IT'S a worrying time for councils across the country as they look to tighten their belts while maintaining services.

Many have concluded — politicians, council officers and constituents alike — that services such as leisure are likely to have to take a back seat to frontline services when it comes to funding.

In a bid to safeguard its leisure services, Swansea Council has put out an all-options review on its community indoor leisure facilities. These include the Grand Theatre and leisure centres.

The possible options for their future could see the facilities sold off, put into trust with a third party or kept in house.

Swansea is not the first local council to consider looking at alternative ways of managing leisure.

Around six years ago Neath Port Talbot Council out-sourced its nine leisure centres and swimming pools to a third party.

The council still owns the facilities but they are managed by the not-for-profit trust Celtic Community Leisure.

In Swansea, the LC is run by a similar organisation — Bay Leisure Limited — based on the Neath Port Talbot model.

The council subsidises the facilities, which will be decreased year-on-year, with the intention of eventually becoming self-funding.

The amount given to Bay Leisure for the 2009/2010 financial year was £1,094,000 and that has been dropped to £997,000 for the current financial year.

The LC has been a hugely successful venture for the authority and appears to be a likely option for Swansea leisure.

However, council officers say they are going in to the review with open minds.

If they decide to follow Neath Port Talbot's example on a wider basis, they will be following a successful model, according to Russell Ward, head of partnership and community development in Neath Port Talbot Council.

"Our model has worked extremely well indeed," he said. "It's provided good improvements to the service and I think the public has benefited from the change in management.

"We regularly run user satisfaction surveys and they are showing increased customer satisfaction."

Every year Celtic has to make efficiencies of two per cent, which they have achieved every year. Whereas Swansea Council is also looking at the Grand Theatre, Neath Port Talbot bosses have not yet made any decision on the running of the Princess Royal Theatre, Pontardawe Arts Centre, or the soon-to-be-reopened Gwyn Hall.

However, Mr Ward said council officers would soon be looking at an all options review on these facilities.

"These are still currently directly run by the council," he said.

"We do intend to review that to see whether there are alternatives."

Entertainer Kevin Johns said he hoped whatever option was settled on for the Grand Theatre, it remained in local ownership.

Mr Johns, who's appeared in several productions at the theatre including the Christmas panto, said: "Social services and education are the most important services for the council, but the arts are very important too in caring for the whole person.

"So many people have benefited from the arts and they can also complement education.

"We mustn't let them suffer. I just hope whatever option the council takes, it is the best one for the people of Swansea which will continue to benefit everyone.

"There are a lot more qualified people than me to talk about the benefits of the different options, but I would hate to see something like the Grand going into private ownership.

"I don't think that would be good for users of the theatre as it would become all about profit and I think community groups especially would find that tough."

Council leader Chris Holley said, however, privatisation, would be an absolute last option.

He also said the council's priority was to "safeguard indoor leisure facilities for the future".

Speaking at yesterday's cabinet meeting in Swansea Civic Centre, Mr Holley added: "In Swansea the model that stands out is the LC, which was set up before the building was finished. That's in a position where it can be operated at arms' length. Many authorities have tried this out in different guises.

"It's now important we go out and have discussions with interested parties throughout Swansea."

Helen.keates@swwmedia.co.uk