Bury Council has approved £4.5 million of investment to improve its leisure centres in Ramsbottom and Bury town centre.
The funding was agreed by members of the council’s cabinet this week. It will be used to ensure both sites remain reliable, well maintained and capable of supporting increased commercial activity into the 2030s.
Alongside the investment, cabinet members also approved proposals aimed at increasing income and modernising the service.
Councillor Tamoor Tariq, cabinet member for adult care and health, said: “Our leisure facilities are well-used and highly valued. They provide a wide range of activities, including swimming, fitness classes, children’s activities, community programmes, targeted health interventions, and specialist public health programmes.
“These services play a major role in our prevention and public health strategies, supporting physical activity, tackling health inequality and reducing demand on health and care services. They also provide important spaces for communities to come together, for people to try new things and meet new friends.
“Investing in these facilities is therefore worthwhile, and of course the forthcoming brand-new Radcliffe Hub, high-quality, modern and purpose-built, presents a great opportunity to energise our leisure offer further and generate excitement, signalling a modern and ambitious approach to community health.”
Earlier this year the council carried out a public consultation on its budget priorities, which included proposals to reduce the subsidy provided to leisure centres.
While most respondents did not support reducing the overall leisure budget, there was acceptance of price increases linked to service improvements. Feedback also acknowledged that modernisation and commercial activity could help sustain provision.
Cllr Tariq added: “Money is incredibly tight across all council services, and we need to deliver significant savings in 2026/27 to set a legal budget. This requires all services to review expenditure and identify opportunities for efficiency and greater financial sustainability.
“On average Bury offers among the lowest leisure costs in Greater Manchester and we want to continue to offer the best service we can, with the lowest price possible.
“This is why, reluctantly, we are looking at a small increase in membership costs of just £3.25 per month, in order to reduce the subsidy cost we pay to our leisure centres, which, thanks to the hard work of our staff and management, is already at its lowest level in a decade.
“This increase, along with increased membership and greater commercialisation, will enable us to retain all of our leisure centres and further improve their offer to our residents for the decade to come.”
The proposed membership rise of £3.25 per month is intended to reduce the level of council subsidy while maintaining services at both sites.
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