Stockport’s Labour Executive have signed off on a further £2.1million investment plan to bring leisure facilities back to standard in the Borough -bringing total leisure investment announced this spring to almost 5 million.
This comes on the back of February’s Executive approval of another £2.7 million of funding to bring the Grand Central Leisure Pools Health Suite back to full use, which will help encourage greater use of this important facility.
The Previous Liberal Democrat council Executive had taken leisure maintenance out of their financial asset management plans for 2014-15, without ensuring Life Leisure were able to take up the slack. This led to the closure of the popular Grand Central Health Suite facilities to the dismay of many Stockport residents.
Stockport’s Labour Executive has brought leisure back within council asset maintenance budgets – allowing such investments to be made.
The latest report, agreed to be taken forward at the Executive meeting of the 25th April, identifies the investment required for 2017/18 to bring the seven leisure centres operating under Life Leisure up to operational standards, and ensure none of these facilities has to close due to disrepair as happened with the Grand Central facilities.
The report identifies a requirement of £1.54 million as a priority for upkeep and a further £0.54 million in contingency money to avoid business continuity problems across leisure centres in Avondale, Bramhall Cheadle, Hazel Grove, Marple, Priestnall and Romiley.
Commenting, Executive Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Sheila Bailey said:
“These investments are absolutely necessary to ensure the people of Stockport have the leisure facilities they deserve.
“We are taking this action now to ensure there is no replication of the situation which led to the Grand Central facilities having to close.
“I am looking into why the decision was taken to remove leisure facilities from the Council’s asset management plan, at the same time as arranging for the future capital requirements of these facilities to be reinstated.
“We now have a Labour Executive prepared to take the decisions needed to ensure facilities are properly maintained and do not fall out of use.”
ENDS
NOTES
· The ‘Leisure Estate Investment Requirements –2017/18’ report is available here: http://democracy.stockport.gov.uk/documents/g9033/Public%20reports%20pack%2025th-Apr-2017%2018.00%20Executive.pdf?T=10
· The ‘Grand Central Leisure Centre Short And Medium Term Investment Requirements’ report is also available here: http://democracy.stockport.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=109006