Leisure centres could be axed in £40m council cuts

Southampton Water Activities Centre is one of two leisure centres at risk of closure

Activity centres in Southampton could close as the council tries to save £40m.

Southampton City Council has announced the potential closure of two sites used by hundreds of people every year.

Woodmill on Woodmill Lane and Southampton Water Activities Centre (SWAC) in Longbridge Industrial Estate, are both at risk of closure.

It comes after the authority received an in-principle offer of Exceptional Financial Support from the government.

Leader of the council, Lorna Fielker, said the authority currently has to subsidise Southampton Water Activities Centre

Leader of the council, Lorna Fielker said of the leisure centres: “Both are used very heavily by people who live outside Southampton, but we are subsidising their use.

"At Southampton Water Activities Centre we subsidise £29.45 each visit, that's not sustainable and not the right thing to do with Southampton City Council money.

"We will look to move them on as a going concern, have somebody else take them on as a commercial entity, but if that's not possible sadly we will need to look at closing them.”

Woodmill on Woodmill Lane, by the River Itchen, could be closed as part of the council's plans to save £40m

The proposal for these closures is one of 28 transformation plans published by the council, as it intends to look at every service.

Adult social care is set to lose more than £14m in funding according to the authority's new plans.

Councillor Fielker continued: “We have technology we can use now successfully so people can stay at home, voice activated support and telecare meaning less people needing care with people coming into their homes, or going into residential care meaning they can live the most independent life they can.”

There are also £7.9m worth of saving plans for childrens social care, £1.8m of funding for home to school transport and the sale of city council buildings.

Many of these plans will require consultation with users.

Richard White from Unite the Union said: “The plans are concerning. Our priorities will be maintaining as many jobs and services as we can and making sure workers who’re left behind are looked after and not doing more work for no more pay, which can lead to stress and people being signed off sick.”