Council strengthens its partnership with leisure provider

The Council’s Cabinet agreed to remove mutual break clauses in the contract that the Council has with GLL to run its leisure centres, with the leases now running until 31 October 2039. Both sides could previously have opted to terminate the leases on 31 October 2028.

It means GLL, which operates under the Better brand, will continue to run the Link Centre, Croft Leisure Centre, Delta Tennis Centre, Dorcan Recreation Centre, Haydon Wick Leisure Centre and the Health Hydro for a number of years to come.

Councillors also approved the allocation of additional funding to invest in two of the Borough’s major leisure facilities. A sum of £115,000 will be spent on the ongoing refurbishment of the Health Hydro, while an extra £1.3m will go towards a larger package of improvements being made by GLL at the Link Centre.

Working with GLL, the Council has already funded the replacement of the Link Centre’s ice rink which was damaged by flooding last September at a cost of £375,000.

This has significantly reduced electricity consumption and, therefore energy costs, as well as lowering Carbon emissions as part of efforts by GLL to reduce its impact on the environment.

Removing the break clauses will provide GLL with long-term certainty and the confidence to continue to invest in the fabric of the buildings it operates.

The Council is looking to work even closer with GLL as a not-for-profit charitable social enterprise, whose values align with the local authority’s mission to build a fairer Swindon.

The leisure provider has launched a range of initiatives to benefit local residents such as a free Residents’ Card, which provides a membership with 10 per cent off activities and a Pay as you Go concessionary membership card.

GLL has also introduced a ‘Kids in Care’ membership after working in partnership with the Council’s Public Health and Care Experienced teams. This provides children in care with a free membership, while young adults aged up to 25 who have been in care can also access a special membership of their own.

In addition, GLL has delivered water safety sessions to more than 9,000 primary school children over the past 12 months and a subsidised membership for children at risk of substance misuse and offending has been established through working with Wiltshire Police and the Council’s Children’s Services team.

Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Placemaking and Planning, said: “We’ve been working really closely with GLL since last year on a number of social value initiatives to benefit local residents.

“We were therefore really keen to solidify that partnership by removing the break-clauses in the leases for our six leisure centres, which will allow GLL to invest with confidence in the facilities it operates.

“GLL has really stepped up to support some of our most vulnerable residents at a time when people are finding it tough with the cost of living crisis. We look forward to continuing our work with them to build a fairer Swindon over the coming years.”

Barnaby Rich, GLL Partnership Manager for Swindon, said: “Not only does this give us the certainty that will enable us to plan for and invest in the long-term future of Swindon’s leisure centres, it also demonstrates our commitment to the town, its leisure facilities and the local community.”