Ards and North Down: Council delays decision on leisure services

Ards and North Down councillors have voted to delay a decision on whether to outsource more of its leisure services.

At a meeting in Bangor, all 36 councillors in the chamber supported the motion to take more time to consider the issue.

It was brought to the council by the Green Party's Rachel Woods.

More than 200 protesters outside the council building urged politicians to ditch the idea of outsourcing leisure facilities.

Instead, councillors opted to give themselves more time to look into different options which would affect leisure facilities in Ards, Comber and Portaferry.

It could be the middle of next year before any final decision is taken.

Protestors from GMB and NIPSA unions are opposed to any changes to leisure centres.

The unions claim that the move, if approved, would lead to an increase in prices and a drop in the quality of facilities.

One of the placards carried by a protester had the slogan 'DUP Don't Underestimate People'.

The DUP is the largest party on the 40-strong council.

Others carried NIPSA and GMB trade union flags and posters.

"There's a lot of anger, there's a lot of anxiety," said Alan Perry of the GMB union, which represents some of the council leisure workers in the area.

"There's a lot of uncertainty around what may happen and our members are clearly asking for a definite position from the council as soon as possible.

"We believe leisure services should be kept in-house."

Leisure services at most councils in Northern Ireland are run by in-house operators, but facilities in Belfast have been outsourced and some services in the Ards and North Down Council area were outsourced a decade ago.

There is now a proposal to extend the scheme in Ards and North Down.

The outsourced services are delivered in Bangor and Holywood by the firm Serco and its operating partner Northern Community Leisure Trust (NCLT).

They have now offered to take on other leisure services across the council area.

Newtownards, Portaferry and Comber leisure services are currently run 'in-house" but the council said it is exploring other options and that it was first approached by NCLT in August about possible expansion.

"The council cannot address operational queries, for example pricing, opening hours and staffing as these will not be confirmed until the final detailed proposal is received. We appreciate that this is causing frustration to both leisure centre users and staff," it said.

"Whatever the model of management moving forward, the council remains committed to ensuring residents across the entire borough have access to high-quality leisure facilities and services that deliver better health and well-being benefits and enhance quality of life."

Trade unions have insisted there is no need to change leisure management in the area.

Kevin Kelly from Nipsa, another trade union that represents workers, said: "Leisure services are subsidised by the council ratepayers who now face a double whammy with huge price hikes facing users of gyms and swims.

"The politicians and council management must listen to both the concerns of the workforce and the public who rely on these vital services."

A spokesperson for NCLT told the Newtownards Chronicle: "Due to the confidentiality of the process and the fact it is in the very early stages, the trust/Serco Leisure would not be in a position to comment at this moment in time."

All Belfast City Council leisure centres are operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL).

On its website, the council says: "GLL is a charitable social enterprise that reinvests all profits back into the centres that it operates".

As for NCLT, Ards and North Down Council say "it is a trust, formed in 2010 to provide leisure and recreation services for the benefit of the community".

A spokesperson added: "The facilities or assets that it manages for council remain in council ownership - this is not a privatisation model."