Redbridge Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee has recommended the re-tendering of leisure and culture services, a move aimed at increasing market interest and competition to ensure better value for money. The decision, discussed at a meeting on Monday, 13 July 2026, follows an options appraisal by FMG Consulting which examined various models for delivering these services, currently managed by Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure (Vision RCL) for nearly two decades.
The appraisal recommended splitting the services into three separate contracts: Leisure and Sports Facilities, Grounds Maintenance, and Libraries and Culture. Councillor Helen Mullis, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, highlighted the importance of these services for community well-being and social connection.
The current annual budget for the Management Fee paid to Vision RCL is £11.115 million, which includes £1.400 million for maintenance, repairs, and replacement. The FMG Consulting report suggests that a third-party operating model, delivered through three separate contracts, is the most economically advantageous option, potentially delivering the lowest estimated annual cost. The modelling suggests an overall cost benefit ranging from approximately £2.5 million to £5.5 million annually compared to other models.
Concerns were raised during the meeting regarding the competitiveness of the tender process, particularly for libraries, and the council's capacity for contract management. Steve Moore, Executive Director of Place, Communities and Enterprise, acknowledged that client-side contract management had been a weakness and that a robust client team is being developed as part of the plan. Jess Khanom-Metaman is leading the creation of this team, which is intended to deliver on aspects of contract management that have been previously lacking.
The competitiveness of the tender process for libraries is considered a high-risk item. To benchmark costings, the council will go to the market and seek this information. Alongside the procurement process, contingency planning will be undertaken, revisiting options within the report. If the council reaches a position where Vision RCL or a hypothetical single business is the only bidder for the libraries contract, a report will be taken back to the Executive Director and Cabinet Member to discuss those options. The council is also engaging with the market to test supplier interest and ensure services are packaged correctly, with appropriate contract lengths and commercial terms to leverage best value.
The FMG Consulting report considered several management delivery options: an 'In-House' model, which was not recommended due to significant financial implications (estimated to be £5.5 million higher than the recommended approach); a 'Local Authority Trading Company (LATCo)' model, also not recommended due to financial and strategic limitations (estimated to be £2.5 million more expensive); and the 'Do Nothing' option, which is not a sustainable or strategic solution and is non-compliant with procurement regulations.
The current agreement with Vision RCL was extended by 12 months until March 31, 2027, with an option to extend until March 31, 2028. This extension provides sufficient time for the completion of an options appraisal for future delivery models to be developed and presented back to Cabinet, allowing time for implementation. The FMG Consulting report indicates that a procurement process, including contract mobilization, is expected to take 12-18 months.
Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure (Vision RCL) generally performs well, meeting or exceeding targets for 11 out of 13 key performance indicators in the 2024/25 Annual Performance Report. However, performance was not met for visits to the Kenneth More Theatre and library issues, which the report suggests was negatively impacted by enforced facility closures. The FMG Consulting report also identified weaknesses such as a lack of a clear strategic vision for the library service, and mixed performance at leisure centres, particularly concerning 'usage per household' at Wanstead and Fullwell Cross Leisure Centres. The report also notes that the current integrated arrangement has limited the ability to benchmark against the market, drive innovation, and fully test whether the best possible quality and value for money are being delivered.
The committee also noted the Leisure and Culture Future Service Delivery Options
report, which examined various models for delivering these services. The report indicated that a third-party operating model, with services tendered individually, is expected to provide the highest level of economic advantages.
Public reports pack 13th-Jul-2026 19.00 Overview and Scrutiny Committee
