Budget 2023-24: Leisure

We asked

As part of the budget consultation exercise for the 2023-24 budget, a budget proposal to find savings through reducing the current Sport & Recreation service offer was put forward. This included the option to fully cease providing leisure services, closure of two pools or reduce the number of leisure sites.

You said and we did

Over 70% of the responses either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the proposals. The option to find savings through reducing the current Sport & Recreation service offer was therefore removed from the final budget proposals set before Budget P&R Committee on 15 February 2023, and taken for final ratification at Budget Council on 27 February 2023.

A Leisure Review was approved as part of the process. This will focus on the transformation of the service over a 5-year period, and include several key themes: energy efficiency measures, service restructures, contracts and commissioning arrangements and sales & marketing.

The budget page is here.