Sports fees shoot up by £25m as councils cut culture and leisure spending

The amount councils make in swimming and library fees has risen by £25m in just five years – but culture and leisure budgets have fallen.

And gaps in data mean the impact of the changes on health and wellbeing aren’t yet known, a report warns.

Income from fees and charges collected from people using sports centres and more was £117.6m in the 2023-24 financial year. That compares with a take of £92.7m in 2018-19, making an increase of 26.9 per cent in real terms.

Overall satisfaction levels are down and attendance rates for some services remain below pre-pandemic levels, with the number of visits to sports facilities now 21 per cent lower than in 2018-19.

Yet overall spending by local authorities in this area has fallen by three per cent over the same period.

And many councils are reducing or reviewing what is on offer.

In a new report, the Accounts Commission warns that removing “important” culture and leisure opportunities risks widening inequalities, particularly in rural areas where there is a greater reliance on council facilities.

Jo Armstrong, chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “Culture and leisure services are vital to our health and wellbeing, supporting national and local priorities and supporting people to be better connected. Gaps in national data need to be addressed to better understand how these reductions in spending on culture and leisure are impacting communities.

“As councils manage continued pressures due to increasing demands and costs, culture and leisure services have experienced a disproportionate share of council savings measures. Communities must be fully consulted on decisions to close, centralise facilities or changes to charging. Failing to do this risks deepening inequalities and legal action by communities.”

Councils spent £675m on their culture and leisure offerings in 2023-24. Between them, they approved £9.9m in savings in this area for 2024-25.

The number of library visits is stable at 44m over the five-year period from 2018-19, while museum trips are up by 15m.

A total of 13 local authorities have a single arm’s-length external organisation delivering their sports and arts activities, while 10 others use a culture trust, leisure trust, or both.

But there is a lack of comparable data to measure services and gauge the impact on people’s lives, the Accounts Commission said. 

The report states: “It is already apparent that financial pressures and rising demand have begun to impact the performance of frontline services.

“Without a better understanding of how individual services interact to support longer-term outcomes, it becomes increasingly difficult to make informed budgetary decisions that support the sustainability of council services.

“In order to make informed decisions about the longer-term costs that may be associated with reducing accessible culture and leisure services, councils must work collaboratively with the wider public sector, as well as partners in the private and third sectors. They must strengthen their understanding of the possible longer-term effects of the decisions they are taking now to address financial pressures.”

Commenting on the report, Tory culture spokesperson Murdo Fraser said that “libraries, sports facilities and museums are not just an added extra, they are often a focal point of community life”, adding: "In deprived and rural areas, council-run leisure facilities are often the only option for people, so if gyms and swimming pools close or charges increase this could have a damaging effect on public health.”