Bracknell: Cost of council bailout for Everyone Active revealed

New documents forecasting the cost of the coronavirus pandemic to the authority up to April 2021 project the support package handed to Everyone Active will come to a fee in the millions.

READ MORE: The council support package handed to Everyone Active

However, it is still hoped this expense (footed by the taxpayer) can be recovered in the years to come.

How much will it cost?

Two figures have been given in regard to the cost of the package, which was agreed so the leisure operators can keep running Bracknell Leisure Centre, Coral Reef Waterworld and Downshire Golf Complex.

The News was previously told the price of this support package was "confidential", but figures and a detailed explanation of the cost have now been revealed.

READ MORE: How the council support Everyone Active during the coronavirus pandemic

A worst-case scenario gives a cost of £2.49 million.

The best-case scenario envisages the support package costing taxpayers marginally less at £2.39 million.

What does the support package involve?

As this newspaper revealed last month, the support package involves:

• Granting Everyone Active a management fee 'holiday' for the entirety of the 2020/2021 financial year

• Writing off the estimated re-opening costs and losses Everyone Active incurs from July 2020 to March 2021

A BFC report indicated the package also includes supporting Everyone Active with the payment of its staff working at its three sites.

Will the council — and taxpayers — get their money back?

According to the report, a quarter (three months worth) of the cost of the management fee holiday will be repaid over the life of Everyone Active and Bracknell Forest Council's leisure contract.

Whether the other three quarters are paid back is dependant on the profits achieved by Everyone Active.

READ MORE: Everyone Active supporting athletes from Bracknell Forest in their sporting quests

The report read: "dependant on the profits achieved, it is hoped that the remaining nine

months of the management fee and the other costs will also be recouped over the contract by adjusting the existing profit share ratio in the council's favour."

What is Bracknell Forest Council and Everyone Active's contractual relationship?

BFC still owns Bracknell Leisure Centre, Coral Reef Waterworld and Downshire Golf Complex but the running of the leisure complexes was handed over to Everyone Active in March 2018.

A ten-year contract was agreed between the parties at the time.

READ MORE: Everyone Active takes over the running of Bracknell Leisure Centre

Since then, the operators have ploughed more than £2 million into refurbishing Bracknell Leisure Centre.

What's next?

The cost of Everyone Active's support package and many other expenses incurred by the council over the course of the pandemic and beyond are set to be discussed at a meeting on Tuesday, August 25.