Controversial proposals to temporarily close a handful of Powys leisure centres until the end of the financial year have been approved by Cabinet.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Cabinet today (Tuesday) councillors agreed to the temporarily close the leisure centre building in Llanfair Caereinion, Llanfyllin and Presteigne to the public and to temporarily close the swimming pools to both public and schools in Llanidloes, Rhayader and Builth Wells from December 23 to March 31, 2023.

Freedom Leisure the firm who run the leisure facilities on behalf of the council proposed the changes as a measure to plug a predicted £287,000 loss on its contract with Powys this financial year.

This is due to the escalating cost of energy.

As part of the decision the cabinet will also start the process to review leisure service provision in Powys.

This is because it is predicted that Freedom Leisure will need an extra £1.1million next year from the council to run leisure services as they are.

Cabinet member for economic development and leisure, Cllr David Selby said: “I introduce this paper to cabinet with regret and a degree of anger.

“We face a financial crisis not of our own making, councils throughout the country are having to take decision about much loved services.

“We’re being forced into it.

“The UK Government has created the unstable financial market and has not reacted to the energy crisis.

“The whole of the leisure sector throughout the UK has been affected.

“We have seen throughout the energy crisis the inability of the Conservative Government to deal with the consequences of its actions and instead pass the buck to us as councils to make really difficult decisions.

“None of the decisions are easy or popular, but they need to be taken.”

He added that Freedom Leisure have been taking measures to try and bring down their utility bills but they “aren’t enough.”

Deputy council leader, Cllr Matthew Dorrance said: “None of us want to see reduction of local services, but it is the reality of the decision made by the UK Government to end energy support for council funded and public sector organisations like schools, leisure centres, care homes, community centres and libraries.

“They made that decision despite there being a £100 million need in Wales to address a 285 per cent hike in energy costs.”

“It is a mistake.”

Education portfolio holder, Cllr Pete Roberts said: “I’m hearing lots of people saying can we defer and push this back, time frames would mean it would be the middle of January before we take a decision.”

He asked how much would delaying the decision cost Freedom Leisure?

Head of finance, Jane Thomas said: “Freedom Leisure are responsible for the financial element of the contract, these are proposals they have carefully considered to mitigate the financial pressures that they are under in delivering that contract.”

“Delay would make the situation worse.”

Director of economy and environment, Nigel Brinn said: “Our subsidy overall is about £2.5 million a year.”

He believed that a month’s delay could cost about £200,000.

The cabinet went ahead and unanimously voted in favour of the temporary closures.