Sports centre community takeover gains support

The management of the centre, including its pool, could fall to a resident-run collective

A community bid to take on a leisure centre in East Sussex has gained the support of a senior councillor.

Nick Bennett, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for resources and climate change, has agreed to part of the plans which could see the management of Rye Sports Centre transferred to a local charitable group.

He had been asked to agree for the county council, which owns the sports centre’s freehold, to enter into a 20-year lease with Rye Town Council.

The town council then intends to sublease the leisure centre to Rye Health and Well-Being Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

This new lease would be expected to come into effect in April 2025, subject to Rother District Council agreeing to terminate its existing lease and contractual agreements with Freedom Leisure, the sports centre’s current operator.

The proposals first emerged after high energy costs forced the temporary closure of the sports centre’s swimming pool in 2022, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In response a group of Rye residents, with the support of Rye Town Council, formed the CIO – a not-for-profit enterprise – intended to take over management of the sports centre and to safeguard the pool’s future.

A £650,000 investment in the venue was agreed in October

The decision was welcomed by Keith Glazier, East Sussex County Council leader, who also represents the area as its ward councillor.

He said: “There is an awful lot of work that has been necessary for them to get to a position where we have some confidence.

"That is something which will see the sustainable delivery of a swimming pool in Rye for some years to come.”