GWELLA will present a three-year strategy for Flintshire’s leisure and libraries service to Flintshire’s Cabinet that includes essential repair plans to Cabinet this week.
On Tuesday, June 16th it will present the plan – that includes a pledge to repair the roof of the Jade Jones Pavilion in Flint, install ice heat recovery technology at Deeside Leisure Centre to capture the heat generated by freezing the rink to reuse in the rest of the leisure centre and install new all-weather pitches and new changing rooms at Mold Leisure Centre by 2027.
The Local Authority Trading Company set up by Flintshire County Council to replace Aura in November 2024 had its initial business plan given final sign-off in November – a year after taking over management of Flintshire’s leisure centres, libraries, play areas and active communities programmes.
Gwella, which posted a pre-tax profit of just over £125,000 after its first six months, says it now has a turnover of £11 million and employs 280 full-time staff with additional seasonal support – but it has not revealed how much it plans to invest in improvements to the county’s facilities.
“Operationally, we are managing ageing buildings, rising costs and increasing expectations from our communities,” Gwella managing director Andrew Bentley wrote. “Many facilities will require redesign, renewal or changes in how space is used to meet future needs. This underlines the importance of a long term capital strategy, alongside interim improvements and effective trading.
“Our buildings range from regional landmarks to much-loved local centres – many of them ageing and energy-hungry. We will champion their renewal so they remain welcoming, relevant, and sustainable for the future.
“Alongside this, we’ll modernise our services, elevate the customer experience and offer programmes that reflect how people live today. Across all sites, we’ll move towards a community-hub approach – open, warm, stigma-free spaces that bring leisure, learning, wellbeing, and everyday support together under one roof.”
