Dudley council proposes leisure centre overhaul
Three leisure centres could be closed in the borough of Dudley and replaced by two new facilities, as part of proposals being put forward by the local authority.
Bosses at Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council have been working with Sport England on plans, which could help the authority save £1.75million.
The council is looking to save a total of £25m from its budget over the next three years. Leisure centres have been highlighted in a budget report as needing to save £338,000 in 2017/18.
A report is due to go to the council’s cabinet next month outlining proposals, which include two new leisure centres with swimming pools, badminton courts, gyms, studios and changing facilities.
The three current leisure centres in Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge are in need of repair and investment of more than £2m. Dudley and Halesowen were both built more than 40 years ago, while Crystal Leisure Centre in Stourbridge dates back to the early 90s. Despite funding they are all struggling to compete with new modern facilities.
The three centres are in need of repair, including £500,000 for a new air handling unit at Halesowen and a further £500,000 on a new roof at Dudley. Crystal Leisure Centre also needs a new boiler, which is expected to cost around £50,000.
There are 1.2 million visits to the three facilities each year, which generates £2.87m for the authority – with the council covering a £1.9m deficit to keep the centres open. Membership across the three sites is 4,400.
Under the proposals all three would be closed once the two new leisure centres are built.
Council bosses are asking cabinet for permission to draw up details for the sites, including where they could be built, how they would be operated and funded.
Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, cabinet member responsible for leisure, said: “Staff work hard to keep our current stock of leisure centres going but they face an uphill struggle to compete against privately-run facilities and spiralling maintenance costs.
“Many of our facilities, although well attended, will not survive many more years in their current format and we have to look at reshaping how we do things to make them accessible, affordable and competitive.”
The report will go to cabinet on December 14.
Council leisure centre plans Sport EnglandDudley Council approves £10.1m revamp of Castle Hill
Dudley Council shares vision for Castle Hill
Dudley pool reopens 'earlier than planned'
Work starts on Dudley pool demolition
Council to consider new leisure facilities
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Creating the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York involved meticulous planning. Its director Alice Greenwald tells us more
Bionic leaves, breathable metals and selfgrowing bricks... Biomimicry in architecture has come a long way. Christopher DeWolf takes a look at the latest advances