Sports Leisure Management to run Cotswold leisure centres

Plans for five leisure centres and a museum in Gloucestershire, which would be run by a charity rather than the local authority, have been approved.

Cotswold District Council will still continue to own the venues but the day-to-day running will carried out by Sports Leisure Management (SLM).

Under the 10-year agreement it will run the centres at Cirencester, Chipping Campden and Bourton-on-the-Water.

Staff were told the news in a series of meetings on Friday afternoon.

SLM will also be responsible for the Corinium Museum in Cirencester and a resource centre in Northleach.

'No price increases'

The handover to the charitable industrial provident society is expected to take place in July.

Responsibility for leisure centres at Farmors School, Fairford, and Sir William Romney's School, Tetbury, will be transferred to the schools later in the summer.

The council's cabinet was told on Thursday the district's leisure and cultural services were losing almost £612,080 each year.

"By bringing in an external provider to manage and deliver these services - and handing the facilities at Fairford and Tetbury to the schools - the council will be able to make savings of £282,000 per year," a council spokesman said.

"The council has already assured the public that there will be no price increases for both these services over the next three years and a contract with SLM will also guard against any future significant price increases or reduction in opening hours.

"All cabinet and other executive decisions are subject to call in procedures," he added.