Council bosses in Gateshead will bid for a share of a £63m fund to help keep struggling pools and leisure centres afloat – but say they “must be realistic” about the chances of saving at-risk facilities.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the creation of the “lifeline” pot in his Spring Budget in March and local authorities have been asked to lodge initial fact-finder submissions to Sport England by tomorrow, Friday May 12. Beloved leisure centres in Gateshead have been placed under threat of closure due to controversial council budget cuts and campaigners have pleaded with local leaders to “seize this opportunity” to secure some much-needed help.
But, with more than 800 centres in England potentially eligible for cash for the Swimming Pool Support Fund, there is concern that whatever allocation Gateshead receives will do little to plug the gap in its leisure services’ budget. Meanwhile, negotiations continue over plans to hand control of both Gateshead Leisure Centre and Birtley Swimming Centre to their local communities in order to save them from shutting down.
