FOUR of Cornwall’s leisure centres could face closure unless new funding can be provided for them.

Centres in Falmouth, Launceston, Saltash and Wadebridge are all under threat under proposals being considered by Cornwall Council, according to reports. Several Cornwall councillors have expressed concerns about the plans and said on Facebook that they were expecting to get details next week.

The future of the leisure centres are said to be the subject of high-level meetings of the council’s Cabinet as it considers its budget plans for the coming year.

All four leisure centres are currently run by GLL, under the identity of Better, as part of a major outsourcing contract agreed by the council in a bid to reduce the amount of money it spends on leisure services.

But with leisure centre incomes having been hit hard by their forced closure during the COVID-19 pandemic it has been increasingly difficult to balance their budgets.

GLL was provided with £4-million from the council to help cover its costs and ensure that leisure centres in Cornwall could reopen when restrictions were eased. That money was said to be a loan which would have to be repaid.

Cornwall Council has not denied that leisure centres could close but said that public consultation about the future of leisure services would start next week.

One of the measures which is understood to be considered would be to merge some services –— such as those in Bodmin and Wadebridge.

Provision of leisure services is not a statutory requirement for local councils and so can often be seen as an easy way to cut expenditure.

However any closures are likely to face opposition from people in the towns affected, especially as it would mean the end of facilities such as swimming pools which are used to provide swimming lessons for schools and clubs.

In response to the news Adam Paynter, Cornwall Councillor for Launceston North and North Petherwin, told the Post: “I am very disappointed that the first real action of the new conservative administration in Cornwall is to start closing leisure centres. I will be fighting to see that the Launceston Leisure Centre stays open and part of the Cornwall wide leisure service."• See next week’s Post for more local comments and details.