COMMUNITY leaders have called on Gwynedd Council to include the funding of Harlech’s leisure centre in any planned scheme to set up a private company to run the county’s services.

Harlech Ardudwy Leisure (HAL) was saved by people who continue to partially run and fund the centre today after its funding was axed by Gwynedd Council six years ago.

The community took over the leisure facility in 2011 and have battled ever since to overcome a number of financial obstacles to keep the centre and its pool open, not least finding £50,000 to keep the pool open last year.

Last month, the Cambrian News reported that Gwynedd Council is looking to set up a private company to run its 12 leisure centres.

Graham Perch of the Harlech Tourist Association (HTA) said that residents “rely heavily on being able to access the facilities that are provided by Harlech Ardudwy Leisure” and that it is “extremely unacceptable for Gwynedd Council to not include HAL in the new financial reorganisation of leisure centres in Gwynedd.”

“The refusal of Gwynedd Council to include Harlech Ardudwy Leisure, which serves the population of the whole region of Meirionnydd throughout the whole year including the busy resort of Barmouth as well as all the villages on the Ardudwy Coast as well as Harlech, in their financial support for Gwynedd leisure centres is abhorrent,” he said.

“It is shocking and completely unforgivable that HAL is not recognised as being in the collective of leisure centres in Gwynedd and given financial support. All of the services provided by HAL are services that benefit not only those attending the lessons, classes, workshops and groups but also the local economy and county wide economy.”

Dyffryn Ardudwy councillor Eryl Jones-Williams and Harlech/Talsarnau councillor Freya Bentham raised their concerns at the full Gwynedd council meeting last Thursday.

“We sought an assurance that when the new ‘company’ is set up to run all the leisure centres in Gwynedd, then the door should not be closed to include Harlech swimming pool and leisure centre,” Cllr Jones-Williams said.

“We were given that assurance as bulk buying etc would make Harlech more viable that consideration would be given.”

Anne O’Brien of the Harlech a’r Cylch community regeneration group said the group “strongly endorses” the view of the HAL and HTA.

“Gwynedd Council unfairly selected the Harlech swimming pool for closure, thus saving its running costs,” she said.

“There must surely be a way in which Harlech and Ardudwy Leisure could benefit from the same savings in running costs as the leisure centres which the council still currently runs.”

The 12 council-run leisure centres in Gwynedd – including Bala, Porthmadog, Tywyn, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Pwllheli, Dolgellau, Barmouth, and Penygroes cost almost £5m a year – £1.9m of which is paid by the taxpayer.

The authority believes the plan to have them run by a private company would allow it to make savings of around £585,000 a year – “without having an impact on its leisure provision, or staff.”