£6m investment agreed for leisure centres as council rules out immediate closures

Nation.Cymru staff

A council has approved a £6 million investment programme for its leisure centres, while confirming there are no immediate plans to close any facilities.

Powys County Council’s cabinet backed the four-year capital programme on Monday, alongside plans for a further £500,000 to £650,000 of energy efficiency improvements, subject to grant funding and available resources.

The money will be used for essential maintenance, repairs, compliance work and improvements across the county’s leisure estate after councillors approved the preferred option for an interim investment programme.

The authority said investing across all of its leisure centres would help it meet its legal responsibilities as landlord while tackling a backlog of maintenance and replacement work.

The decision follows support for the proposals from the council’s Economy, Residents and Communities Scrutiny Committee.

Cabinet member for customer services, digital and community wellbeing, Cllr Raiff Devlin, said the investment would improve facilities while helping reduce running costs.

“This represents a significant investment in leisure services across Powys,” he said.

“The £6 million capital programme will help address essential maintenance needs and improve facilities, while additional investment in energy efficiency measures will help reduce operating costs.

“Leisure centres play an important role in supporting healthy lifestyles, wellbeing and community connections. This decision demonstrates our commitment to maintaining access to these important facilities while planning responsibly for the future. The decision means there are no immediate plans to close leisure centres.”

Alongside the investment programme, the cabinet also agreed to begin a fresh review of leisure services ahead of the re-tendering of the council’s leisure contract in 2030.

The review will examine how leisure services are provided across Powys, including community-based activities, school facilities and partnership opportunities, with the aim of developing a new “Active Powys” model.

The council said the review would include updated data on leisure provision, community engagement from autumn 2026, consideration of alternative operating models and continued collaboration with health, social care, schools and the voluntary sector.

A cross-party Leisure Review Group will oversee the process, which is intended to inform the future delivery of leisure services while supporting healthier and more active communities across the county.