The County Council put out a press release on Friday regarding the leisure centres they are consulting on. (Printed below).

They are unwilling to release at this stage how many bids have been received for Abbey, though I know it is at least two, probably more.

I have been working with a steering group made up of users and members of the local community, as well as Cllr Hopgood (Newton Hall) and this group has submitted a bid.

A futher bid has been submitted from a group called Slam, based in Willington who already run a centre there. There may be at least one more third sector (charity/voluntary) group submission, as well as possibly some private sector proposals.

Having seen the quality of the community bid, I could not accept a private sector bid without proof that any community/voluntary bid was unustainable.

This is because it is essential that the centre is run for the local community, not for shareholders. By running the centre in this way, the improvements to the centre that I have been pushing the council on for two years can be achieved.

An improvement in facilities for young people is non negotiable in this equation. Indeed it may well be that by the centre not being controlled by the Council, but with their support that this can now be acheived.

PRESS RELASE FROM COUNCIL:

Next step in leisure centre consultation

Proposals submitted by community groups and businesses bidding to run six leisure centres in County Durham will now be considered in detail by Durham County Council.

The deadline for submissions passed at noon today and each will now be considered in depth before any decisions regarding the future of the centres is taken.

Earlier this year the council embarked on a three month consultation process seeking alternatives to closure for council-run leisure facilities at:

Abbey Leisure Centre

Coxhoe Leisure Centre

Deerness Leisure Centre

Ferryhill Leisure Centre

Glenholme Leisure Centre – Crook

Sherburn Leisure Centre

The consultation was launched as part of the authority’s requirement to make savings of £123.5m over the next four years due to large reductions in Government grant. During the 12 weeks 1,915 consultation questionnaires were filled out and there were 21 initial expressions of interest.

Terry Collins is the council’s corporate director of neighbourhood services:”I am extremely pleased with the level of interest shown by groups and businesses wanting to take over the centres and can confirm the following.

“We have received 19 bids from ten organisations. These bids relate to interest in all six centres. We will now have to ensure that the proposals are financially robust going forward, meet compliance arrangements as well as our legal requirements regarding the transfer of staff. They will clearly also need to offer the right mix of experience and capabilities for the future.”

Notes to editors:

A report to Cabinet in March outlined the need for the authority to address the number of under used facilities and to meet the challenge of a 25 per cent reduction in the sport and leisure budget, following major reductions in Government grant.

For the council’s leisure services this equates to a saving of £3.5m over the next four years with nearly £1.5m of that within the next financial year (2011/12).

Durham County Council currently has 19 indoor facilities.