Blake Morgan has advised Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council on its major procurement programme to secure a long-term partner for the delivery of leisure services across the borough, including the replacement of its Aquadrome through a Design Build Operate Maintain (DBOM) contract model.
The project is valued at c£235m+ over 20 years, which includes c£60m of capex spending, and encompasses the management of the Council’s existing leisure facilities, including the Aquadrome, Tadley Health and Fitness Centre, and the Basingstoke Golf Centre alongside the future delivery of a brand-new water and leisure complex. The Council launched its competitive procurement process in 2024 as part of its ambitious plans to deliver a new, energy-efficient leisure facility for residents, while ensuring continuity and enhancement of leisure services across the borough. The project represents a significant investment in leisure, health and wellbeing infrastructure and forms a key part of the Council’s long-term vision for the area.
Blake Morgan’s multidisciplinary team supported the Council throughout the procurement process, advising on the preparation of procurement documentation and the development of the DBOM contract structure. The team also provided strategic advice on the Outline Solutions stage, evaluation criteria and the procurement process, as well as advising on implications arising from changes to the VAT treatment of in-house leisure services and the potential use of the agency model.
The team further assisted the Council in responding to bidder clarifications throughout the Selection Questionnaire (SQ), Invitation to Tender (ITT) and detailed dialogue stages. Support continued as the procurement progressed, with the team advising on all elements of the DBOM contract, including works and services provisions.
The DBOM contract reached completion on Tuesday 30 June. The matter ran for two years, and was led by Commercial Partner Penny Rinta-Suksi, supported by Rob Jefferies, Jenny Hodge, Emily Hunter and Tom Lloyd-Jones in the lead-up to completion (Commercial); Owen Williams (Construction) who co-led completion with Penny; Oliver Crich (Procurement); Angela Mildenhall, Deryn Bassett and Keely Doyle (Property); and Kath Shimmin and the recently promoted Angela Ho (Banking and Finance).
Penny Rinta-Suksi, Partner at Blake Morgan, said: I could not be prouder of my Blake Morgan colleagues at this time. I was consistently told by my client lead that the service we provided was exemplary and our team’s efforts, that went above and beyond our client’s expectations, were greatly appreciated. This is a significant and complex procurement that will help shape the future delivery of leisure services across Basingstoke and Deane for many years to come. We are delighted to have been working alongside the Council on a project that combines major public infrastructure investment with the ongoing provision of essential community facilities.
The procurement involved a wide range of commercial, construction, property and financial considerations, and it has been a pleasure to support the Council through each stage of the process. The collaborative approach taken by all parties has been key to progressing this important project to its successful completion.
Sarah Good, Head of Major Projects and Development at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, commented as follows: Penny and her colleagues quickly became a trusted and integral part of our wider project team, working closely with council officers throughout the process, from developing the initial procurement structure to providing invaluable strategic and legal advice during dialogue.
In the final stages the Blake Morgan team worked tirelessly to get us over the line and, despite the size and complexity of the DBOM process, we achieved every key milestone.
The project forms part of the Council’s wider plans to develop a new water and leisure complex to replace the existing Aquadrome, while maintaining and enhancing leisure provision for residents across the borough.
Blake Morgan is well known for its expertise in unitary and district council leisure projects with varying degrees of capital investment, including DBOM projects and local authority leisure contracts, agency model and leisure trust structures.
