Plans to sell off historic market hall put on hold after councillor scrutiny
The corn market hall in Kettering has been given a reprieve, but proposals to close the creche at Corby pool move ahead
By Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
The North unitary’s scrutiny committee has recommended plans to sell Kettering’s Corn Market Hall are put on hold until all council leisure services are brought back in-house, but has agreed with the proposed closure of Corby pool’s crèche.
A proposal to take on the management of all council-owned leisure facilities under the authority’s own NNLeisure service went to North Northamptonshire Council’s (NNC) place and environment scrutiny committee last night (July 28), with Green Party leader Cllr Fedorowycz successfully arguing that plans to sell off the market hall are premature.
In 2021, when NNC was first established, the new authority took on a mixed estate of leisure facilities, some of which were contracted to several external leisure operators and some already run in-house.
After two years of research into how NNC’s leisure services can provide consistency and quality for residents while ensuring affordability, a single in-house service across all the council’s leisure buildings has been recommended for when the current contracts end. Currently only the services in Corby are run in house and analysis of the performance found the in house services were far out performing the others run by private contractors.
Facilities that would return in-house under the transformation are Kettering Swimming Pool and the Corn Market Hall, Desborough Leisure Centre, Nene Leisure Centre in Thrapston, Rushden’s Pemberton Leisure Centre and Splash Leisure Pool, and Redwell Leisure Centre and Waendal Leisure Centre in Wellingborough. These are currently managed under contracts by Freedom Leisure and Places Leisure.
The Corby East Midlands International Pool, Lodge Park Sports Centre, Priors Hall Golf Course and West Glebe Sports Pavilion are currently managed by NNC, due to legacy Corby Borough Council arrangements.
The report noted that the in-house services are already seen as ‘exemplary’ and offer more than most contractors do.
However, it also highlighted “consequences” of bringing the additional eight facilities in-house without any increase in costs within existing budgets.
Despite the Corby services currently exceeding most industry benchmarks for financial and quality performance, the proposed changes include the closure of crèche at Corby Pool, a reduction in the leisure staff working at the Corby facilities by 15 per cent, and an increase in membership prices by £2 at Corby Pool & Lodge Park Sports Centre from April 2027.
Lyn Buckingham, a former Corby councillor who spoke at the meeting, pointed out the council were praising the benefits of Corby’s business model, but also choosing to cut its services, staff, and finances “in one breath”.
Assistant director of communities and leisure, Kerry Purnell, told the chamber that the council found Corby facilities were overstaffed in comparison to others, but added there would be vacancies and opportunities for redeployment with the other facilities being brought in house in the coming year.
She also said that the crèche at the pool was costing the council tens of thousands of pounds per year, but only saw an average of six children per day using it.
“It just doesn’t stack up, unfortunately,” Ms Purnell said, “If it was much more used we’d be in a different situation, but it isn’t well-used currently.
“It’s about realigning and aligning to make sure we’re having the optimum use of the staff that we’ve got.”
Concerns were raised by Kettering Green councillor Emily Fedorowycz over plans for Corn Market Hall. The report also flagged the potential sale or commercial let of the property as a ‘consequence’ of the in-house transition due to the small number of fitness classes that take place there.
Cllr Fedorowycz said she could not support the option to sell the building as part of the report “when that hasn’t been consulted on with local people and there’s such a strong feeling that that is a bad move for this council”.
Ms Purnell said its inclusion in the report was about recognising that the hall is not currently being used as a leisure asset and is more of a community venue, and that a decision would have to be taken in the future about its purpose.
However, she clarified the in-house transition is not reliant on any projected income that would be generated from the sale and that there were no immediate plans to sell the hall. She added it would continue to be run as normal until the contract with Freedom Leisure ends in October 2027 and then be re-evaluated.
The scrutiny committee decided to recommend the Reform UK cabinet agrees a phased transition of services into council management. The cabinet will make its decision in the coming months.
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Selling a property portfolio is NEVER cost effective. Retaining, repair and adapting for re-use generate income for the foreseeable future which is much more cost effective. However in NNC’s case selling property owned outside the councils area is cost effective as it allows those funds to be utilised locally within the community served by the council.
Corby crèche should not be closed, it provides a vital wellbeing service to the town, we should be asking for: 1 the figures that show it’s not needed and 2, what steps have been taken to expand the offer ( how many of our new residents are aware of the crèche and what it offers)
Whilst it is good that we have the flexibility to bring the leisure services in house, they have not done their homework on the 10 year business plan, which will make it easier to cut services without involving residents.
In terms of health and well-being we are also losing access and referral points with losing SPRING one of the biggest social subscribers across NNC.