The Sustainable ManagementThe Sustainable Managementof Public Swimming Poolsof Public Swimming Pools

Mark SesnanMark Sesnan

GLL, April 2008GLL, April 2008

• About GLLAbout GLL– A bit of backgroundA bit of background

• Swimming Pool SustainabilitySwimming Pool Sustainability– A cant and a rant around the issuesA cant and a rant around the issues

• The GLL Sport FoundationThe GLL Sport Foundation– GLL helping disadvantaged young people GLL helping disadvantaged young people

succeed in their sportsucceed in their sport

About GLLAbout GLL• The ‘original’ leisure trust established in 1993The ‘original’ leisure trust established in 1993

• Industrial and Provident Society (IPS)Industrial and Provident Society (IPS)

• Society for the Benefit of the Community Society for the Benefit of the Community

• Social EnterpriseSocial Enterprise

• Co-operative StructureCo-operative Structure

• Not Profit DistributingNot Profit Distributing

• Exempt CharityExempt Charity

Extensive ExperienceExtensive Experience• Operate 65 leisure and sports facilitiesOperate 65 leisure and sports facilities

• Operate nearly 50 pool complexes including Operate nearly 50 pool complexes including three 50m pools three 50m pools

• London and surrounding boroughsLondon and surrounding boroughs

• 14 London Borough Partners 14 London Borough Partners

• 5 other Public Sector / Charity Partners 5 other Public Sector / Charity Partners

• £70m Turnover £70m Turnover

• 4,000 staff4,000 staff

Map of London and GLL’s Partnerships

Swimming Pool SustainabilitySwimming Pool Sustainability

Sustainability IssuesSustainability Issues

• DesignDesign

• TechnologyTechnology

• EnergyEnergy

• EnvironmentEnvironment

• TenderingTendering

• Increasing Increasing Operating CostsOperating Costs

• Health & SafetyHealth & Safety

• ProgrammingProgramming

• StaffingStaffing

• TemperaturesTemperatures

• ChemicalsChemicals

• ChargesCharges

Defining a Sustainable PoolDefining a Sustainable Pool• Financial ModelFinancial Model

• Environmental ImpactEnvironmental Impact

• Robust ‘lifetime’ design and buildRobust ‘lifetime’ design and build

• Attractive and PleasantAttractive and Pleasant

• Right LocationRight Location

• Intensity of Use, Balance &‘Ownership’Intensity of Use, Balance &‘Ownership’

• SafeSafe

DesignDesign• Designed to Use or to Look at?Designed to Use or to Look at?

• Designed by Operators or Architects?Designed by Operators or Architects?

• Lifetime costs exceed build costs, but Lifetime costs exceed build costs, but get less priorityget less priority

• We have been designing public pools We have been designing public pools for over 100 years and we still make for over 100 years and we still make basic errorsbasic errors

Design (Continued)Design (Continued)Good DesignGood Design• Experienced design Experienced design

Team including Team including OperatorOperator

• Architect is Team Architect is Team Member not MasterMember not Master

• Lifetime cost is more Lifetime cost is more important than build important than build costcost

Poor PracticePoor Practice• Operator not involved Operator not involved

or has ‘back seat’or has ‘back seat’

• Designed from outside Designed from outside in (..what does it look in (..what does it look like)like)

• Capital build cost is Capital build cost is more important than more important than lifetime costlifetime cost

Designing for Flexible UseDesigning for Flexible Use• Easily Moveable Floors, Booms and Easily Moveable Floors, Booms and

BulkheadsBulkheads

• Leisure Water v’s Fitness WaterLeisure Water v’s Fitness Water

• Depth profileDepth profile

• Temperature variabilityTemperature variability

• Changing configurationChanging configuration

• AccessibilityAccessibility

Environmentally sustainableEnvironmentally sustainable• Intelligent designIntelligent design•

• Heat ReclaimHeat Reclaim

• Solar / Ground HeatSolar / Ground Heat

• Pool CoversPool Covers

• Variable Speed PumpsVariable Speed Pumps

• Managed pool and air temperaturesManaged pool and air temperatures

• Brown Water reuseBrown Water reuse

Tendering and ProcurementTendering and Procurement• CCT abolished by Government, but CCT abolished by Government, but

Procurement Officers happy to use EU Procurement Officers happy to use EU tendering rules with vigour …. Why?tendering rules with vigour …. Why?

• Tendering always ends up focussing on Tendering always ends up focussing on PRICE PRICE (..oh and a bit of quality, allegedly)(..oh and a bit of quality, allegedly)

• Cut the price in a climate of increasing Cut the price in a climate of increasing fixed costs and you end up with….fixed costs and you end up with….

Cut the costsCut the costs• Low paid staffLow paid staff• Low motivationLow motivation• Poor servicePoor service• No cash for repairs and improvementNo cash for repairs and improvement• Fewer customersFewer customers• Cycle of declineCycle of decline• Ultimately less poolsUltimately less pools

– Less swimmersLess swimmers– More drowningsMore drownings– More sedentary peopleMore sedentary people– More obesity & health related illnessMore obesity & health related illness

But…But…• We saved a few quid on the tenderWe saved a few quid on the tender

(which the Borough Treasurer then gave to (which the Borough Treasurer then gave to another department that was too another department that was too ‘professional’ to have to save money)‘professional’ to have to save money)

• Cynical but true!Cynical but true!

