Walsall Council to lose leisure centres
Leisure centres in Walsall will be taken out of the hands of the borough council in a planned move bosses say will save it £500,000.
Walsall Council also says the move to transfer management of the centres to a third party trust would secure the future of two swimming baths in the borough.
The authority says it is not suitable to run the leisure facilities, which bosses want to see supporting themselves at no cost by 2018.
The trust, which would be formed for the role, could run Gala Baths, Darlaston Swimming Pool, plus the new centres being built in Bloxwich and Walsall Wood.
A report on the council's cost-cutting budget plans has revealed that income generated from the new leisure centres could subsidise the running of Darlaston Swimming Pool and the Gala Baths, helping to secure their future.
The plans would also involve transferring 125 council staff to the new organisation.
Walsall Council leader Mike Bird said: "You can create an arms length organisation and you can put leisure facilities into that trust.
"This is just something we are looking at.
"There are benefits from a tax point of view. The trust means they don't have to pay business rates."
The report into the budget proposals states the move could save the authority £522,195 in 2017/18.
It said: "As a discretionary service the council has set an aspiration that the leisure centres should operate at no cost to the council by 2018.
"It is anticipated that the new Bloxwich and Oak Park Active Living Centres will meet this target.
"It is unlikely that Darlaston Swimming Pool and the Gala Baths will be able to do so unless alternative delivery proposals are considered.
"Reducing government grants to local authorities has led the cabinet office to promote alternative service delivery models to generate income to protect services, allowing the facilities to compete and encourage greater commercialism and efficiency."
The new Bloxwich and Oak Park Active Living Centres which are currently being built are due to open next summer.
Walsall Council is aiming to cut £25 million from its budget in 2016/17.
Under the proposals, which will be finalised next year, several libraries will close, the opening hours at New Art Gallery Walsall will be cut and street cleaning services will reduce.
