Council Faces £500k Payout Over Leisure Centre Neglect

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council is facing a substantial financial liability, potentially reaching up to £500,000. This comes after the council's inadequate checks on the Rainbow Leisure Centre's condition prior to transferring management to a new operator, Places Leisure, on October 1 last year. The handover revealed significant problems, including concerns about ventilation, dampness, and potential roof damage.

Places Leisure, upon assuming control, identified numerous issues they believed the prior operator should have addressed. These included faults with the fire alarm system, lift malfunctions, damaged seating, broken glazing, and machinery at the end of its operational life. The council has consequently agreed to permit Places Leisure to conduct the necessary repairs and seek reimbursement for the costs incurred.

While efforts may be made to recover funds from the former operator, GLL, legal advice suggests full recovery is unlikely. The payout was approved via a confidential urgent decision. The council had commissioned a report prior to the handover, but the external consultant's inspection was not invasive, contributing to the oversight of the building's fabric issues, for which the council, as landlord, is responsible.