Oxford Council selects new leisure facility management team

The decade long contract awarded to Serco Leisure Ltd, formally approved by the Council on January 24, comes into effect on March 30, and promises substantial investment, additional staff, and cost savings across the contract period.

The transition involves Oxford leisure facilities – Barton Leisure Centre, Ferry Leisure Centre, the Leys Pools & Leisure Centre, Hinksey Outdoor Pool, and Oxford Ice Rink – passing from Fusion Lifestyle management to Serco Leisure.

Leys leisure centre is one of the facilities which will be managed by Serco (Image: Newsquest)

The newly appointed provider boasts more than 30 years of leisure management experience and numerous accomplishments, including managing Sport England's national sports centres and winning Water Leisure Operator of the Year at the UK Pool & Spa Awards five times in the last six years.

Councillor Chewe Munkonge, deputy leader and cabinet member for leisure and parks, said: "I am delighted to confirm Serco Leisure as the selected provider for Oxford's leisure facilities.

"At a time when many councils up and down the country are grappling with the closure of key facilities due to budget pressures, we are proud not only to maintain but also to elevate our suite of leisure amenities for Oxford residents."

Multiple external bids were considered alongside an in-house comparator and an in-depth assessment system applied a 60 per cent weight to service quality offered and a 40 per cent weight to costs and business plan viability.

A proposal for in-house management of Oxford's leisure services would have required significant funding, making it unviable.

Simon Lane, managing director for Serco Leisure, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Oxford City Council and we look forward to working with them to support the people of this community to live healthier, more active lives."

The company has detailed plans to introduce state of the art EGYM equipment, easily adaptable for all fitness levels and fully automatic for a personalised experience.

Serco Leisure's proposal also pledges to increase the user base of the council's leisure centres and enhance customer satisfaction.

The council and Serco Leisure will collaborate with the Oxfordshire health system to make sure the leisure facilities continue to support public health and alleviate NHS pressure.

The current manager, Fusion Lifestyle, will continue to operate Oxford's leisure centres until March 29.

The City Council invested £14 million in recent years to make the facilities - which make up around 40 per cent of the council's carbon footprint - carbon neutral, and plans to work alongside Serco to fully decarbonise the leisure facilities.