• Why do we do it?Why do we do it?

Financial ModelFinancial Model

The perceived wisdom:The perceived wisdom:

• Pools cost moneyPools cost money

• Health, Fitness & Dry Sport generates Health, Fitness & Dry Sport generates moneymoney

• Combined they should break even Combined they should break even

Of course it is more complex!Of course it is more complex!• Estimated that the true cost of a swim is Estimated that the true cost of a swim is

£4 - £7, although the average paid by £4 - £7, although the average paid by adults is £2 - £3 and even less by childrenadults is £2 - £3 and even less by children

• The cost per swim increases if the building The cost per swim increases if the building is old or new and badly designedis old or new and badly designed

• What is the role of any subsidy?What is the role of any subsidy?

Offsetting the CostOffsetting the Cost• Maximising the pool programmeMaximising the pool programme

– Rationalised opening hoursRationalised opening hours– Back to back sessionsBack to back sessions

• Optimising the pricingOptimising the pricing– Can pay should pay (with ‘Robin Hood’)Can pay should pay (with ‘Robin Hood’)– Direct debits?Direct debits?

• Collocating ‘dry’ facilitiesCollocating ‘dry’ facilities– Add Revenue positive cost centres such as Health Add Revenue positive cost centres such as Health

and fitness Gyms, Spa etcand fitness Gyms, Spa etc

A Balanced ProgrammeA Balanced Programme• Coherent Public timetableCoherent Public timetable

at regular and popular times:at regular and popular times:

– Commuter, Lunchtime, Evenings, WeekendsCommuter, Lunchtime, Evenings, Weekends– Fitness (Lane) Swimming, Fun and LeisureFitness (Lane) Swimming, Fun and Leisure– Women Only, Families OnlyWomen Only, Families Only– Schools, Clubs, LessonsSchools, Clubs, Lessons– BeaconBeacon Club, Swim 21 etcClub, Swim 21 etc– Water Fitness (aqua-aerobics)Water Fitness (aqua-aerobics)

All Things to All People?All Things to All People?• The Fitness SwimmerThe Fitness Swimmer

• Clear lanes, speed segregated, no kidsClear lanes, speed segregated, no kids

• The Swimming ClubThe Swimming Club• Exclusive UseExclusive Use

• Children and FamiliesChildren and Families• Fun, splash, swimFun, splash, swim

• Special GroupsSpecial Groups• No viewing, No male staff, specialist equipmentNo viewing, No male staff, specialist equipment

What the Customer WantsWhat the Customer Wants• Easy to park car, bike or busEasy to park car, bike or bus• Accessible timetableAccessible timetable• Friendly, efficient reception Friendly, efficient reception • Fair priceFair price• Clean, bright and safe changing areasClean, bright and safe changing areas• Working, good sized lockersWorking, good sized lockers• Clean water, low/no chlorineClean water, low/no chlorine• Intelligent lifeguardingIntelligent lifeguarding• Space to swimSpace to swim

Do we always live up to this?Do we always live up to this?• Many pools are Dickensian in look, Many pools are Dickensian in look,

feel and operationfeel and operation

• Pool programmes are often dominated Pool programmes are often dominated by self interested groupsby self interested groups

• Do the Customers have to ‘wipe their Do the Customers have to ‘wipe their feet on the way out!’ feet on the way out!’

Challenging OurselvesChallenging Ourselves• Drive up standards for pool designDrive up standards for pool design

• Drive greater understanding of Drive greater understanding of swimming needs and customersswimming needs and customers

• Drive pool usage and utilisation to Drive pool usage and utilisation to financially appropriate levelsfinancially appropriate levels

• Drive the ‘case’ for swimming as the Drive the ‘case’ for swimming as the flexible physical activity and sportflexible physical activity and sport

The Latest Round of ‘Issues’The Latest Round of ‘Issues’• Health and Safety culture generallyHealth and Safety culture generally

– we must find someone to blamewe must find someone to blame

– all accidents must have someone at faultall accidents must have someone at fault

– the ‘crime’ can be just not having an adequate the ‘crime’ can be just not having an adequate risk assessment!risk assessment!

• The need for ever increasing staff levelsThe need for ever increasing staff levels

• The litigious CustomersThe litigious Customers

• The Pools ‘safety’ culture is killing off The Pools ‘safety’ culture is killing off enjoying yourself and diving – what next?enjoying yourself and diving – what next?

H&S -How did we end up here?H&S -How did we end up here?

• Nobody would drown in our pools if we Nobody would drown in our pools if we closed them all!closed them all!

[Of course a lot more people would drown in[Of course a lot more people would drown in

canals and open water]canals and open water]

• Nobody goes to work to cause a tragedyNobody goes to work to cause a tragedy[But you can go to prison if one happens on your [But you can go to prison if one happens on your watch] watch]

(..unless you are an H&S officer of course)(..unless you are an H&S officer of course)

Ensuring the future for SwimmingEnsuring the future for Swimming

• Recognising the role of swimming in an Recognising the role of swimming in an Active SocietyActive Society

• Forging ‘added value’ partnerships between Forging ‘added value’ partnerships between the ASA, Clubs and the wider communitythe ASA, Clubs and the wider community

• Sharing best practiceSharing best practice

• Promoting accessPromoting access

• ..and Income needs to cover costs!..and Income needs to cover costs!

GLL Sport FoundationGLL Sport Foundation