A sustainable future for the Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre in Shrewsbury

To ensure a sustainable future for the Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre in Shrewsbury, Shropshire Council is proposing a bold new approach to its management.

A proposal that the council will work with a new external partner to manage the leisure centre will be considered by Shropshire Council’s Cabinet on 3 August 2011.

If approved, the centre will sit alongside four other leisure centres across the county (Market Drayton Swimming Centre, Oswestry Leisure Centre, Whitchurch Swimming Centre and Shrewsbury Sports Village and Indoor Bowls Hall) that will be managed by a new leisure partner in the future. This will contribute to the council’s new approach to protecting vital local services while offering better value for money for local taxpayers.

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for health and well-being, said:

“The Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre is an important and fantastic facility which has enormous potential. This approach will support the ongoing delivery of excellent services for the people of Shrewsbury and beyond, while ensuring that it will continue to be available for use by local people, despite other budget pressures.”

The council will shortly begin the process to advertise the facilities on the open market and new running arrangements could be in place by as early as June 2012.

The recommendation to work with a new operator to manage the four leisure centres was approved by the council’s Cabinet on 16 March 2011.  The school governors at Bridgnorth Endowed School are currently considering whether Bridgnorth Leisure Centre should also form part of these new arrangements.

These changes follow an objective, external review of how the council’s leisure services could be redesigned to provide better value for money and an improved experience for the local people who use them.