close
close
  • December 13, 2024
The town’s leisure center could be moving closer to the public as the latest victim of Shropshire Council’s sweeping budget cuts

The town’s leisure center could be moving closer to the public as the latest victim of Shropshire Council’s sweeping budget cuts

Shropshire Council’s cabinet will be asked next week (December 4) to consider a proposal for its future involvement Lots of Wenlock Recreation center.

The facility, which has a swimming pool, gym, sports hall, artificial pitch and multi-use playing field, is owned by the William Brookes Academy Trust, which is part of the 3-18 Education Trust.

It is open to the public outside school hours, for a total of 56.25 hours per week, when managed by Shropshire Council.

But in the document to be considered by Cabinet, the council recommends launching a consultation on its plan to publicize the site and stop operating it for community use – resulting in the loss of four full-time jobs .

The council says the move would save £280,040 a year – although the savings would only be possible from the 2026/27 financial year, due to the time the process could take.

There are other issues for the council with such a move, with the authority likely to have to repay part of £1,008,000 from Sport England which was used to build the facility.

Whether the site remains open to the public will depend on whether alternative management arrangements can be agreed.

The report to be considered by the cabinet shows that a total of 102,597 people visited the location last year (2022/2023), with 300 children taking swimming lessons.

It adds that the education trust is keen to keep the facility open to the public but must find a suitable business model.

It said: “William Brookes School/Academy Trust would like to investigate whether the leisure center can continue to be used by the community if Shropshire Council ceases operations after twelve months’ notice.

“The notice period would allow the school/academy to explore appropriate business models and explore options for securing funding to support the community use of the center and capital investment to improve the facility.”

The document also states that the council has no duty to provide leisure facilities.

It says: “Providing community use at Much Wenlock Leisure Center is expensive and the facility requires capital investment to reduce those costs.

“This is not a Shropshire Council-owned facility and it is the responsibility of the education trust that owns the school to consider the priority of this investment.

‘As things currently stand, it is therefore unlikely that the council will continue to operate or support the service financially.

“Providing community use of leisure facilities is not a duty, it is a discretionary service. The council’s priority is to maintain mandatory services such as social care, highway maintenance and waste services, which are essential services to keep residents safe.”

The move comes as the council grapples with a major financial crisis.

It is currently expected to be £35 million over budget at the end of the year, and that figure could rise by a further £34 million if the authority plans to sell its parking garages does not come about.

The report on Much Wenlock Leisure Center explains how the council is fighting for ‘survival’.

It says: “Shropshire Council is currently managing an unprecedented financial position as budgeted under the Medium Term Financial Strategy, approved by the council on 29 February 2024 and detailed in our monitoring position presented monthly to Cabinet.

“This demonstrates that significant management action is required over the remainder of the financial year and beyond to ensure the council’s financial survival.”

Many Wenlock councilor Dan Thomas said he was concerned about the potential impact on the area – saying his priority is to find a deal “that works for our community”.

He said: “I am deeply concerned by the consideration of plans to withdraw community use funding from Much Wenlock Leisure Centre.

“This is a valuable asset to the city and surrounding communities.

‘I understand the need for Shropshire Council to find savings to meet rising demand for social care, but as the councilor for Much Wenlock my priority is to find a way to get a deal that works for our community.

“There is no denying that the location of the leisure center on the school campus is challenging, meaning community users cannot access it during school hours.

‘This means that it is not being used to its full potential. I am encouraged that discussions between William Brookes School and Shropshire Council indicate that they are keen to try and find a way to continue community use when local authority funding ends after the 12 months.” notice period.

“All parties are very open to any support or suggestions from the community or other stakeholders. I hope that by working together we can find a way to maintain community use of the Leisure Centre.”

If the agreement is approved, the council will begin an eight-week consultation on the proposal.

Following completion of the consultation process, the responses received will be assessed and considered before new advice is sent to Cabinet in the new year.