A NEW operator is set to take over South Somerset's leisure centres.

Freedom Leisure, a not for profit trust, will manage South Somerset District Council's (SSDC) centres in April this year, when the current contract with LED Communtiy Leisure is set to end.

The trust will manage facilities at at Goldenstones and Westlands Sports and Fitness Centre in Yeovil, as well as Wincanton Community Sports Centre and the facilities currently being built at the Boden Mill site in Chard as part of the Chard Regeneration programme.

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Work has been ongoing for some time now to ensure a new operator will be in place ready to commence a new 15 year contract with SSDC.

Councillor Mike Best, SSDC's portfolio for health and wellbeing, said: “Like the previous operator, Freedom Leisure are a not-for-profit leisure trust whereby all surplus income is reinvested in its facilities to ensure it stays in tip-top shape and ahead of the game in terms of the equipment and provisions it provides.

“Their proposed community delivery programme is impressive and in close alignment to the council’s own corporate objectives. This edged them ahead of the other competitors in the selection process and I know our Officers are looking forward to working with the new management team at Freedom Leisure to provide the best services to the local community and customers of our facilities.

“We would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank LED Community Leisure for their continued support and delivery of leisure provisions during the successful partnership over the last 10 years."

Freedom Leisure already manage 106 facilities for 24 council partners, schools and academies.

“We were delighted to hear that Freedom Leisure had been chosen to manage the South Somerset leisure centres including the brand new centre in Chard," said Freedom Leisure’s managing director Ivan Horsfall Turner.

"We look forward to working closely with the council and the existing leisure centre teams to improve and enhance the leisure service and facilities already being delivered for the communities in South Somerset.”