Council leaders have called for a strategy to save local leisure centres as a new report from the public accounts committee (PAC) warns that the majority of councils are considering scaling back their leisure services as post-Olympics sports boom fails to materialise.
Community sport and physical activity brought an estimated contribution of £85.5bn in social and economic benefits to England in 2017-18, including £9.5bn from improved physical and mental health.
However, a new PAC report has found that around 70% of local authorities are considering scaling back their leisure services due to increased running costs. According to the report, the energy bill for the leisure sector is expected to rise from £500m in 2019 to £1–1.2bn for 2022.
The report also said that the legacy aims for the £8.8bn London Olympics have 'failed to materialise'.
Many sporting facilities also have an average age of more than 30 years and are in poor condition, according to the Government watchdog. For example, 45% of public park tennis courts are categorised as being in poor, very poor or unplayable condition.
Responding to the PAC report, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, chair of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, called for an ‘asset strategy’ to protect local leisure facilities.
‘The future of leisure facilities is under threat and this report highlights the need for an asset strategy that will preserve the future of these key council services,’ he said.
‘The public leisure sector has a critical role to play in helping our communities recover from the pandemic, both physically and mentally, retrain and upskill, and tackle issues like obesity, heart disease and diabetes, reducing the burden on the NHS and social care.
‘Councils are working hard to protect services - whether it's retrofitting buildings or co-locating them with GP surgeries and libraries - but government investment is needed to ensure this can be maintained and enhanced.
‘The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities need to work with us and councils ensure the sustainability of leisure facilities.’
