By Jason Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

The city council has approved not-for-profit Testlands to run St Mary’s Leisure Centre, insisting there is a “high level” of confidence in the new operator of the leisure centre.

Photo: SCC

 

The building will still be owned by the local authority, but its day-to-day operation will be the responsibility of the Southampton-based charity later this year, once essential repair work is completed.

Labour council leader Cllr Lorna Fielker said Testlands’ vision was to transform the centre in St Mary’s Road into a “vibrant, inclusive, and financially-sustainable community hub”.

This would involve enhancing existing activities and introducing new services to increase engagement, Cllr Fielker said.

Questions over the plans were raised at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, June 17, by Conservative councillor Jaden Beaurain (Sholing ward).

“Whilst I personally respect the determination of the administration to see through a policy objective, we still have major concerns about this,” Cllr Beaurain said.

He said the projected costings, including in areas such as staffing, seemed “particularly low”, warning this could lead to low pay, low staff numbers or reduced operating hours.

Cllr Beaurain said: “All of that leads to a position where you would potentially be sacrificing the quality of the service and the offer and then in turn potentially compromising business viability.”
His second area of concern related to the “suitability” of the tender.

He asked Cllr Fielker how confident she was over the break clauses in the contract, adding: “If they are not particularly strong or as strong as you need them to be to be confident that you are getting a good deal, what is the basis of this new found trust on the tender?”

Cllr Fielker said: “What I would say is that the tender was, along with others, well evaluated by officers and there is a high level of confidence in it.”

She added: “What I would say is the Conservatives position is one that makes a clear statement that investment in deprived areas of our city is a luxury, not a necessity and that is wrong.”

St Mary’s Community and Leisure Centre has been closed since the end of March following the conclusion of former operator Active Nation’s contract.

The council has committed to carrying out a £2.5million programme of essential repairs to the Grade II listed building before the new leaseholder takes it on.

This refurbishment project includes the sports hall roof, fire precaution works, replacing the gas boiler and electrical rewiring.

In December 2021, the leisure centre closed after the then-Conservative council administration said it did not have a “viable future”.

Cllr Beaurain said his group’s position remained the same.

Following a campaign by centre users, Labour reopened the facility within three months of taking back control of the local authority in May 2022.

In a statement issued by the council after the cabinet meeting, Luke Newman, co-founder of Testlands, said: “At Testlands, our mission is to create and enhance spaces, services, and opportunities that remove barriers to wellbeing.

“We work to empower communities in Southampton to thrive.

“Taking on the management of St Mary’s Community and Leisure Centre is an exciting step in that journey.

“Through our approach, which we call Intelligent Regeneration, we focus on listening to communities, unlocking local strengths, and developing services that are built to last.”

Fellow co-founder Joe Crook added: “Our work is shaped by five pillars of wellbeing: physical, mental, financial, environmental and cultural.

“St Mary’s will be a central part of delivering that vision. It will become a welcoming, inclusive hub where local people feel supported, connected, and able to shape what happens next.

“We’re proud and excited to get started.”