Council takes over running of Chorley leisure centres after operator struggles due to pandemic

Chorley Council is set to take on operating its three leisure sites in the borough due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
All Seasons leisure centre, ChorleyAll Seasons leisure centre, Chorley
All Seasons leisure centre, Chorley

The authority was due to transfer the running of the centres to Life Leisure from current operator Active Nation but the impact of the pandemic means they are unable to take on the new contract.

The council has considered all the options available but given the uncertainty around the leisure industry it has decided that for the moment it will take on running the three sites to ensure they remain open for residents to use.

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Coun Bev Murray, who oversees the running of the leisure sites for the council, said: “As everyone knows the leisure industry has been hit really hard by the pandemic and while they have been able to reopen, usage is much lower due to the measures that have to be taken to make them Covid secure.

“We are in a similar position to many councils up and down the country with leisure providers struggling financially but this falls as a new operator was about to take on the sites.

“While there are a few options available to us they all carry some risk and us taking on the operation of the sites means we can offer more certainty to residents and keep them running during these difficult times.”

The three sites affected are:

• All Seasons Leisure Centre, in Chorley, which has a sports hall, gym, fitness studios and swimming pool

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• Clayton Green Sports Centre, which has a sports hall, gym and outdoor football pitches

• Brinscall Baths – an indoor swimming pool

The leisure centres are due to close for two weeks upon handover of operators and when they reopen they will be managed by staff employed directly by the council.

“Leading a healthy lifestyle has never been more important with the physical and mental benefits it provides so that’s why it is important we chose the right option to keep the facilities open for everyone to use,” said Coun Murray.

“There are a number of improvements we want to make to the sites and we will factor in the changing nature of leisure centres given the impact on people’s habits that the pandemic has had.

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“The transfer to the council will mean we can provide an excellent leisure service to residents and we will continue to look at the longer term options for running the sites over the coming months.”

The centres will run as they are currently for the remainder of this month and everyone with a membership will be contacted about the next steps.

All Seasons and Brinscall Baths will be closed from 2pm on Wednesday 30 September and Clayton Green Sports Centre will be closed from 9pm, on Tuesday 29 September. All the sites will re-open on Monday 12 October.

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