Shropshire leisure centre cash crisis: The future of TEN facilities at risk

It says ‘tier two’ and ‘tier three’ centres could lose all their council grant, leaving them in crisis.

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 would see funding stop by the end of 208/19.

Tier two centres affected include Church Stretton Leisure Centre, Whitchurch Swimming Centre, Whitchurch Sports Centre and Cleobury Mortimer Sports Centre. They would lose funding by the end of 2022/23.

The proposal comes as part of the authority’s indoor leisure facilities strategy for 2018 to 2023, which also includes a recommendation that funding continues for seven of Shropshire’s large leisure centres.

The authority says it will continue to provide “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.

The report says funding for centres will be “negotiated on an individual basis” after the agreement for support ends. The situation could mean that the centres have to secure money from other organisations to remain open.

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 report outlines the council’s intention to provide support for the seven ‘tier one leisure hubs’ and ‘four tier two community leisure centres’ until the end of the plan on 2023.

It adds that 89 per cent of Shropshire residents will be able to access leisure facilities at one of the 11 locations within a 20-minute drive.

Shropshire Council Cabinet member Lezley Picton insists the authority is not planning to close any leisure centres but is having to prioritise resources by creating a “hierarchy of leisure facilities”.

She said: “This underpins our vision to encourage and support people to be healthier and active. It lays out our preferences, taking into account the valuable feedback we’ve had from residents and our partners, and of course our financial situation.

“We have no intentions to close any of our leisure centres, but we do need to prioritise how and where our limited resources are spent now and in the future. We think that, by creating a hierarchy of leisure facility provision, we can best provide reasonable access to Shropshire residents, notwithstanding the very rural nature of the county.

“There is lots of work to be done and we will be working closely with interested parties to explore commissioning arrangements, which have the potential to make many of these facilities sustainable and successful in the long term.”

The paper, which will be considered by Shropshire Council’s cabinet next Wednesday, confirms that any closures would have to go through an official process.

It states: “The hierarchy of provision described within the strategy does not set out to close any existing leisure facility with public access, but it does recognise that the Council will need to prioritise where it provides financial support. Any individual proposals for significant investment and / or decommissioning will be brought back to cabinet.”