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# Councillor seeking reassurances over Burntwood Leisure Centre after plans are unveiled to end agreement with operator
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/councillor-seeking-reassurances-over-burntwood-leisure-centre-after-plans-are-unveiled-to-end-agreement-with-operator/
- Published: 2023-01-27T08:10:00.000Z
- Updated: 2023-01-27T10:46:49.000Z
- Description: A councillor says assurances are needed over the future of services at Burntwood Leisure Centre.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Burntwood, Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 19:07, News

A councillor says assurances are needed over the future of services at Burntwood Leisure Centre.

Lichfield District Council has drawn up [plans to end an agreement](https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/lichfields-local-independent-news-publisher/) with operator Freedom Leisure to run the facility as well as Friary Grange Leisure Centre.

It comes after the not-for-profit organisation warned of the ongoing impact soaring energy costs which had seen the closure of pools in Milton Keynes and East Sussex last year.

Cllr Steve Norman, leader of the Labour opposition group at Lichfield District Council, said the news of the plan to end the agreement with the operator had not come as a surprise.

> “Clearly help from the Government is needed – after all it has a health and wellbeing strategy I think and has just given millions of pounds in Levelling Up funding in the country for leisure centres – albeit not in Lichfield.   
>  
> “Now Burntwood’s leisure facility is affected, Cllr Mike Wilcox, chair of the district council’s overview and scrutiny committee, and I as vice chair will be meeting with the council’s chief executive next week to seek reassurances on the way forward that does not impact on the service for residents in the Burntwood area.”   
>  
> Cllr Steve Norman, Lichfield District Council

Freedom Leisure’s CEO [said earlier this month](https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/operator-of-leisure-centres-in-lichfield-and-burntwood-warns-difficult-decisions-may-need-to-be-taken-without-help-to-cover-rising-energy-bills/) that the decision not to include leisure centres on a list of industries due to receive enhanced support from the Government to cope with rising energy bills meant “difficult decisions” would need to be made.”

> “Public sector leisure is one of the most exposed sectors because we are a very intensive user of utilities with energy costs a very large proportion of our overall costs particularly in centres with swimming pools.  
>  
> “If this situation remains as is, there is a real risk of more not-for-profit trusts – such as ourselves – taking difficult decisions to close more facilities and services which will have a long-term, detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of the nation as well as increasing the pressure on our already overstretched NHS.”  
>  
> Ivan Horsfall Turner, Freedom Leisure

Mr Horsfall-Turner’s comments saw Cllr Doug Pullen, leader of Lichfield District Council, insist [the local authority was “committed”](https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/council-committed-to-ensuring-leisure-provision-in-lichfield-and-burntwood-is-maintained-after-operators-energy-cost-warning/) to ensuring services were not hit at both centres.

## “It was an easy decision”

The situation has now led to discussions taking place which would see Freedom Leisure cease to operate both sites on behalf of the council, with meetings next month seeing councillors hear about plans to end the agreement and transfer the operation of the leisure centres to a local authority-owned private company.

Cllr Pullen said:

> “The council is committed to investing in and providing leisure centres people want to visit and enjoy.   
>  
> “It was an easy decision to bring Friary Grange and Burntwood Leisure centres under council control, through our wholly-owned trading company, as we continue to evolve the services to support the health and physical wellbeing of people across our district.  
>  
> “Our proposed new leisure centre at Stychbrook Park – a replacement for the ageing facility at Friary Grange – will be determined by full council in February, but we have robust plans in place for further developing and evolving leisure provision in the district.   
>  
> “As a consequence of the transfer Lichfield District Council will be able to set aside an additional sum in an earmarked reserve to cover additional costs of energy until March 2025.”  
>  
> Cllr Doug Pullen, Lichfield District Council