THE campaign to stop the privatisation of leisure centres in Newtownards, Comber and Portaferry has won a major backer.
Strangford MP Jim Shannon has come out against the outsourcing of leisure services in Ards as councillors on Ards and North Down Council prepare for a major debate next month.
Mr Shannon said this week that it is ‘essential’ that the ‘loyal and hardworking staff’ at Ards Blair Mayne Leisure Centre, Comber Leisure Centre and Portaferry Sports Centre are retained ‘in house’ and not outsourced to a private company.
All leisure services provided in the former Ards Borough Council area are currently provided by the council. However, all leisure services in the former North Down Borough Council area, including the giant Aurora leisure complex and Queen’s Sports Centre in Holywood, are outsourced to a private firm.
A huge lobbying campaign has been launched by trade unions, customers of the leisure centres and staff in a bid to prevent the council opting for a blanket privatisation of all leisure services.
Councillors will meet on September 18 to decide the future of leisure services in the borough. Among the options being put before the politicians are:
- Full privatisation of all leisure services.
- Bringing all leisure services back under the control of the council – including those in North Down.
- Maintaining the current hybrid model.
- Setting up a Local Authority Trading Company which is owned and controlled by the council but operates commercially outside the council’s direct structure.
Leisure Services within North Down are currently outsourced to the Northern Community Leisure Trust and its managing partner SERCO. Its contract with the council expires in 2028 but if the council was to decide to outsource the Ards leisure services it would take several years to negotiate, meaning a decision is needed soon.
Mr Shannon’s intervention is viewed as highly significant and the Chronicle understands the DUP within the council are split. DUP councillors from the greater Ards area are expected to vote overwhelmingly to retain leisure services in house while DUP politicians from the North Down area are believed to favour privatisation.
Speaking for the first time publicly on the issue, Mr Shannon gave his backing to the campaign to retain leisure services within the local authority.
“I am aware of the workshops that have taken place and that the councillors will shortly be discussing the future of leisure centres, such as Ards Blair Mayne, at a council meeting,” he said.
“It is essential that the loyal and hardworking staff, and the inhouse structure of leisure services is retained in this case,” added Mr Shannon.
“Their success is due to working relationships within the current system and nothing should alter that without an exceptional reason.
“There have been difficulties with SERCO in the past and it must be looked at as to how these challenges could potentially impact a take over of the local leisure centres which are currently under ownership of the council.”
He added: “Let’s do our best to retain what is already working and ensure jobs are protected throughout the borough.”
