£105m To Be Invested In Leisure Facilities

Belfast City Council is planning a major renewal of its leisure facilities with a £105 million investment during the next 10 years.

The plan includes a target of reducing its current £8 million annual subsidy of leisure services by £2 million with the aim of delivering high quality, value for money, 'best in class' leisure services for Belfast.

The council's Strategic Policy and Resources Committee today recommended that this could be best achieved by introducing a Leisure Trust operating model known as a Non Profit Distributing Organisation (NPDO).

The £2 million saving will then be used to part finance the investment in the new facilities. Any profits achieved by the NPDO will be re-invested in improving leisure services.

The committee ruled out both outsourcing leisure to the private sector, and an enhanced in-house model. The decision to go for the Leisure Trust option is subject to ratification at the council’s monthly meeting on 3 March.

Alderman Gavin Robinson, chairman of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, said: "Nowhere in the UK, Republic of Ireland or Europe is any local authority making a capital investment of £105 million in its leisure services.

"And this is in addition to the council’s £150 million Investment Programme for 2012-2015, which sees the council investing in major and local projects and creating job opportunities – taking total investment in the city to around £255 million.

"A Belfast Leisure Trust will not only secure the jobs, basic terms and conditions ,and pensions of existing employees, but will be a good employer for anyone joining the Trust in the future.

"Sustaining the business is key to protecting existing jobs, providing career development opportunities, and enabling the creation of new jobs and apprenticeships. Currently we have professional, passionate people watching on as customers take their business elsewhere due to poor facilities.

"Elected members and senior managers are committed to being open and transparent with the trade unions and employees throughout this process, and we are confident that this major investment will improve leisure services and benefit employees and, most importantly, the ratepayers of Belfast."

(CD/MH)