Leisure centres review consultation
The consultation closed on 13 November 2023.
Cabinet approved a revised proposal for the future of leisure centres at their meeting on the 12 December. The new proposal means that Batley Sports and Tennis Centre and Colne Valley Leisure Centre will stay open.
During the next financial year (2024/25) KAL will continue to operate:
- Batley Sports and Tennis Centre
- Bradley Park Golf Club
- Colne Valley Leisure Centre
- Holmfirth Pool and Fitness Centre
- Huddersfield Leisure Centre
- Leeds Road Sports Complex
- Scissett Baths and Fitness Centre
- Spen Valley Leisure Centre and Princess Mary Stadium/ Running Track
Background
At a cabinet meeting on 26 September 2023, it was agreed that we would consult the public and other stakeholders about the future of leisure centres in Kirklees.
The challenges facing leisure centres in Kirklees
The economic situation that we are facing in the UK is having a significant impact on everyone including local councils. This means more of our council budgets are being absorbed by statutory [legally required] and other essential front-line services. This has left us having to make very difficult decisions on the ongoing provision of other services such as sport and leisure.
In addition to this, the leisure industry was particularly hard hit during Covid-19, with pools and sports centres closing for significant periods and bringing in no income. Aware of this, the council provided additional financial support to our leisure centre operator, Kirklees Active Leisure (KAL), a local charitable, not-for-profit, leisure trust, during the recovery period. This included an additional £9.96m, alongside the core funding of £6m between April 2021 and April 2024. KAL also received £1.175m from Sport England during the same period.
Although KAL's income position has recovered to above pre-Covid-19 levels, external, uncontrollable expenditure pressures have continued to impact upon KAL.
The cost of running centres, in particular swimming pools, has increased beyond what anyone could have predicted. Energy and general running costs have increased in line with the national financial situation and staffing costs have increased due to the increases in the National Living Wage. Leisure centre operators are facing large energy bill increases when compared to 2019. In the KAL managed leisure centres, utilities costs have increased from around £1m to £4m per year.
Kirklees are not alone in this situation. Research in November 2022 found that 40% of council areas were at risk of losing some of their leisure centres and swimming pools. 65 pools had closed in the three years to March 2022 (UKActive).
The council has been committed to maintaining its leisure centres as much as possible for many years which is reflected in its larger than average swimming pool provision. In 2022, the average offer in other local authority areas similar to Kirklees was 1 pool per 80,000 people, whereas in Kirklees it was 1 pool per 55,000 people.
It is currently costing the council (and in turn the taxpayer) between £1 and £5 per person, per visit, to operate most of the sites. Unfortunately, the council is no longer in the position to maintain this level of funding. Due to the current financial situation, the council will only be able to provide KAL with funding of £2.55m next year. This means that changes will have to take place and the number of centres will reduce.
What the proposed changes are
The proposal for the future of KAL leisure centres is split into three categories:
- Core offer - the sites which will stay open given that they are modern buildings with a comprehensive offer and limited capital investment needed compared to other centres.
- Marginal sites - sites we would keep open whilst other funding and ownership opportunities are explored, or sites that require relatively low levels of council financial contributions to running costs compared to other centres.
- Potential closures - sites that require high levels of council financial contributions to running costs and require significant repairs in the next three years.
Core offer
KAL will continue offering the full range of dry and wet side activities in both the North and South of the district. These will be delivered from the newest and most modern sites: Huddersfield Leisure Centre and Spen Valley Leisure Centre.
Marginal sites
Bradley Golf Club, Deighton Sports Arena, Holmfirth Pool and Fitness Centre, Leeds Road Sports Complex, Scissett Baths and Fitness Centre are under continued review. We hope to keep some of these open, but they have the potential to close within a short timescale should financial or operational circumstances change. You can find more information about these sites below. KAL are legally withdrawing as the operator of The Stadium Health and Fitness Club so the council will be seeking alternative operators
Potential closures
KAL would, under these proposals, withdraw from all other sites and the buildings will be closed. These sites are Batley Sports and Tennis Centre, Colne Valley Leisure Centre, and Dewsbury Sports Centre. You can find more information about these sites below.
