Councils told to support leisure operators which are 'falling between the cracks'
Local authorities have been told to consider deferring rents and offering interest-free loans to leisure operators which are struggling with the COVID-19 shutdowns.
The Local Government Association (LGA) is advising councils to help their leisure partners during the pandemic, to avoid "long-term damage" to the services they provide.
"Leisure facilities provide vital health, leisure and wellbeing services to local communities and will be a key re-engagement service for those communities post the COVID-19 pandemic," the LGA said in a statement.
"However, leisure providers are currently falling between the cracks of most announced support packages. Leisure trusts are most at risk because they are charities, societies or community interest companies (with a public benefit asset lock) and as such do not distribute profits."
The LGA has published a comprehensive guide, titled Options for councils in supporting leisure providers through COVID-19, which outlines a number of measures local councils can introduce to assist leisure contractors and operators.
These include waiving the money that leisure providers are due to pay the council on a monthly basis and offering interest-free loans or grants to cover the closure period – as well as concessions on future measures, when allowed to re-open.
The guide also suggests that councils should defer any rental costs for the sites they operate on and for authorities to pay the costs related to maintenance, utilities and a proportion of central overheads – subject to an "open book reconciliation" being undertaken to determine the actual cost when the centres re-open.
"It is clear the services delivered by leisure providers play a vital role in this both now and in the future," LGA states in the guidance.
"We would encourage councils to consider the long-term implications of these unprecedented times on the culture and leisure sector as a whole and consider how we can best stand together to ensure the resilience of these facilities for our residents."
The LGA worked with industry body ukactive in pulling the guidance together.
“Partnerships between local authorities and their leisure operators have never been more important, with each facing huge financial pressures as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic," said Steven Scales, ukactive's client services director.
“Let there be no doubt; every city and town is facing the loss of vital community leisure facilities which are crucial for the physical, mental and social health of their residents. Our leisure centres are the places where our children learn to swim, our communities gather to meet, and our family and friends recover from injury or illness – we cannot let them disappear.
“ukactive is pleased to be working in partnership with the LGA and Community Leisure UK to develop this guidance so that councils across the country are armed with the best possible information to support the important negotiations taking place with leisure operators. While the details will differ, our ambition is for a partnership-focused approach to be adopted consistently.
“We encourage local authorities to consider the long-term impact of cuts to the leisure sector, and to stand together with our operators to ensure the future of the leisure facilities that our communities rely on.”
Local Government Association LGA COVID-19 ukactiveRevealed: the key policies needed to reopen UK gyms and health clubs
Sports minister says government is engaging with gyms and PTs via Sport England during lockdown
FEATURE: Coronavirus – A new future
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
