Warning of tough decisions on leisure centres

Cornwall Council said leisure centres were under "considerable pressure"

Cornwall Council has warned "difficult decisions" may need to be taken across its leisure centres as people are asked to share their views on a new 10-year plan.

The authority said local and national services were under "considerable pressure" and ensuring the sustainability of the sector was "challenging".

In the plan, it acknowledged its leisure centres were ageing but said there was no additional money for leisure in the council's four-year budget.

It said: "It needs to be recognised that this position could lead to difficult decisions in regard to the leisure centre portfolio."

'Safeguard our leisure centres'

Councillor Carol Mould, portfolio holder for neighbourhoods, said the council's vision was to ensure everyone had the "support, opportunity and environment to be more active, more often, to benefit their health and wellbeing".

"In order to achieve this, we must think carefully about how we can safeguard our leisure centres and look at alternative funding streams, such as grants," she said.

"This framework will help us focus our efforts on the areas most in need and look at how we can ensure that people across Cornwall are empowered to stay active."

The council said the consultation was available on its Let's Talk Cornwall website and would run for six weeks.

New equipment

As the consultation opened, leisure centre operator Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) said it was upgrading some of its gyms in the county.

GLL, which runs nine facilities on behalf of the council, said the £559,000 upgrade was originally agreed when it secured the contract in 2017.

The upgrade is due to begin on 16 September and the company said people could expect to see new equipment and classes at Saltash, St Ives, St Austell and Bodmin.

Some building and flooring work would take place at all its centres, while Truro was being reviewed for a separate project, it said.

Ben Wilkinson, senior general manager, said customers could expect to see changes "well before Christmas".