Options for closed sites
Due to the amount of financial contribution the council can make to KAL from April 2024, KAL will need to withdraw from operating some leisure centres. This means that we need to decide what to do with each building. We will consider several options, bearing in mind that leisure centre buildings are very costly to operate and do not easily convert to other uses. In addition, not every option will be possible for every centre due to financial and legal obligations. We will follow our asset management process to decide whether to:
- Close the centres as full time leisure centres and investigate alternative uses/mix of activities other than just a leisure centre.
- Pass the centres to the community to run - with public access maintained to some level
- Market the centres to the private sector, to see if there are any operators that would be interested in taking a site over on a commercial membership basis.
- Close the centres permanently and either sell the buildings or the land for other developments such as housing.
Why you should get involved in the consultation
The council is consulting on proposals for the future of all sites currently operated by KAL (core, marginal and those proposed for closure). Please see below for information on each site. Your views will help us to understand the impact of the proposals on both KAL's customers and the wider community.
Any feedback gathered through the consultation will contribute to the final decision. We will also consider all the economic, environmental, social, and legal information available to make sure our leisure centres offer is sustainable and fit for purpose.
About the different centres
The information provided in the following section provides the costs for running each centre. In addition to the cost of running each centre, KAL has corporate costs of more than £4m a year, this covers operational costs such as central and corporate staffing, and insurance and other overheads. These of course will decrease in line with the reduction of the number of sites.
| Centre information | Data |
|---|---|
| Profit/Loss | Over £100k deficit |
| Current members | 5,442 |
| Visits each year (22/23) | 797,589 |
| 3-year essential maintenance costs | £50K |
| Facilities | Gym, 2 pools, cycling studio, 3 studios, Splash Park, play gym, 8 court sports hall, Dare-2-Air inflatable theme park, 2 court sports hall, squash courts, martial arts room. |
| Proposed future of the centre | Core offer |
Additional information
This is the newest centre in South Kirklees, it has received significant investment in the last 10 years.
It has good public and private transport links to the rest of the district. It offers full provision for both physical activity and leisure.
The leisure centre is home to one swim club, an older people's activity group, several disability groups, and several other groups.
| Centre information | Data |
|---|---|
| Profit/Loss | In profit |
| Current members | 4,861 |
| Visits each year (22/23) | 447,336 |
| 3-year essential maintenance costs | £250K for the track |
| Facilities | Gym, 2 pools, cycling studio, 2 studios, athletics track |
| Proposed future of the centre | Core offer |
Additional information
The newest centre in Kirklees which offers full provision for both physical activity and leisure.
The site also includes the Princess Mary Athletics Track.
| Centre information | Data |
|---|---|
| Profit/Loss | In profit |
| Current members | 200 |
| Visits each year (22/23) | 54,513 |
| 3-year essential maintenance costs | £0K |
| Facilities | 18-hole golf course, 9-hole golf course, driving range, club house. |
| Proposed future of the centre | A marginal site |
Additional information
This site is the only public golf course in Kirklees and provides access to golf for local people. It is a profitable site that makes a small surplus. The sites core purpose is to provide a positive introduction to golf, allowing those who cannot afford a private golf club membership to enjoy the sport and gain from the related health and wellbeing benefits.
Additional information
As agreed earlier this year, KAL will stop operating the sports arena in November 2023. We are looking at options for the future of the centre including the possibility of it being run by the community for the community moving forward.
There are also ongoing plans being progressed to use the Deighton Centre near to the Deighton Sports Arena as a new school. Consultation around the new school will take place in line with existing planning legislation and is separate to the consultation about the leisure centres.
| Centre information | Data |
|---|---|
| Profit/Loss | Less than 50k deficit |
| Current members | 1,681 |
| Visits each year (22/23) | 135,323 |
| 3-year essential maintenance costs | £40K |
| Facilities | Pool, gym, studio. |
| Proposed future of the centre | A marginal site |
Additional information
The centre serves the community of the Holme Valley and is also accessible for those in the Colne Valley. The centre is home to one local swimming club.
