Halo Leisure Sign New 75 Year Lease with Herefordshire Council

[Colin James]

Halo Leisure and Herefordshire Council - looking forward to a further 75 years of ‘Creating Healthier Communities’

Halo Leisure has just signed a new 75 year lease with Herefordshire Council, one of four local authorities they work with, marking a joint commitment to the long term future of sport and physical activity in the county. The award winning social enterprise has, since it launched in Herefordshire in 2002, set out to create the finest facilities at its centres across England and Wales (serving elite athletes, sports clubs, schools and families), and to create healthy partnerships with the community via everything from GP referral schemes to healthy ageing initiatives. Their success is illustrated by the millions they keep reinvesting in the work they do and the 22 centres they now manage.

 

“We have a huge amount of expertise in this arena and are constantly seeking out new ways to reach and engage with more people where we have centres,” says Scott Rolfe, Halo’s CEO. “But our success is also the result of partnership working.”

 

Rolfe says his team have worked closely with each of the authorities who have commissioned them to deliver leisure opportunities for local people not only in Herefordshire but Bridgend County Borough, Wiltshire and Shropshire.

“We make sure we absolutely understand each locality and the needs of the communities, building bridges with them, and with local charities, health organisations, sports bodies, GP practices and more so we can shape our offering to suit and reach people of all ages and abilities in the most effective way.

 

“We are, like many leisure providers in the UK today, way more than just a gym or a local pool. We are part of an exciting, ongoing local service and when delivered well reaps huge mutual rewards for the community (who have access to swim lessons, exercise sessions and year round gym, sports and pool facilities as well as a whole series of events) and for the council who see the savings in the areas of health, education and social care which our leisure centres support.”

 

Councillor Harry Bramer, Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Contracts and Assets, said:

 

“Halo’s commitment to the 75 year lease shows their commitment to Herefordshire. Halo’s services enable our residents to live safe, healthy and independent lives and have become an integral part of our community, used by families, schools, charities, athletes, sports clubs and more.”

[K.Butt]

75 years! This seems a long time, is this a normal amount of time?

[Ubique]

Think it's a sneeky way of disposing Council property - perhaps the Shire Hall will be next ?

[Pete Boggs]

 

Halo Leisure and Herefordshire Council - looking forward to a further 75 years of ‘Creating Healthier Communities’

logo-halo.png

Halo Leisure has just signed a new 75 year lease with Herefordshire Council, one of four local authorities they work with, marking a joint commitment to the long term future of sport and physical activity in the county.

I think what they really mean here is Herefordshire Council, the local authority that props them up financially in open defiance of the law on state aid by the public sector. Be interesting to know whether they pay a commercial rent on that 75 year lease.

[ragwert]

I think what they really mean here is Herefordshire Council, the local authority that props them up financially in open defiance of the law on state aid by the public sector. Be interesting to know whether they pay a commercial rent on that 75 year lease.

Remember that proverb look before you leap?

Maybe reading up about Halo would be a good idea.

[Chris Chappell]

The LA have to ensure a commercial rent/rate is paid and yes 75 years is about normal time for lease. This is not in defiance of the law and is normal practice across the UK.

[Pete Boggs]

The LA have to ensure a commercial rent/rate is paid

 

I'm glad to hear it. Doesn't alter the fact that 4-5 years back HALO were in line for a sizeable subsidy from HC to tart up the leisure centre, amongst other things. It was disguised as a variation to the leisure contract which has legal pitfalls of its own but the council solicitor at the time apparently thought this was the lesser of two evils.

 

There's a fair bit of murkiness around  HALO's legal status when founded, and how they came to be awarded the leisure contract in the first place. Par for the course from the authority that brought you Herefordshire Jarvis, the ICT/Crookall report scandal and latterly Blueschool House. Rules are for little people.