New operator appointed for Epsom leisure centre

Places Leisure will take over the running of Rainbow Leisure Centre in Epsom from 1 October

A new operator has been appointed to run a Surrey council-owned sports centre for the next 10 years.

Places Leisure will take over the running of Rainbow Leisure Centre in Epsom from 1 October.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council said an option was in place to extend the contract for a further few years.

A council spokesperson said: "Residents will continue to receive high-quality leisure, health and wellbeing services and this leisure centre will continue to be financially sustainable."

Greenwich Leisure Ltd has operated the leisure centre for the last 22 years.

The new operator will "invest its own capital into the leisure centre, upgrading the gym, studios, swimming changing rooms and more", a council statement says.

It will offer an active communities programme as well as schemes targeted at under 16s and the elderly.

Neil Dallen, the council's chair of the strategy and resources committee, said the leisure centre was "a key community facility".

He said: "It was therefore important to us that for the foreseeable future, any operator could meet our core health and wellbeing service delivery requirements as well as our financial criteria."

Dan Walker, business development director at Places Leisure, said: "Our primary goal is to support the local community to create more active places and empower more healthy people, which is why within the first year of our contract we will invest £4.7m in a series of projects."

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