Opposition hit out at Tory plans to privatise sport facilities (From Daily Echo)

Opposition hit out at Tory plans to privatise sport facilities

6:00pm Tuesday 1st December 2009

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OPPOSITION councillors last night warned the cost of grassroots sport in Southampton could rise as the full scale of Tory leisure “privatisation" plans was laid bare.

A raft of public notices in last night’s Daily Echo confirmed leases for sports pitches on parks and recreation grounds across the city as well as for the paddling pool at the Common and land around leisure centres were being put up for sale.

It is part of a Tory proposal to hand over the management of Southampton City Council’s loss making leisure facilities to a private operator for 15 years in a bid to give them a brighter future and save the taxpayer cash.

A Labour backed campaign against the proposals had previously focused on the future of the leisure centres.

But Labour’s leisure spokesman councillor Derek Burke said: “People need to wake up and realise it’s not just the leisure centres, it’s the whole of sport and recreation across the city.”

The council wants to dispose of leases for sports pitches at Mayfield Park, Riverside Park, Green Park, Hoglands Parks, and the Veracity, Lordshill and Millbrook recreation grounds. Leases in land at the Alpine Centre, the municipal golf course, Southampton Sports Centre, and Chamberlayne Leisure Centre are also earmarked for disposal.

While the uses of the land would not change Cllr Burke said it meant uncertainly for football, cricket, hockey and other sports clubs and questioned whether the paddling pool would remain free.

“Our fear is the prices will go up. Private operators are not entering into this for the love of sport,”

he said.

Cllr Burke added the only “positive thing” from the Tory proposal was that interested private operators could not cherry pick venues and had to accept them as a package.

Oaklands pool and St Mary’s Leisure centre are not part of the proposed deal and the management of the golf course is being sold separately.

Tory leisure boss Councillor John Hannides said the proposals to get a private firm to manage the council’s sports pitches had has always been in the public domain and would result in increased investment to solve problems such as drainage.

He said future pricing structures were still being considered as part of negotiations with six potential operators ahead of a final decision in March. And he pledged that children would not be charged to use the paddling pool at the Common. The public has until January 7 to object to the lease disposals by writing to the Civic Centre.

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