The model of non-council involvement in leisure centres has worked very well elsewhere. Standards have gone up and prices have come down. Something to do with wasteful management practices I think. If any one is near Stansted Airport have a look at the one in Stansted Mountfitchet (Uttlesford District Council area); or South Norfolk D.C have done likewise. Debighshire CC have gone down the route of community trusts.

There have been business failures when centres have been floated off. This may be due to the TUPE requirements. The demolition option would ensure that redundancy liabilities remain with WMBC and this would assist in a viable future.

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Writing from France (from Drancy,Willenhall’s twin town-though the twinning seems a bit pale too at present) this looks a huge joke.London did everything possible and impossible to get the Olympic Games instead of Paris.On the ground England is becoming progressively incapable of providing basic facilities anymore.It is also running into immense difficulties over financing the games.
It is farcical to hear cf Dudley saying that one of their very major priorities is to cut obesity.I repeat poorer people cannot pay private prices or subscriptions.
It is also farcical to have young and old not paying at all : no wonder the finances are up the creek.Here I can still be fat and swim !
On the other hand I can find nobody to stand guarantee for a new lease,because it has to be someone living in France-potential residents here be warned.

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OK, demolishing sounds good. A minority use the centres, a private firm or charity could set up a new facility if there was sufficient need for it. And as has been pointed out, that would remove the need for anyone taking over to pay attention to TUPE, which can be expensive.

I suppose the question comes down to – which frontline services do people want to have cut to keep leisure centres open? Councils need to cut costs, shutting facilities is one way.

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Why are people willing to sit back and say this is Ok! We’re all so apatheic in Walsall it makes me sick. What is the point of electing councillors if they are not going to look after anything. All the residents in Walsall are surrounded by water, but where will our kids learn to swim safely if there are no leisure centres for them to use.

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