| Centre information | Data |
|---|---|
| Profit/Loss | In profit |
| Visits each year (22/23) | 47,824 |
| 3-year essential maintenance costs | £55K |
| Facilities | Outdoor and indoor Astroturf pitches, Athletics Track, Indoor Crown Green Bowling. |
| Proposed future of the centre | A marginal site |
Additional information
The sports complex provides a different offer to our other centres, with outdoor and indoor sports pitches and indoor crown green bowling facility. It provides an athletics track for people in South Kirklees. The centre has the potential for development, supported by external investment. The site is regularly used by eleven football clubs, five athletics groups, fourteen bowling clubs, three football clubs, three schools, one rugby club, five other local organisations.
| Centre information | Data |
|---|---|
| Profit/Loss | Over £100k deficit |
| Current members | 1,262 |
| Visits each year (22/23) | 119,310 |
| 3-year essential maintenance costs | £1.2M |
| Facilities | Pool, gym, studio, cycle studio |
| Proposed future of the centre | A marginal site |
Additional information
The council has applied to the Swimming Pool Support Fund managed by Sport England, for both revenue and capital investment for 23/25. If the bids are successful, it could allow us to keep the centre open.
The unique history of the centre as a former miner's welfare facility also means that there are other potential funding avenues that can be explored.
The site is home to one swimming club and one triathlon club.
| Centre information | Data |
|---|---|
| Profit/Loss | Over £500k deficit |
| Current members | 2,753 |
| Visits each year (22/23) | 217,210 |
| 3-year essential maintenance costs | £288K |
| Facilities | Pool, gym, spa area, 2 studios, cycling studio |
| Proposed future of the centre | A marginal site |
Additional information
Located at the John Smith Stadium, Huddersfield. There is likely to be some capital costs to maintain the building in the next three years. However, the leasing and financial arrangements at this site are complex and more time is needed to consider its future. KAL is legally withdrawing as the operator of this site so the council will be seeking alternative operators.
| Centre information | Data |
|---|---|
| Profit/Loss | Over £500k deficit |
| Current members | 1,318 |
| Visits each year (22/23) | 228,580 |
| 3-year essential maintenance costs | £611K |
| Facilities | 2 pools, gym, cycle studio, studio, Astroturf pitch, outdoor tennis courts, indoor tennis courts, sports hall, squash courts, TagX, play gym. |
| Proposed future of the centre | Closure |
Additional information
The centre is operating at a significant loss. Some capital investment for maintenance likely over the next three years. It is less than 4 miles from Spen Valley Leisure Centre.
The centre is next to Batley Girls High School who use the site for PE lessons. One local football club also has a long-term agreement for use of the all-weather pitch.
There is a women's only fitness suite. The centre provides women only swimming and fitness sessions.
The site is also used by 12 football clubs, one tri-club, one gymnastics club, five rugby clubs, a rounders club, netball league, badminton club and an athletics club.
| Centre information | Data |
|---|---|
| Profit/Loss | Over £100k deficit |
| Current members | 1,697 |
| Visits each year (22/23) | 138,499 |
| 3-year essential maintenance costs | £269K |
| Facilities | Pool, gym, cycle studio, studio, sports hall, multi-purpose room. |
| Proposed future of the centre | Closure |
Additional information
The centre is 5 miles from Huddersfield Leisure Centre which has a more comprehensive offer and good transport links. Is regularly used by one swimming club, and for older people's activity sessions.
| Centre information | Data |
|---|---|
| Profit/Loss | Over £500k deficit |
| Current members | 3,178 |
| Visits each year (22/23) | 309,102 |
| 3-year essential maintenance costs | £2.1m |
| Facilities | 2 pools, gym, indoor Astro-turf track, cycle studio, 3 studios, spa area, sports hall |
| Proposed future of the centre | Closure |
Additional information
The centre is expensive to operate and is likely to need significant capital investment in the next 3 years. In addition, RAAC has been discovered in the building and further investigation is required to understand the implications of this and the safety of the building. It is 4 miles from Spen Valley Leisure Centre.
The site is used regularly by one swimming club, one rowing club, one underwater hockey club, four Karate clubs, three netball clubs, one cricket club, and four other local groups. It is also used for older people's activity sessions.
Batley Baths closed in December 2022 due to the significant running costs of running the centre. Since that time, work has been underway to identify possible alternative management arrangements and/or uses for the centre but unfortunately no viable solutions have been identified. The building remains empty and will be considered alongside any other vacated buildings when it comes to future plans.