CORNWALL’s swimming pools will be open by October 14th after the local authority agreed on a rescue package for operator GLL.

Cornwall Council will provide just over £6million to GLL and the organisations that run other leisure centres such as those at Carn Brea and Newquay.

The cash is in the form of £4.4m in loans, with a further £1.7m in grants, loan holidays and contract payments.

Cornwall Council deputy leader Adam Paynter said that a review of leisure centre operations would be carried out over the coming year as “GLL had not run things as profitably as had been hoped”.

GLL has opened many of the leisure centres which it operates in Cornwall but the new funding will ensure all – including all but one of the pools - will reopen by mid October.

Launceston’s pool will remain shut as it requires relining – but will be reopen by mid November once the work is complete.

The council and GLL will continue to call on the Government for financial support to help leisure businesses which have been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak.

Adam Paynter, deputy leader of the council, said: “This financial package of more than £6m puts our residents’ health and wellbeing first and will provide a lifeline for GLL and our other leisure providers to keep leisure centres open while we carry out a strategic review of all our leisure services and continue to push Government for urgent funding for leisure provision.

“The pandemic has created huge financial pressures for us as a Council and this package has been a difficult decision but we must try to preserve leisure provision in Cornwall because it is so important to our residents’ health and wellbeing.

“Our leisure providers are operating in a state of uncertainty as people use leisure centres differently now than they when they did pre Covid so our providers will still be having to make some tough operational decisions in the months to come.

“We hope that as many people as possible will return to their community leisure centres once they are reopened.”

Cllr Paynter said he was disappointed that the Council hadn’t got on and completed the urgent repair works, relining the pool at Launceston whilst the centre has been closed.

James Curry, GLL head of service in Cornwall, said: “Having to close all our centres for four months hit us very hard financially. We are delighted to have now agreed a package of measures that allows us to re-open all our Cornish leisure centres and pools and look forward to welcoming customers back.

“Covid-19 restrictions mean having to operate in a different way and that does sadly mean losing some local jobs in the short term. As a social enterprise and not-for-profit organisation, GLL has done everything possible to support colleagues throughout the pandemic but, as the job retention scheme draws to a close at the end of October and market conditions remain challenging, we are having to re-shape the business in order to ensure its future viability.

“It’s wonderful to be able to resume most of our services but we do need the community to support us by using the facilities. In these straightened times, it really is a case of ‘use them or lose them’.”