A report recommending a more sustainable business model for local leisure facilities in the wake of Covid-19 that also continues to support residents’ health and wellbeing will be considered next week.
The swimming pool at Bath Sports & Leisure Centre | © Bath Sports & Leisure Centre
The leisure service review report, going before Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Cabinet on 8th October, makes a number of recommendations to reduce the financial impact of Covid-19 felt across the leisure industry at the same time as tackling obesity and improving people’s physical and mental health.
The council has been working closely throughout the pandemic with its leisure services operator, Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), to ensure leisure centres can continue to operate and a phased reopening has taken place from the end of July at the Bath and Keynsham centres.
However, other sites continue to operate at a loss and it is these services that are being reviewed to decide how best to mitigate the continued impact of Covid-19 on income, customer behaviour and confidence and the need to adapt to changing Government guidance.
The report recommends that:
- Chew Valley Leisure Centre is removed from the GLL contract and the lease handed back to Chew Valley School, to ensure community use can continue outside school hours.
- Culverhay Leisure Centre is reopened for ‘dry’ facilities while leaving the swimming pool closed, due to significant losses caused by it being old and expensive to heat.
- Odd Down Sports Ground investment opportunities are explored to turn the deficit into a profit for this well-used site.
Earlier this month, the council joined other local authorities in calling on the government to provide funding to help meet the increased costs of operating leisure centres caused by lockdown and the ongoing impact of Covid-19.
The council has also supported GLL to avoid leisure centre closures by providing supplier relief to cover losses to the end of August 2020.
Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services, said: “Our leisure and sports facilities are so important to our communities for physical as well as mental health.
“Leisure operators across the country have been hit hard by Covid-19 and we have worked closely with GLL to support them in any way we can to avoid leisure centres having to close.
“We need to continue to help mitigate the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on our leisure provision so we will consider this report carefully to decide a way forward that meets residents’ needs and is financially viable.”
GLL operates the following sites on behalf of the council in Bath and North East Somerset:
- Bath Leisure Centre
- Keynsham Leisure Centre
- The Pavilion
- Chew Valley Leisure Centre (Dual Use Centre)
- Culverhay Leisure Centre
- Odd Down Sports Centre
The Pavilion currently remains closed in line with government guidelines.
