Leisure centres in Wells, Street, Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet have been handed a lifeline after Somerset Council agreed a new operator deal.

Freedom Leisure is set to take over Wells Leisure Centre, Strode Swimming and Fitness Centre in Street, Tor Sports and Leisure Centre in Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet Lido from Wednesday, 1 July. The same agreement also covers Frome Leisure Centre.

The move follows months of uncertainty after Fusion Lifestyle, the previous operator, went into administration on Wednesday, 1 April. Somerset Council stepped in after the collapse to keep the gyms, pools and leisure centres open while a replacement operator was lined up.

The council said at the time that the sites were vital for local communities, schools, swimmers, gym users and staff. A two-year deal has now been agreed with Freedom Leisure, which already runs leisure services for Somerset Council in Yeovil and Bridgwater.

For Wells, it means the leisure centre on Charter Way will move out of the emergency arrangements put in place after Fusion's collapse. In Street, Strode Swimming and Fitness Centre will continue under a new operator, while Tor Sports and Leisure Centre in Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet Lido are also included in the deal.

Fusion had run the sites under a 50-year agreement entered into by the former Mendip District Council in 2015. But the charity entered administration 11 years into that arrangement, leaving the future of the centres in doubt.

Somerset Council previously said business was continuing as usual at the affected sites during the interim period. It also encouraged customers and members to keep using facilities and said memberships were expected to continue into any new contract period with an alternative operator.

Nub News previously reported that the affected leisure centres were facing a wait for major upgrades, with the first new contract expected to focus on keeping facilities open.

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Councillor Liz Leyshon, Somerset councillor for Street, said she was "delighted, and relieved" that a two-year contract had been awarded. She said the deal would help keep Strode Swimming and Fitness Centre open and protect staff who had continued working through an unsettled period.

She also said Freedom Leisure would carry out a full audit of the facilities. Somerset Council has not yet published full contract details on its website.

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