:

·         Strengthening the Projects service to centralise project delivery including a review of the Council’s project management methodology to ensure that key projects are governed by and monitored through appropriate, robust processes from inception to closure.

·         Undertake a review of project management documentation including business case templates, prioritisation tools and project health checks.

·         Embed the output of this review through training for all who have roles within project delivery (i.e. PMs, sponsors)

·         Introduce quarterly status reporting for all Tier 1 projects in an appendix to the finance quarterly monitoring reports to the Executive

·         Review how time recording can be implemented and the level/type of projects that this would apply to. 

·         Share the recommendations of this Sports Hub Task and Finish Group and the LRIE Task and Finish Group of 2020 with the Chairman of the Project Management Task and Finish Group and log the Sports Hub Task and Finish Group the report in the central Corporate Programme Office repository.