Lib Dem plan to protect leisure clubs is blocked by the Conservatives

The Lib Dem proposal was an amendment to the District Council's contract variation with Freedom Leisure, the company running the Council's leisure centres, at Monday night's Full Council meeting. The contract variation gives Freedom Leisure a bailout of £349,000 to help with high energy costs but did not include any protections for community clubs which were threatened with eviction by Freedom Leisure.

A u-turn was announced on the same day as the bailout was to be agreed with all swimming clubs being allowed to continue under their current arrangements, except for Lymington Swimming Club. The u-turn came too late for Lymington Swimming Club which has folded. This debacle spurred Lib Dem Councillor, Caroline Rackham, to submit this amendment to try and protect our community clubs. The amendment was seconded by Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Cllr Malcolm Wade.

Cllr Caroline Rackham, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for New Forest East, introduced the amendment:

"That this Council decided to go ahead and do that [out-sourcing the running of the leisuire centres to Freedom Leisure] and is now paying the cost for it, I think deserves some kind of protection for our community groups.

"We have no idea whether the situation with the energy companies who are making massive profits will continue or how long that's going to go on for. We need some certainty for the services that we are providing for our community groups."

All Conservative Councillors present voted to go ahead with the bailout despite no protections being in place for community clubs. All Liberal Democrat Councillors voted against.