THE future of Bridport Leisure Centre could be secured until 2027 as council leaders will decide whether or not to go ahead with a proposed agreement.
West Dorset District Council's overview and scrutiny committee has recommended the executive committee offers to enter into a 10-year agreement with Bridport and West Dorset Sports Trust, which runs the leisure centre, from next April. The proposal also suggests that the management fee offered to the trust should be £127,377 for the first four years of the agreement - with a review in April 2021.
The overview and scrutiny committee has also recommended that "the council offers to write-off all the loans made to the trust by the council as outstanding on April 1, 2017, totalling £231,422, if the trust agrees to enter into a supplemental agreement with the council."
The council's executive committee will meet on Tuesday (9) to decide whether to make an agreement with the trust.
Nigel Carter, chairman of the trust, said that due to the trust’s lease set to expire in 2034, it could become “even more dependent” on support from the district council.
He said: “After much debate, the trust agreed to support these recommendations, which the trust understands will be considered by the council’s executive committee on August 9.
“Having said this, the Trust races significant challenges as it moves forward. It effectively has no reserves at this time, and access to loan funding is limited.
“Grant funding is restricted due to the length of the Trust’s lease remaining. Without security of tenure, the trust is unable to procure substantial grants. It will therefore become even more dependent on West Dorset District Council for support.”
Gillian Summers, Bridport Leisure Centre trustee, said even if the proposals are agreed, the long-term future of the swimming pool would still be unsure.
She said: “We are pleased that the council could agree to a review after four years. This will give us the opportunity to see how we can manage on the reduced income over that period, and some time to put in place other fundraising schemes.
We cannot say that the future of the swimming pools is secure until the four years has passed and we can evaluate our progress. In the meantime, the pools and the leisure centre will continue to open as normal and provide the people of Bridport and west Dorset with high quality facilities and service.”
In January, the News reported the leisure centre was given a "stay of execution" as initial funding was agreed in order to keep the pool open.
In February, the executive committee agreed to make a grant of £176,246 to the trust for the operation of the leisure centre for a 12-month period up to April 2017.
District councillor for Bridport North, Cllr Ros Kayes believes the offer suggested by the overview and scrutiny committee is "a positive way forward", Cllr Kayes, who is a member of the overview and scrutiny committee, said: "I think that this is a considerably better offer for the trust than the previous one and my understanding is that they feel this too.
"The proposal I think also requires WDDC to select two elected members to sit on the board of the trust and to support them in independent fundraising which will help them to fill the income gaps as income from WDDC declines.
"I feel this is a positive way forward. It means the pool won't have to close but we need to look at more ways of generating income for the trust in the future. I'd like to thank councillors for listening to the needs of the leisure centre and the people of Bridport."
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