Preston City Council are bringing in consultants to look at the city’s leisure offer in conjunction with Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) who run West View and Fulwood leisure centres and operate under the brand ‘Better’.

On 11 March, the cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing approved the contribution of £5,000 from the Residual Leisure revenue budget to enable GLL to appoint consultants who are creating a feasibility study on how to improve Preston’s leisure centres by examining current leisure assets.

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Partners GLL and UCLan are also contributing £5,000 each, making the total cost of the feasibility study £15,000. The proposed scheme supports the delivery of the Council’s Your City corporate priority, and the Central Lancashire Play, Pitch and Open Spaces Strategy.

Preston City Council transferred its two leisure facilities to Better in May 2017.

Read more: Preston leisure centres now have a new owner

During the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, West View and Fulwood leisure centres had to close to the public because of restrictions. West View in Ribbleton was closed for 18 months and only reopened in September 2021.

This is said to have led to a decline in the internal and external works with major investment required just to get the basic facilities back up and running again.

In 2021, locals complained to Blog Preston about changed costs and services at West View Leisure Centre after its relaunch.

Read more: Anger as West View Leisure Centre reopens with ‘unaffordable’ prices and no small pool

The study, which came into effect from 19 March, aims to look at current leisure stock, a vision for future leisure facilities and potential future opportunities within the city.

The impact statement reveals: “Without the feasibility study there will be no independent factual evidence to present to strategic leads, decision makers or potential funding bodies to demonstrate the current situation and future options.”

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