Wyre Council – Leisure Procurement Support

Background

SLC were commissioned by Wyre Council in May 2024 to support the procurement of a new leisure operating contract for its portfolio of 5 leisure facilities.

The Council had recently launched its new ‘Wyre Moving More’ Strategy which established a fresh vision and approach to the future delivery of sport, leisure and physical activity services by the Council and its stakeholder partners.  The new contract has been designed to act as a key delivery vehicle for the new strategy and the operator will play a critical role in contributing to the identified outcomes.

SLC provided the Council with end-to-end support and guidance throughout the procurement process, delivering the following staged workstreams.

Pre-procurement support

SLC worked with the Council’s Leisure Procurement Project Board to develop a robust procurement strategy. This was informed by engagement with various internal and external stakeholders.

The procurement strategy set out the approach to the procurement and established a suitable balance between meeting the Council’s requirements whilst ensuring the opportunity was attractive to the market.

A fundamental part of the strategy was the inclusion of a Council investment fund for operators to develop investment options which were to be tested through the procurement process. This would enable the Council to assess the projected return on investment and overall business case for any options proposed by the market to better meet local needs and improve service performance.

Procurement Process

Having supported the development of the key tender documents, SLC then provided guidance throughout each stage of the procurement process. This included helping with responses to clarification questions, evaluating bids, facilitating bidder negotiation meetings and providing analysis and advice on financial submissions.

Two variant elements were tested at the initial tender stage – one being the inclusion of a £2m Council investment fund and the other being a longer contract term. This enabled the Council to explore which solution offered best value for money before deciding on its requirements for the revised tender stage.

Project Outcome

The procurement process concluded in November 2025 with the appointment of Parkwood Leisure as the preferred operator under a new 15-year leisure management contract from 1 April 2026.

The process has been a resounding success for the Council and its residents. Backed by c.£3.7m of capital investment to improve the facilities, the new contract will improve the management fee by c.£8.3m over the 15 years through a combination of improved income, reduced operational costs and efficiencies in service delivery. The contract also promises to deliver a number of additional benefits including:

• A new Active Wellbeing Programme designed to help inactive and less active residents get moving
• A new indoor activity centre and refurbished changing facilities at Thornton Leisure Centre
• Gym and sports hall upgrades, refurbished wet change areas, and external redecoration at Fleetwood Leisure Centre
• A new spin studio, reopened health suite/spa, and refurbished changing facilities at Poulton Leisure Centre
• Extended gym space and refurbished changing facilities at Garstang Leisure Centre
• £476,000 investment in energy-saving measures such as solar panels, water efficiency improvements and lighting upgrades, supporting the Council’s climate change aspirations.

TESTIMONIAL