East Riding: Leisure centre opening hours could be reduced

Opening hours at council-run leisure centres in the East Riding of Yorkshire could be scaled back, the portfolio holder in charge of them has said.

Councillor Mike Medini said the authority was doing everything possible to minimise the impact after councils elsewhere had cut leisure services.

He said there were no plans to close leisure centres, but some could close early at times of low demand.

Mr Medini said leisure centres played a vital role in supporting communities.

"I'd like to reassure residents, visitors and businesses that there are no plans to close leisure centres," he said.

"But we are looking at closing some pools a few minutes early late at night when there's very little demand.

"Our approach is to regularly review and we're doing everything we can to reduce the impact on centres."

A full meeting of the council also heard that some serious decisions around spending laid ahead amid mounting financial uncertainty.

Council leader Jonathan Owen said senior councillors were in talks over budgets amid a widening hole in the authority's finances, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Rising energy costs and high pay settlements were among the factors driving up spending as inflation continued to climb and the cost of living crisis deepened, he added.

The authority runs 10 leisure centres across the district, according to its website.

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