Cotswold District Council has awarded a contract to Sports Leisure Management (SLM) to take over the running of leisure services in a bid to save taxpayers £10m over the next 10 years.

Under the 10-year agreement, SLM will be responsible for delivering and managing services in the Cotswold leisure centres at Cirencester, Chipping Campden and Bourton on the Water.

SLM will also be in charge of managing cultural services at the Corinium Museum in Cirencester and a resource centre in Northleach.

However, responsibility for the ‘dual use’ Cotswold leisure facilities which are based at Farmors School, Fairford and Sir William Romney’s School, Tetbury will be transferred to the schools later this summer.

The cabinet noted that they are currently losing a combined total of almost £612,080 each year. By bringing in an external provider, the council expect to make savings of £282,000 per year.

The Council has already assured the public that there will be no price increases for both these services over the next three years and a contract with SLM will also guard against any future significant price increases or reduction in opening hours.

Councillor Barry Gibbs, the cabinet member for customer services, said: “We would like to thank the staff involved for their patience while we conducted the bid process and evaluated whether to transfer these functions. It is to their credit that they have continued to deliver a first class service during this period of uncertainty, and this demonstrates their professionalism and admirable work ethic.”