LEISURE centres in Malvern which were facing closure over rising bills look to have been saved.

Freedom Leisure, which runs the Malvern Splash, Sport Dyson Perrins and Sport Martley leisure centres, said it was faced with closure due to rising bills.

At a meeting this week, Malvern Hills District Council stepped in to do a deal which will see a reduction in management fees until the end of 2022.

The council's Executive Committee stepped in after Freedom, which has had a 15 year contract with the council to run the centres, said they were facing bills of almost £420,000.

Two years of on and off closures have hit the Malvern Splash, with the centre being closed throughout the pandemic while a £2million refurbishment was completed.

Community services portfolio holder Cllr Tom Wells said: "Leisure centres were one of the industries that were hit the hardest during the Covid-19 pandemic and now we are in an energy crisis, they are being hit once again.

"Leisure centres are valued extensively by our residents, and they play a critical role in helping not only the physical health of our communities, but also their overall wellbeing.

"We are pleased to be supporting Freedom Leisure to help them continue to run our centres during this difficult time."

Freedom Leisure is a not-for-profit leisure trust, and the contract is built on a partnership arrangement approach, with the council in normal operating circumstances receiving an annual management fee.

Freedom Leisure has also introduced a series of operational changes to reduce energy consumption and are further reviewing their operating costs across the trust to make savings where possible.

Ivan Horsfall Turner, CEO of Freedom Leisure, said: "Public sector leisure is one of the most exposed sectors because energy costs are such a large proportion of overall costs, particularly facilities with swimming pools.

"At Freedom Leisure we are experiencing a three-fold increase in our annual energy bill despite the recent government announcement of a temporary cap.

"As a not-for-profit trust that reinvests all surpluses back into local communities, we welcome the support and strong partnership working with Malvern Hills District Council."