Sheffield City Council – Leisure services transformation

Understanding the issues

Sheffield City Council saw transformational investment in its sporting infrastructure for the World Student Games in 1991. The Council continued to build on its legacy as the City of Sport in 2003 through the development of elite venues such as the English Institute of Sport Sheffield and Ice Sheffield. This was followed by developing community wellbeing facilities including Graves Health and Sports Centre in 2016.

By 2019, Sheffield City Council had a mixed portfolio of community leisure facilities, iconic sporting and entertainment venues, historic facilities and golf courses. Much of this infrastructure was ageing, costly to run and in need of transformation.

The Council commissioned SLC, working with Turner and Townsend and IPW…, to undertake a review of its leisure and entertainment assets with the aim of repositioning the services to become as close to self-funding as possible.

The review highlighted the significant whole life costs which would be required to continue to operate the existing portfolio without a more radical transformation programme – an unsustainable position in the context of the Council’s zero-subsidy ambitions.

The Council needed to establish a clear picture of:

• What it wanted to achieve strategically
• The local current and future needs
• The redevelopment potential of some of its older and more costly assets
• How its portfolio of assets could most effectively be managed.

The review provided the Council with a roadmap for designing and implementing a programme which would fundamentally transform sport, leisure and entertainment services and infrastructure across the City.

Making the case for transformation

In January 2020, the Council began to establish the current and future needs of its residents and the facilities which would be required to meet these needs. SLC was commissioned working alongside Turner and Townsend and Pozzoni, to develop a Leisure Investment and Facilities Review for the City.

Needs assessments, market analysis, facilities planning model assessments and consultations were undertaken to establish community need. A series of remodel and replacement options were developed for those facilities identified as being in need of investment. SLC developed business plans for each of the costed facility investment options, providing the Council with a series of development options to consider.

In September 2020, SLC was engaged to support the Council with the next stages of its transformation programme. This included work to further develop the Council’s vision and strategic position and a Leisure Investment and Facilities Review. SLC then brought the workstreams together into a comprehensive 30-year business case which made the case for investment. At the same time, SLC worked closely with the Council in negotiating with its partners to manage the impact of Covid-19 on the services and agreed a sustainable plan for safely reopening facilities.

A 30-year business case was presented to Cabinet in Spring 2021 which took into account the changes in user patterns and participation. The business case encompassed a broad spectrum of options across the portfolio, with their associated revenue, lifecycle costs, capital cost and social value implications, all overlaid with management model options.

Getting the green light

In May 2021, a new administration was elected in Sheffield. SLC was recommissioned to undertake a Strategic Outcomes Planning Diagnostic (SOPG) exercise, supported by engagement with internal and external stakeholders. This provided a plan and a platform for the implementation of its proposed investment and transformation programme. The need for further work to support the Council’s strategic approach and investment plans was identified and the key activities that were required were outlined.

In November 2021, the recommended investment and implementation proposals were approved by the Council’s Co-operative Executive. The c. £117M investment would support significant improvements to the City’s leisure and entertainment facilities, including wholesale redevelopments of Springs, Concord and Hillsborough. Investment into Sheffield Arena and Ponds Forge International Sports Centre will also be included to ensure the facilities continue to attract high quality events for the people of Sheffield, South Yorkshire and beyond. The approved business case also established that the procurement of an operator partner to manage the Council’s leisure facilities and venues from 2024-25 would provide the optimal solution for the Council.

Laying the foundations

Building on the diagnostic exercise undertaken in 2021 and in preparation for the implementation of a procurement process and investment programme, the Council commissioned SLC, supported by Sheffield Hallam Sports Research Unit and Leap Design, to develop its sport and leisure strategy in 2022. Informed by a comprehensive programme of consultation with partners and public engagement, the Strategy identifies six key themes which will underpin the Council’s approach to investment and service delivery.

SLC also helped the Council with the procurement of an operator partner to manage its sport and leisure facilities, venues and services from January 2025. SLC supported the Council by developing a procurement strategy, drafting a Services Specification which supports the themes and objectives of the Council’s strategy and carrying out the procurement process.

In August 2024, the Council announced that SLM (Everyone Active) would be the new operator of its sport and leisure venues. The new 15-year management contract will see the transformation of the Council’s facility portfolio and the development of services to further build on the range of programmes, events and initiatives on offer to Sheffield residents across the City. It will also provide the Council with a significantly improved financial position, supporting the business case for investment and delivering on its original ambition to put the services on a sustainable footing.

TESTIMONIAL