New plan to protect Gwynedd leisure centres from cuts

A new business plan has been put forward to protect Gwynedd's council-run leisure centres from closure.

Council officers have been looking at options which will address "unprecedented financial pressures" on public services, without impacting on leisure services.

They propose setting up a council-owned company to run the 12 centres.

A report will be presented to cabinet and full council for consideration next month.

Gwynedd council has about 17,000 leisure centre members who make about 1.5m visits a year.

In 2014 the authority was asked to make more than £1m of savings to leisure services between 2015 and 2018.

To date, it has achieved £800,000.

The report said if the new plan is approved it will achieve the target and make additional savings of about £400,000.

The business plan proposes to lease the leisure centres to the council-owned company on a peppercorn rent over a 10 year period.

The report said service users should not see "any real difference," and current staff would transfer to the company's employment on the same terms and conditions.

It added if no action was taken "it's likely that they would have to rationalise the number of leisure facilities or significantly increase fees".