Shaping Our Future: Options for Manchester's Leisure Facilities

The City Council needs to find £109m of savings this year, rising to £170m next year.

By reading through this document you will see that the City Council's commitment to Sport and Leisure remains as firm as ever.  Local communities across the City are still benefitting from the legacy of the Commonwealth Games, which left the City with international standard facilities like the Manchester Aquatics Centre, the venues at Eastlands and the Velodrome where people can engage at all levels in sporting activity, often alongside national sporting icons. This commitment continues with recent significant investment into the first National Indoor BMX Track and we will continue to work to provide high quality facilities such as North City Family & Fitness Centre and the Wythenshawe Forum for Manchester 's communities, while upholding the City's top class reputation for attracting major sports events.

As part of the review of leisure facilities, we are considering the development of alternative management arrangements at Arcadia Sports Hall in Levenshulme, Ardwick Sports Hall, Ten Acres Leisure Centre in Newton Heath, Debdale Sailing Centre in Gorton South and Rushford Park Football Facility in Longsight. We are seeking expressions of interest from organisations, community groups and the voluntary sector who are prepared to work with us on developing these new arrangements and details on how you can lodge your interest appear later in this document.  We are also working with the Abraham Moss High School in Crumpsall on the development of a school management model for the Abraham Moss Leisure Centre.

The following pages form part of our consultation on the options outlined above. They will describe the services currently delivered, outline these options for savings in more detail and explain the reasoning behind these proposals. We are using this opportunity to take a fresh look at these leisure facilities and consider new, more flexible ways to deliver what they offer and ensure their future in the longer term.

In the recent past Leisure Services has made best use of its resources to provide leisure facilities by forging relationships with funders and partners to provide both informal leisure opportunities and programmed activities in all our neighbourhoods. This partnership approach will continue and strengthen over the coming months as we strive to meet the challenges ahead, while continuing to provide quality local facilities for our communities.

Please do take the time to read this document and if you want to share your views with us or express your interest in the development of the alternative management arrangements, then details on how to do this appear on the back page.

Eamonn O'Rourke Head of Leisure Services