Council hoping to boost users at leisure facilities

Council hoping to boost users at leisure facilities

5 October 2016

NEWRY, Mourne and Down Council is hoping to increase its 1.3 million visitors a year to its indoor leisure facilities to 1.9 million.

It also hopes save £0.61m per year by 2020/21 on the cost of running the service.

Recommendations include an immediate review of ICT and the use of modern infrastructure across indoor 

leisure, as well as enhanced staff training. The council is also to consider a change of use for some sports halls to increase participation levels and increase the size of their swim lessons programme.

Recommendations in the council’s Indoor Leisures Business Plan Update, presented to a council committee meeting last week, also suggested a potential price hike in the leisure centres’ concession fees.

A simplification of the membership pricing structure is to be considered along with “innovative pricing strategies” and a consideration of “options regarding over 60s”.

“There would be further opportunities if the council wished to review its less abled scheme per annum charges,” the report reads.

Means tested applications for concession pricing are among the options.

Newcastle is noted as an area where there are opportunities for income generation. 

“There will be the need for additional water space in the future and this should be considered as part of the Newcastle Centre future development,” the report reads.

Councillor Cadogan Enright said they could save a considerable amount of money by using renewable energy in their centres.

A Newry Mourne and Down Sports Facility Strategy report also presented to council noted the need for athletics facilities in and around Downpatrick/Newcastle.

A consultation identified that the district could benefit from enhanced yachting and wet sport facilities at various harbours but specifically Annalong, Newcastle and Dundrum.

Other proposed future developments for the district include sports hubs for the individual District Electoral Areas and the development of an iconic coastal path for safe and accessible walking.