Scrutinising the £150k Leisure Centre Target: Will Erdington Pay the Price?

As part of its ongoing financial recovery plan, Birmingham City Council has approved a new savings target that will squeeze our local leisure facilities. The council is demanding a £150,000 return from its contract with the Birmingham Community Leisure Trust (BCLT) for the 2025/26 financial year.

What's happened

According to the latest council minutes and the accompanying Equality Impact Assessment (EIA000995), the council has approved a £150,000 savings target derived from a surplus share agreement with BCLT. Because the surplus is shared 50:50, BCLT must exceed its contractually approved management fee level by £300,000 to hit this target. Crucially, the council's own documents admit that to achieve this, BCLT may need to implement measures including reducing opening hours, removing the cap on maximum pricing charges, cutting Passport to Leisure discounts on swimming lessons, or even closing facilities.

What it means for Erdington and Pype Hayes

For residents in Erdington and Pype Hayes, this target is not just a line on a spreadsheet. It means the leisure centres you rely on to stay fit, teach your children to swim, and maintain your mental health are now under immense pressure to generate extra cash. If BCLT removes the pricing cap or cuts the Passport to Leisure discount, our most vulnerable families will be priced out of basic exercise. Reduced opening hours will hit working people who can only visit early in the morning or late at night.

Where I stand

I understand that Birmingham City Council is in a dire financial situation and that the Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Chris Garghan, has a duty to balance the books. It is entirely fair to look at all contracts for efficiencies. However, treating community leisure centres as cash cows is a false economy. Pushing up the cost of swimming lessons and gym access will inevitably reduce participation, leading to poorer health outcomes in wards like ours that already face significant health inequalities. As your Reform UK councillor, I believe we must protect frontline health and wellbeing services from being hollowed out to pay for the council's past financial mismanagement.

What happens next

The £150,000 target applies to the 2025/26 financial year. BCLT is currently drawing up its specific proposals to generate this surplus. My office will be monitoring these proposals closely, particularly any changes to pricing structures or opening hours at facilities serving Erdington and Pype Hayes. We will challenge any cuts that disproportionately impact our residents.

Questions we're asking

As the Reform UK opposition, I am putting these specific questions to the decision-maker on residents' behalf:

• To Cllr Chris Garghan (Finance): Given that EIA000995 explicitly lists the removal of pricing caps and reductions in Passport to Leisure discounts as potential measures, what guarantees can you provide that low-income families in Erdington will not be priced out of swimming lessons to fund this £150,000 target?
• To Cllr Chris Garghan (Finance): If BCLT fails to generate the £300,000 over-performance required to deliver the council's £150,000 share, where exactly in the 2025/26 budget will the shortfall be found?
• To Cllr Chris Garghan (Finance): Has a full cost-benefit analysis been conducted to weigh the £150,000 financial gain against the potential long-term public health costs of reduced leisure centre participation in Birmingham?
• To Cllr Chris Garghan (Finance): Will you commit to a public consultation before any facility closures or reductions in opening hours are signed off under this surplus generation plan?

Have your say

Do you think our leisure centres should be squeezed to balance the council's budget? Register on the site to leave a comment below, vote in our ward forum poll, and let me know if you would support a petition to protect our local leisure services from price hikes and reduced hours.

Source: Birmingham City Council Minutes