Filton Town Council Leisure Operator Contract

Summary of Services Required

The contract requires the Agent to provide a fully managed leisure service at Elm Park Leisure Centre, covering day-to-day operations, customer services, sport and physical-activity programmes, staffing, facilities management, maintenance, health and safety, and performance management.

1. Leisure Centre Operations

The Agent must operate and manage the leisure centre, including the 60-station gym, group exercise and spin studios, main and leisure pools, café, soft play and outdoor seating. The service must meet agreed opening hours, manage planned and emergency closures, bookings, memberships, access arrangements and facility hire, and minimise disruption to customers.

2. Sport, Fitness and Active Communities

The Agent must provide a varied programme of sport, fitness, swimming, classes, courses, club and community activities. It must deliver an Active Communities Programme designed to increase participation among inactive and under-represented groups, particularly young people and communities with limited opportunities to be active. Activities should be accessible, inclusive and published using OpenActive data standards.

The Agent must also support initiatives such as exercise referral, school swimming, community sport and partnerships with local organisations.

3. Customer Service and Accessibility

The service must provide a welcoming, inclusive and customer-focused experience, supported by online, telephone and in-person booking facilities. The Agent must manage customer feedback and complaints, monitor satisfaction and maintain clear and accurate information about services, activities, prices and opening hours.

Facilities and services must be accessible and comply with the Equality Act 2010, with appropriate provision and staff training for disabled customers and other under-represented groups.

4. Staffing and Workforce

The Agent must provide sufficient, competent and appropriately qualified staff to operate the centre safely and effectively. This includes recruitment and staff transfer arrangements, induction, training, professional qualifications, pool and fitness staff, management cover, emergency maintenance cover and maintenance of training records. Staff must receive appropriate health and safety, safeguarding, equality and customer-service training.

Safeguarding arrangements must include appropriate DBS checks, training and compliance with the Council's safeguarding policies.

5. Cleaning, Catering and Presentation

The Agent must maintain high standards of cleanliness throughout the centre, including routine, reactive, deep and high-level cleaning, changing areas, public areas and post-event cleaning.

The café/food-and-beverage service must provide a good-quality, value-for-money and nutritionally balanced offer, including appropriate vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, and comply with food-safety requirements.

6. Marketing and Communications

The Agent must develop and deliver a marketing programme to promote the centre, activities, memberships and Active Communities Programme. This should use appropriate digital channels, including the website, social media, email/SMS and other communications, and target inactive and priority groups.

The Agent must maintain accurate customer and participation information and support the Council's communications and promotional activities.

7. ICT, Booking and Data Management

The Agent must provide and maintain ICT systems supporting bookings, memberships, payments, customer information, participation monitoring and performance reporting.

Systems must provide appropriate management information, including usage, membership, participation and KPI data. Customer and operational data must be managed in accordance with data-protection requirements and Council requirements.

8. Health, Safety and Safeguarding

The Agent must operate a comprehensive health and safety management system, including:

risk assessments and safe systems of work;

first aid and emergency procedures;

fire safety and evacuation arrangements;

accident and incident reporting;

COSHH controls;

appropriate staff training and PPE;

safeguarding and child-protection procedures;

secure access to non-public areas; and

compliance with relevant legislation and industry guidance.

Swimming-pool operations must comply with relevant requirements including HSG 179, PWTAG and Legionella controls, with appropriate monitoring of water quality, temperature, filtration and chemical balance.

9. Building and Asset Management

The Agent is responsible for the repair, servicing and maintenance of buildings, plant, equipment and fittings except where the specification specifically assigns responsibility to the Council.

This includes:

planned preventative maintenance;

reactive repairs;

statutory inspections and testing;

lifecycle management;

building fabric;

plumbing and drainage;

HVAC;

electrical systems;

lighting;

alarms and CCTV;

lifts;

ICT and telephone systems;

signage, fencing and specialist facilities; and

fixed plant and machinery.

Maintenance must use competent personnel and comply with manufacturers' requirements, British Standards, Approved Codes of Practice and statutory requirements.

Repairs or replacements over £1,500 require consultation with the Council before the work proceeds.

10. Security and Emergency Systems

The Agent must maintain fire detection, emergency lighting, firefighting equipment, CCTV, intruder alarms, emergency assistance systems, access controls, fire exits and keys/key-holder arrangements.

Fire alarms and emergency lighting must be regularly tested and recorded, while security systems must be maintained and faults rectified promptly.

11. Grounds, Utilities and Environmental Management

The Agent must maintain the external areas within its responsibility, including boundary fencing, litter clearance, post-event cleaning, snow/ice treatment, pest control, graffiti removal and waste arrangements.

The Agent is also responsible for specified utilit…