Gateshead International Stadium should be thrown into the mix for closure to help save other at-risk leisure centres, a union has urged.
The GMB union has branded the stadium a “white elephant” that costs more and has less footfall than other facilities that are under threat. Cash-strapped Gateshead Council recently announced that it is planning to shut at least two of its leisure centres after deeming the services “unaffordable” – with the Gateshead Leisure Centre in Saltwell and the Dunston Leisure Centre at greatest risk, having been branded the least sustainable.
The prospect of losing beloved centres has sparked dismay in communities that have used them for decades. But Gateshead International Stadium has been excluded from the current review of leisure services, on the grounds that it “has a wider and significantly different offer”.
Union chiefs have called for that decision to be reversed, claiming the stadium is “draining essential resources from other services in the community”. GMB officer Julie Wynn told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The stadium has the lowest footfall for community activity, but it costs the most money to run.”
She added: “We don’t want to see anything close, we don’t want to lose any facilities. But you have to look at it with a realistic view, given the state of the council’s finances and the reduction in government spend over the last 12 years.
“We know the council is in a dire financial situation, that is nothing new. Weighing everything up in terms of the community use across the borough, we think the stadium should be in the mix [to be closed].”
A council report confirms that the stadium, where Gateshead FC plays its home matches, had an annual budget this year of £565,000 – but is in fact expected to cost the authority £907,000. That makes it by far the most expensive leisure service in the borough, with the Gateshead Leisure Centre next on the list at a projected £586,000.
While the council argues that the stadium’s status as a major events venue, which has hosted international athletics competitions and concerts from artists including Bon Jovi and Little Mix, Ms Wynn said that its heyday was “some time ago”. She added: “Gateshead is going to lose things that have good community use. If the stadium was a focal point for international events then we would be behind it, but it is not – that is, unfortunately, the reality. It is a bit of a white elephant.”
The union confirmed that it had been given assurances from the council that there will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of the proposed leisure centre closures, after which any remaining centres are due to be outsourced to a private operator.
A Gateshead Council spokesperson said: “Due to extreme budget pressures, the operation of Gateshead International Stadium will be reviewed with the intention of reaching a point where the council no longer subsidises its expenditure. However, this review will be carried out separately to the review of our other facilities.
“This is because the stadium represents a wider and significantly different offer to the rest of our leisure services sites. It was specifically built for international events and their spectators, supporting professional sport and education.
“It also offers much bigger, and very different, income opportunities. In turn, this means that its potential future management options look very different from the options for operating our other leisure centres.”
Unison has also warned that the stadium’s position is “clearly unsustainable”. Regional secretary Clare Williams said: “Unison’s position remains resolute. Any service reductions must be avoided, wherever possible, as well as jobs and staff terms and conditions protected.”
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