Stevenage Leisure told to rebid for North Hertfordshire council contract

Harry Styles and Emma Corrin filmed Amazon Prime's My Policeman in one of the affected pools in Hitchin

A company that has recently lost two council leisure contracts has been told it must rebid for a third.

Stevenage Leisure Limited's (SLL) agreement to run swimming pools and gyms for North Hertfordshire District Council is due to end in 2024.

The local authority has decided to invite firms to bid for its next contract.

SLL said it was aware of the decision the council had made and would be "considering the opportunity".

It has recently lost its deals to run arts and leisure centres in Stevenage and Central Bedfordshire from 1 April.

In January, Stevenage Borough Council announced Everyone Active would provide its facilities and a month later, Central Bedfordshire Council appointed the same company.

The North Hertfordshire authority's venues include Royston Leisure Centre, the outdoor pool at Letchworth and Hitchin Swimming Centre, which includes an outdoor pool that was used as a filming location for the Harry Styles film My Policeman.

Stevenage Leisure Limited currently runs Hitchin's outdoor pool

It said its cabinet voted to invite bids rather than renew the existing arrangements with SLL, as it would allow a new leisure strategy to be embedded into the contract, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The new contract would last for 10 years and SLL can bid for it.

Letchworth outdoor pool is also one of North Hertfordshire District Council's venues

Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Jarvis said: "There are a number of options as to how the new operator may choose to deliver leisure services in line with our strategy."

He added that the authority "clearly needs to be open to the market place with this sort of length of contract" and should also be prepared to "share some risks" associated with maintenance and utility costs.

"This is a start of a process I hope will secure us a leisure operator which will enable us to take forward our leisure facilities, and ensure they provide continuing and improving facilities for all the people in the district," he said.