Council approves funding cut for leisure centres

Shropshire Council's cabinet has approved the authority's new indoor leisure strategy, which will see it stop providing finance for six 'tier three' centres, and another four 'tier two' centres.

Tier three facilities at Much Wenlock Leisure Centre, Shrewsbury’s Roman Road Sports Centre, Idsall Sports Centre in Shifnal, Wem Swimming and Lifestyle Centre, The Severn Centre in Highley and Craven Arms Community Centre, which receives money for a library, will see funding stop by the end of 2018/19.

Tier two facilities including Church Stretton Leisure Centre, Whitchurch Swimming Centre, Whitchurch Sports Centre and Cleobury Mortimer Sports Centre will lose funding by the end of 2022/23.

Currently the council spends just over £1 million a year on its major leisure centres, £250,090 on its tier two centres and £238,360 on the tier three centres.

The move means the tier two and three centres will have to find new money or face a shortfall in their budgets.

Speaking at yesterday's meeting Councillor Lezley Picton, Shropshire Council's cabinet member in charge of leisure, insisted the council has "no intention of closing any leisure centres but recognises the need to prioritise financial support".

Under the terms of the strategy the council is committed to providing “ongoing revenue support as required” to Shrewsbury Sports Village, Shrewsbury's Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre, Oswestry Leisure Centre, Market Drayton Swimming Centre, South Shropshire Leisure Centre in Ludlow, SpArC in Bishop’s Castle, and Bridgnorth Leisure Centre.

Funding for all centres will be “negotiated on an individual basis” after the agreement for support ends in 2023.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Roger Evans, questioned how the smaller centres will make up the funding gap.

He said: "Tier two centres, in 18 months they will be losing £250,000. Where will that money come from? Is it down to parish councils?

"Facilities are being used by a far wider community than the parish councils that are raising their precepts to pay for them.

"They are not used to seeing it landed at the door of one small council and that is a lot of money for them to find very quickly."

However, Councillor Madge Shineton, who represents Cleobury Mortimer, said smaller councils should back their locla facilities

She said: "Highley Parish Council, a small council has long funded support for the Severn Centre with swimming pool and library and I see nothing wrong with this. If you have a facility as good as the Severn Centre why would your parish council not support it?"

Councillor Picton said that only three of the tier three centres had not yet sorted funding arrangements.

The new policy says that 89 per cent of Shropshire residents will be able to access leisure facilities at one of 11 locations within a 20-minute drive.