Shropshire leisure chief feels many 'left out to dry' as public sector centres welcome funding

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced plans to lay out a £63m fund to 'keep our public leisure centres afloat' to reduce the impact of higher energy bills.

But the support does not help the private sector and Dave Courteen, managing director of Mosaic Spa & Health Clubs, who own The Shrewsbury Club, said: "It seems short-sighted not to incentivise businesses who are making the nation healthier.

"We have a huge amount of people on the waiting list for the NHS and many will be on it due to significant lifestyle health issues which would be alleviated if people led more active lives.

"There's help for the pubs in the Budget and I appreciate they have had a tough time, but that's not improving our health.

"We have been left to hang out to dry a bit and there's very little support or encouragement for us as a business.

"Money will only go to Local Authority leisure centres and swimming pools but not the private sector so it doesn't help us at all.

"It's a step in the right direction and a recognition of the fact that they need support but it's just frustrating it's not for the whole sector. It seems a bit unfair."

Ivan Horsfall Turner, CEO of Freedom Leisure, who run centres in Lichfield, Stafford, Stone, Burntwood as well as Welshpool, Knighton and Newtown welcomed the support which will be made available to public leisure centres with pools to help with energy costs.

He said: “Funding will support our efforts to reduce our carbon emissions and help with our eyewatering energy bills but this is very much the first step.

"We will continue to work with our industry and local authority partners to put swimming pools on a more sustainable and long-term footing.”

“Although there will no doubt be more detail to come it is expected that this funding will only be for centres in England.

"We operate a significant number of pools in Wales that are under equal financial pressures due to rising energy costs and we await an announcement from the Welsh government as to whether they will follow suit.”

He continued: “We have campaigned hard recently with other industry bodies for this extra funding and are pleased that the government has finally taken notice and recognised the challenging situation felt by the sector and the value of leisure centres and swimming pools to local communities.”