Peterborough Investment Partnership – Feasibility Study

Options Appraisal

SLC was appointed by Peterborough Investment Partnership (working in partnership with Peterborough City Council), in March 2020 as a sub-consultant to Paul Weston Architect to undertake a high-level options appraisal for the replacement of the Regional Fitness and Swimming Centre – an ageing facility in the City of Peterborough – with a new facility on the Pleasure Fair Meadows site.

Facility mix options for the replacement facility were identified in consultation with the Council based on the findings of the Council’s Indoor Built Facilities Strategy and a high-level supply and demand assessment of additional “non-core” facilities. Designs and costings for two agreed facility mix options were produced, supported by high-level business plans developed by SLC for each option and compared with the cost of the “do nothing” approach of continuing to run the existing facility.

Developing the Business Case

Based on this initial options appraisal, the Council and Investment Partnership secured an agreement to further investigate the feasibility of replacing RFSC. SLC was subsequently commissioned to undertake a further latent demand assessment, a current state review of the existing facility and focused engagement with selected stakeholders to supplement the evidence base for a replacement facility.

This further work also included the development of more detailed 15-year revenue business plans for the facility mix options, factoring in capital financing and lifecycle costs to understand the overall return on investment. This was compared with modelling of the Council’s alternative options, namely the retention and eventual closure of the existing RFSC, and retention and eventual replacement of RFSC. All business planning options were overlaid with an external operator and Local Authority Trading Company management model.

The Council approved the business case for the replacement of RFSC at a Cabinet meeting in November 2020, set up a working group of elected Members to review and consider the final facility mix with support from SLC, and is now finalising the internal business case to take the facility forward. SLC has provided additional support with a Levelling Up Fund bid and social value report to demonstrate the wider impact of the investment on the community.

TESTIMONIAL