Fife’s leisure centre operators are predicting a £5 million loss in income as they prepare to furlough more than 500 staff.
Fife Sports and Leisure Trust closed all of its facilities to the public on March 18 and is facing a minimum 12-week lockdown in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Chief operating officer Wendy Watson warned the closures would have a very serious impact on the cash-strapped trust, which has already cut opening hours at a number of its swimming pools and sports centres due to budget pressures.
She said the trust believed it could furlough 288 contracted staff and 221 casuals, meaning the Government would pay 80% of their wages and allow bosses to recover £758,000.
Even then, because there are no customers paying to use centres, the trust will face an estimated net deficit this year of £3.9m.
Mrs Watson said it could take at least six to 12 months for customers to return to using the facilities in the numbers they were before lockdown.
“The trust had recently rolled out a Fife-wide service redesign programme which saw a change to operating hours to a number of our facilities,” she said.
“The service redesign programme was very much regretted and was only implemented once the trust had exhausted all other options and delivered as many internal budget saving measures as was possible.”
She said the coronavirus crisis so soon after such a challenging budget process meant staff would have to work very hard to minimise costs and maximise customer use when centres were permitted to reopen.
“The trust is facing a minimum 12-week lockdown with a complete loss of generated income and will see incomes impacted for the full financial year as we anticipate there will be a lag in customers’ confidence to use public leisure centres once more,” she said.
“We are working positively in partnership with Fife Council and are actively engaged in constructive dialogue to see what support is available to help the trust through this difficult period.
“Looking ahead to when trust facilities will reopen, members will have a significant role in rebuilding local economies and supporting people’s wellbeing and health.
“However, the recovery period could take a minimum six to 12 months to return to the same level of business.
“Therefore, partners and Government support, both locally and nationally, will be needed to encourage the public to return to actively using and supporting public leisure centres.”
