A council has announced that its leisure services will be brought back in house.
Neath Port Talbot Council decided at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that indoor leisure services will once again be operated by the local authority.
A decision to outsource services was taken in 2002 leading to the not-for-profit trust Celtic Leisure being appointed to run them in 2003.
There was a "lot of nerves" among members of staff at leisure centres this morning ahead of the council meeting.
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Reacting to the news, facilities manager at Neath Sports Centre, Mike Bendyk, said: "I would like to thank the councillors at Neath Port Talbot and the cabinet for making the decision.
"It secures the long-term future of all the staff in leisure services. It takes a lot of stress and anxiety off their minds knowing that they still have a job."
Mike, who is also a Unison steward, added that he thinks the decision will benefit more than just members of staff.
He said: "[For] the people of Neath Port Talbot, this will benefit them widely and they can have first-class facilities at an affordable price."
A report published in 2020 said the council would search for a new leisure service provider after an assessment was made on Celtic Leisure's "value for money".
There were delays to the final decision and councillors were given a chance to properly consider all the options available, which included awarding the contract to a private operator; taking the services back in house; and continuing the current contract with Celtic Leisure until its expiry in 2025.
IT manager at Celtic Leisure, Darren Morgan, said: "The delay really helped to investigate the extra avenues. [It is] absolutely amazing. It is such a positive thing.
"It gives our staff long-term security, it's good for the local authority to have a local income [that] stays within the boundaries of Neath Port Talbot.
"Also, with staff and council being involved in the development of the centres, we can provide facilities that the customers want."
Receptionist and swimming instructor at Neath Sport Centre and Aberavon Leisure Centre, Caitlin Bendyk, highlighted how important the news was for service users.
Caitlin, 18, and daughter of Mike, said: "We are all over the moon. Some of our older members seem really invested. It was only last night in our classes that they were asking us about today and how we all felt about it.
"They wanted to know just as much as us what was going on. I think now they will be happy to know that we will be [operating] within the council. They will be happy to have some certainty."
The issue was originally set to be decided on January 26 at a cabinet meeting before it was postponed - something the leader of the council's Plaid Cymru party Councillor Alun Llewelyn was critical of.
He said he welcomed the decision of the council, which was the unanimous recommendation of the scrutiny committee.
Cllr Llewelyn added: "The Labour cabinet should have seriously considered the in-house option right from the beginning, and there is huge credit to Celtic staff and their unions for making such a powerful and knowledgeable case over many months.
"Council-run services are working very effectively in our neighbouring councils led by Plaid in Carmarthenshire and Labour in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
"There are tremendous opportunities to improve leisure services and the job security of the workers by combining the facilities with the wider health and wellbeing promotion that is so important to all our residents.
"We look forward to an imaginative dialogue with staff, leisure centre members, and all our communities on how fitness, recreation and leisure will be improved in NPT following this decision.
Trade union Unison launched a campaign last year calling for leisure services to be run by the council. A petition received over 3,800 signatures.
Unison regional organiser, Joe Donnelly, said: "We are looking forward to working closely with the council in Neath Port Talbot to ensure the success of leisure services being placed in public hands.
“This decision is the culmination of the hard work and dedication by Unison activists and partners who have campaigned tirelessly to see these important services run publicly after decades of private ownership.”
“This should now act as a springboard for local authorities across Wales to take notice and consider the potential of having these services run publicly by the people who know them best and for the benefit of the communities they serve.”
Council leader Ted Latham said: “There are a number of advantages to bringing these facilities back in-house and this decision will enable us to continue supporting many more people to live healthier lives.
“The council will have full control of leisure centres and other facilities, enabling us to determine the approach to opening hours, service delivery, fees and charges to ensure our leisure offer is focused on helping reduce inequality and improving the health of residents. There will also be beneficial to existing staff who will have the security of transferring into the council’s employment.
“Also, leisure services can be jointly marketed and operated alongside other local tourist and leisure offers to ensure a joined up approach, contributing to our objective of establishing Neath Port Talbot as a place people want to visit.”
Following the cabinet decision, council officers will work with Celtic Leisure to facilitate the in-house leisure service and undertake the necessary consultation work.
A report will be brought to members setting out the proposed arrangements and will include the outcome of any public consultation.
Cllr Latham added: “We now look forward to bringing our leisure services back in-house with the aim of increasing participation by our residents in sport and physical activity, encouraging people to become more active to improve their health and wellbeing.”
The cabinet decision is subject to a three-day call in period.
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