MPs call on Government for financial help for Sheffield's struggling leisure centres

Sheffield MPs have written to the Government asking for financial help to cover lost income at the city's leisure centres.
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Clive Betts, Olivia Blake, Paul Blomfield, Gill Furniss and Louise Haigh welcomed news that the Government is to cover 75 per cent of the income which local authorities lose from fees and charges, including from leisure facilities.

But while councils which run their leisure facilities directly will be compensated for lost revenue, no such commitment has yet been given to the dozens of authorities that run them through arms-length organisations - such as Sheffield International Venues (SIV).

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The council recently used emergency powers to give £2.6m to SIV. The decision was made seven days before SIV announced it was ‘gauging interest’ in redundancies from staff.

Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts is among the MPs who have written to the Government to ask them for financial help to cover lost income at the city's leisure facilities including Ponds ForgeSheffield South East MP Clive Betts is among the MPs who have written to the Government to ask them for financial help to cover lost income at the city's leisure facilities including Ponds Forge
Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts is among the MPs who have written to the Government to ask them for financial help to cover lost income at the city's leisure facilities including Ponds Forge

The MPs have jointly written to Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick to ask for assistance for Sheffield Council to cover lost income at SIV.

Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts said: “Robert Jenricks’s announcement is welcome in principle but compensation for income loss needs to be given to all councils irrespective of how their leisure activities are managed.

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"All councils need additional funds to help offset losses due to Covid-19. Given the precarious state of all local authorities finances the Government should provide assistance at this difficult time.

"I’ve raised the issue in the Commons and got a sympathetic reply. The Government now needs to turn the sympathy into financial support, to help protect other council services and ensure that once the crisis has passed people in Sheffield can use SIV’s venues again. Sheffield needs a fair deal.”

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