NO leisure centres will be closed a senior Powys councillor has stressed, but passing them on to be run by someone else has been looked into – a report reveals.
At a joint meeting of all three Powys County Council’s scrutiny committees on Wednesday, June 17, councillors will receive a long-awaited update report on the Leisure Services review.
This is ahead of the report going to the Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet meeting for a decision at a meeting on July 14.
The report explains that a final decision on the future of leisure centres is supposed to happen in the spring of 2028 – which would allow the new tender process to be for a “redesigned” leisure portfolio.
Currently the leisure centres are operated on behalf of the council by Freedom Leisure.
The report explains that work has continued behind the scenes after the decision to consult on leisure service and swimming pool cuts was postponed in November 2024.
The report said: “Officers have met with councillors in eight of the localities – Knighton, Presteigne, Llanidloes, Rhayader, Llanfyllin, Machynlleth, Llanfair Caereinion and Builth Wells to provide further detail about each of the leisure centres in their local area, with a view to exploring the viability of potential community-led provision.”
These are towns that will see council services cut under the Liberal Democrat/Labour administration’s “Sustainable Powys” model which intends concentrating services on the five hub towns of Brecon, Llandrindod Wells, Newtown, Welshpool and Ystradgynlais.
Unlike education or social services, local authorities are not legally obliged to provide leisure services.
The report continued: “The provision of leisure facilities is not a statutory requirement for local authorities.
“This discretionary role must now be considered within the context of significant and sustained financial pressures facing the council and the wider public sector, requiring difficult decisions about the prioritisation of resources and the best use of public money.
“In this environment, it is essential to balance the recognised benefits of leisure services with the need to ensure that future provision is affordable, sustainable and delivers clear value for money.”
Responsibility for the leisure review has now fallen to cabinet member for customers, digital and community services, Cllr Raiff Devlin (Liberal Democrat – Talybont-on-Usk).
He is the third cabinet member to be handle the review process during Liberal Democrat/Labour administration.
Cllr Devlin said: “Our leisure centres play a vital role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our residents across Powys.
“They are places where people of all ages can stay active, connect with others and improve their quality of life.
“We want to increase participation in sport and leisure and this report, while recognising the significant challenges we face, sets out a positive way forward.
“At this point in time, we are investing in our leisure estate and have no proposals to close any leisure centres.”
The new contract start date is July 1, 2030.
