Maldwyn Leisure Centre safe as investment programme confirmed

Powys County Council has approved a £6 million investment programme for leisure centres across the county – but the money will cover only part of the maintenance backlog facing the ageing estate.

Cabinet members backed the four-year programme on Tuesday, July 14, alongside plans to complete energy-saving work estimated to cost a further £500,000 to £650,000.

The additional energy investment will depend on grant funding and other resources being available.

Known as Option C, the approved programme is the most extensive of three interim investment choices considered by councillors. It covers essential maintenance, health and safety measures, legal compliance, improvements and replacement equipment across the council’s leisure estate.

However, no breakdown has yet been published showing how much each centre will receive or which projects will be completed first.

The decision includes Maldwyn Leisure Centre in Newtown and means there are no immediate proposals to close any of the county’s leisure centres.

It does not guarantee that every facility will remain open after the council’s present operating contract expires in 2030. A separate review will examine the long-term size, shape and management of leisure provision in Powys.

Council surveys have estimated that approximately £16.8 million will be needed over ten years for basic repairs across the estate. Fully modernising the buildings and bringing them close to net-zero standards could cost up to £84 million.

The £6 million programme will therefore address priority work rather than the estate’s entire long-term requirement.

Councillor Raiff Devlin, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Digital and Community Wellbeing, said: “This represents a significant investment in leisure services across Powys.

“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.”

The council says around £2.5 million has already been invested in its facilities since 2024. Earlier energy projects, including solar panels, modern heating controls and LED lighting, reduced gas and electricity consumption across the estate by close to 10 per cent after investment of just over £1 million.

Tuesday’s decision follows a recommendation from the Economy, Residents and Communities Scrutiny Committee, which supported Option C.

It comes after several years of uncertainty surrounding leisure services. Rising energy prices led to temporary winter closures and reduced provision at a number of Powys facilities in 2022.

In 2024, councillors were presented with options ranging from retaining all centres to concentrating services in five principal towns – Newtown, Welshpool, Llandrindod Wells, Brecon and Ystradgynlais – or transferring more facilities to schools, communities and commercial operators.

One proposal would have closed four swimming pools and left other centres dependent on successful transfers. Cabinet postponed the planned consultation after scrutiny councillors criticised gaps in the evidence, including information about health consequences, school use and access for vulnerable residents.

The current programme replaces those immediate proposals with investment across all sites, but the broader debate about what Powys can afford has not ended.

Freedom Leisure operates the facilities on the council’s behalf under a contract running until June 30, 2030. The service records around two million visits and activity participations a year.

A renewed review will now develop an “Active Powys” model ahead of the contract being retendered. It will consider not only conventional leisure centres but also school facilities, community activities, health partnerships and alternative ways of operating services.

Local engagement is expected to begin in autumn 2026, followed by the development of options and a public consultation. Final decisions are expected from 2028, with a new contract and operating model due to begin in July 2030.

A cross-party Leisure Review Group will oversee the process, while officers have also been asked to assemble evidence showing whether investment in physical activity can reduce pressure on health and social care services.