£700k council bailout for struggling leisure trust

HYNDBURN

- BY BILL JACOBS Local Democracy Reporting Service

Hyndburn Leisure Centre and, left, Cllr Melissa Fisher

Council is to pay £700,000 to the borough's leisure trust to bail it out for 2025/26.‘The authority's cabinet authorised the grant - down from the previous year's £1million - when it met last Wednesday.

Deputy leader Cllr Melissa Fisher said the money was needed to ensure the continuation of good leisure provision in the borough.

She forecast that the subsidy to Hyndburn Leisure would fall to £350,000 in 2027/28.

Cllr Fisher told the meeting: “From its inception until 2021/22, the council paid an annual grant to Hyndburn Leisure to support its operating costs and the provision of pay and play sport and recreational facilities in the borough.

“In 2008/09, Hyndburn Leisure received £1.2m in grant funding from the council.