Comments on: Locals Priced Out of Cherry Hinton Village Centre http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/locals-priced-out-of-cherry-hinton-village-centre.html Cambridge, United Kingdom. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:27:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Richard Taylor http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/locals-priced-out-of-cherry-hinton-village-centre.html#comment-50765 Richard Taylor Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:56:48 +0000 http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/?p=3098#comment-50765 Cllr Dryden has now helped Friends with Disabilities regain their regular booking, he cited the provision in the contract which protects their booking at a meeting between the council and SLM. Cllr Dryden has now helped Friends with Disabilities regain their regular booking, he cited the provision in the contract which protects their booking at a meeting between the council and SLM.

]]> By: Richard Taylor http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/locals-priced-out-of-cherry-hinton-village-centre.html#comment-49995 Richard Taylor Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:25:13 +0000 http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/?p=3098#comment-49995 I have now been able to view the SLM contract. There is a clear provision ensuring "Friends with Disabilities" ought be able to continue to use Cherry Hinton Village Centre, I have quoted the relevant provision in my article at: http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/slm-management-fee-revealed.html I have now been able to view the SLM contract. There is a clear provision ensuring “Friends with Disabilities” ought be able to continue to use Cherry Hinton Village Centre, I have quoted the relevant provision in my article at:

http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/slm-management-fee-revealed.html

]]> By: Cllr Andy Pellew http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/locals-priced-out-of-cherry-hinton-village-centre.html#comment-40068 Cllr Andy Pellew Mon, 31 May 2010 19:59:07 +0000 http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/?p=3098#comment-40068 I'm a trustee of Arbury Community Centre and it is already being run by a community group outside the City Councils control and is running profitably and provides a great deal of benefit to the local community. This is an excellent model and I'd recommend it to anyone. I’m a trustee of Arbury Community Centre and it is already being run by a community group outside the City Councils control and is running profitably and provides a great deal of benefit to the local community.

This is an excellent model and I’d recommend it to anyone.

]]> By: Richard Taylor http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/locals-priced-out-of-cherry-hinton-village-centre.html#comment-39524 Richard Taylor Sun, 30 May 2010 01:05:12 +0000 http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/?p=3098#comment-39524 Andrew Martin (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/@neoncreative" rel="nofollow">@neoncreative</a>) has re-tweeted this article adding: "Happening all over the city affecting various groups" I have suggested he might like to comment on the article with further information. Andrew Martin (@neoncreative) has re-tweeted this article adding:

“Happening all over the city affecting various groups”

I have suggested he might like to comment on the article with further information.

]]> By: Richard Taylor http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/locals-priced-out-of-cherry-hinton-village-centre.html#comment-39522 Richard Taylor Sun, 30 May 2010 01:01:50 +0000 http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/?p=3098#comment-39522 Now <a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/slm_contract_for_swimming_pools" rel="nofollow">my FOI request via WhatDoTheyKnow has resulted in the contract being easily accessible</a> anyone can both look for how SLM's current behaviour might breach the contract and get in touch with their councillors to suggest ways the management contract could be varied for the future, either under SLM or another operator. The variation Cllr Reid appears to be suggesting is removing the Cherry Hinton Village Centre entirely from the contract when it is up for renewal in 2013. Elsewhere in the City the Lib Dems are proposing to take community centres even out of City Council control and hand them over to local groups to run themselves, that might be a future option in Cherry Hinton too I suppose. The contract documents released don't include SLM's "Operational Plan" and the council's maximum prices, both of which form part of the contact. SLM are given freedom within maximum prices though, and there appears to be no provision to ensure access to facilities other than to ensure free swimming for certain groups including schools and city council staff. In the past whenever any element of the SLM contract has been discussed at City Council meetings the press and public have been thrown out. In future I would hope councillors would argue against this in most cases on the grounds that so much of the SLM contact is now public. The current contract ran for seven years from 2003 till 2010; councillors last year decided to extend it till 2013. The terms of the extension have not been made public and a further FOI request to obtain them might be worthwhile - it may be for example (if our councillors were on the ball) ) that further customer surveys were requested - on which SLM and the council are bound to act "reasonably". Now my FOI request via WhatDoTheyKnow has resulted in the contract being easily accessible anyone can both look for how SLM’s current behaviour might breach the contract and get in touch with their councillors to suggest ways the management contract could be varied for the future, either under SLM or another operator.

The variation Cllr Reid appears to be suggesting is removing the Cherry Hinton Village Centre entirely from the contract when it is up for renewal in 2013. Elsewhere in the City the Lib Dems are proposing to take community centres even out of City Council control and hand them over to local groups to run themselves, that might be a future option in Cherry Hinton too I suppose.

The contract documents released don’t include SLM’s “Operational Plan” and the council’s maximum prices, both of which form part of the contact. SLM are given freedom within maximum prices though, and there appears to be no provision to ensure access to facilities other than to ensure free swimming for certain groups including schools and city council staff.

In the past whenever any element of the SLM contract has been discussed at City Council meetings the press and public have been thrown out. In future I would hope councillors would argue against this in most cases on the grounds that so much of the SLM contact is now public.

The current contract ran for seven years from 2003 till 2010; councillors last year decided to extend it till 2013. The terms of the extension have not been made public and a further FOI request to obtain them might be worthwhile - it may be for example (if our councillors were on the ball) ) that further customer surveys were requested - on which SLM and the council are bound to act “reasonably”.

]]> By: Frugal Dougal http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/locals-priced-out-of-cherry-hinton-village-centre.html#comment-39501 Frugal Dougal Sat, 29 May 2010 23:29:57 +0000 http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/?p=3098#comment-39501 Is there any way the Council can declare SLM in breach of contract for making it difficult for communikty groups to use the centre? Is there any way the Council can declare SLM in breach of contract for making it difficult for communikty groups to use the centre?

]]>