New Forest District Council set to back privatisation of leisure centres management

PRIVATE companies will be asked to bid to take over managing the New Forest’s public leisure centres, under plans set for approval by the district council’s ruling cabinet next week.

The arrangement is predicted to save £4m over 10 years but could also lead to price changes, fewer activities and a staff review.

A council report said £1m had to be cut by 2020/21 from the department which runs the five leisure centres at Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood, Applemore and Totton. New private gyms were set to offer more competition for customers too, it warned.

Cllr James Binns, cabinet member for health and leisure, said: “The aim of the partnering approach is to ensure that we continue to have an excellent leisure service for our community and customers, protected for future generations as the council is not in a position financially to continue to provide the services that customers require.

“By retaining the current model, we do not secure the leisure services’ future but make the department susceptible to the possibility of further central government funding reductions.

“Add to that, our centres are ageing and many of them are at capacity so we cannot offer a comprehensive service to the wider community, unless we look at partners and alternative funding streams. This option enables us to do that. If we do not, our centres risk falling behind our competitors.”

The procurement process is expected to cost about £100,000. If no suitable management company is found, the alternative plan is to set up an arms-length NFDC trading company to take over.

The proposals were formed by a group of councillors comprising eight Conservative and one Liberal Democrat, as well as Cllr Binns.

The changes will be discussed by the cabinet at NFDC’s Appletree Court offices in Lyndhurst on Wednesday.