Cheshire East’s leisure services under threat

In a bid to reduce Cheshire East’s massive debts proposals are being considered to drastically reduce the councils financial exposure in leisure services.

A report to be presented on 11 March will consider a number of options including financial contributions from town and parish councils with leisure services in their areas. This could involve seeking a repayment of a portion of the parish/town council’s precepts or a retention of proportion of these funds.

Additional cost cuttings will be sought through reducing concessions (pensioners, benefits recipients, etc) from 25% to 20%, and even handing over the council’s involvement completely in Middlewich and Holmes Chapel to two local high schools that currently share the facilities.

Even school meal services are under threat.

Councillor Mick Warren, chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said: “The council receives no permanent income stream from leisure services. 

“But the council is responsible for paying building maintenance and utilities costs – which are rising drastically – and it also invests in leisure services through the payment of an annual management fee.

“We must now look at how we can do things differently and focus the budget we do have available to us on where it will have the biggest impact, for the most people. 

“The proposals we are putting forward will ensure that leisure services can become more financially sustainable for the medium to longer-term, and that we can also continue to provide leisure centres that are modern and well-equipped.”

The report to committee also seeks approval to delegate authority to enter into ‘top up’ funding agreements with town and parish councils to safeguard leisure services in their local area. 

A further report that will set out the progress in delivering the required MTFS saving for 2024/25 and outlines further proposals in order to deliver a balanced budget is expected to be presented to committee later in the year.

To read the full agenda for 11 March’s environment and communities committee, visit: Agenda for Environment and Communities Committee on Monday, 11th March, 2024,