Future of leisure centres in question amid cost fears

Campaigners want the Lifestyles leisure centres in Everton and Park Road to remain under council control

A row has developed over how two leisure centres in Liverpool should be managed as the city’s council attempts to save costs.

The Labour-run authority wants to hand over control of the Lifestyles fitness centres in Everton and Park Road to external organisations as part of a community asset transfer process - as they deal with a £3.4m overspend in leisure services.

However, Liberal Democrat opposition leader Carl Cashman, said he believed the process “can’t guarantee” the centres' future and they should instead pass to a third-party not-for-profit organisation to keep it within council control.

The council is expected to make a final decision in the autumn following a public consultation.

Thousands of people have previously signed petitions pleading for the council to retain control of the centres and keep them affordable.

Campaigners also attended an extraordinary meeting held by the council on Wednesday, where councillors engaged in a rowdy debate.

The City of Liverpool Gymnastics Foundation has submitted an interest in taking over the Park Road venue, while St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust has put itself forward to run Everton Park.

'Very sceptical'

Mr Cashman told BBC Radio Merseyside he believed community asset transfers worked for libraries and small public centres but not larger operations.

He added: “Not to knock these organisations but I’m very sceptical when it comes to the size of these leisure centres.”

Councillor Harry Doyle, the council’s cabinet member for health, said that business cases needed to be “properly scrutinised to ensure they’re sustainable and these assets remain open and accessible, because we also don’t want to price out communities”.

He said prices could “inflate” under the Liberal Democrat plans for the centres, although Mr Cashman disagreed, who suggested costs could be kept down.

Mr Cashman also said a public consultation should have happened “before the council were looking for organisations and then another consultation process once those organisations came forward, but actually the community hasn’t been consulted at all yet”.

Former deputy mayor Jane Corbett said: “Clearly the best scenario would be for all our leisure centres to remain council-owned and council-run but let’s be clear, what’s being proposed is not for Everton Park and Park Road to be closed.

"What is not being proposed is for the centres to be handed over to a private, for profit company.”