Deadline looms for future of Liverpool leisure centres

Two leisure centres, including Park Road, are under threat

A deadline is looming for the future of two city leisure centres which could be taken out of council management.

Liverpool City Council said it could no longer afford to run Lifestyles in Park Road and Everton and it has been looking for community groups to take them over.

A week remains for interested parties to register bids with the authority.

In January, Councillor Harry Doyle said a £3.4m overspend in leisure services had led to the decision.

More than £2m is needed to be saved from the local authority's leisure budget across the next three years.

Victorian roots

A review of the city's leisure sites was approved in October 2020 in a bid to establish how financial pressures could be eased.

Last year, Mr Doyle told a culture and visitor economy committee that he did not want buildings to close but a new approach was needed.

A number of locations were in a poor condition, he said, adding that some were "reaching the end of their operational life".

This includes Everton Park - which dates back to its roots as a Victorian wash house in 1884 - and Park Road in Toxteth.

As a result, the council is considering relinquishing responsibility for the locations through a community asset transfer.

Any legitimate interests will be subject to approval by a community asset transfer panel and submission of a business plan, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

In March, the council agreed to implement a budget saving for leisure centres of £250,000 this year and a further £1.8m up to 2026.

It is projected the service has an overspend of £3.4m per year.