The future of a Barry leisure centre once used as a vaccination hub will soon be decided after councillors agreed to put a lease out to market.
Vale Council's cabinet agreed at a meeting last week to allow a five-year lease for the use of Holm View Leisure Centre to go out to tender.
It was temporarily used by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB) as a mass vaccination centre during the Covid-19 pandemic and came back under council control in March 2023.
In a report presented to cabinet members, the council said it wants to present bidders with the opportunity to use the building for community purposes.
Vale Council's cabinet member for leisure, sport and wellbeing, Cllr Gwyn John, said any bids which come forward “should have a positive impact on the community”, while council leader Lis Burnett called the move a “really exciting initiative”.
She added: “I know that an awful lot of people have been talking about the future of Holm View. If this can work it gives us an opportunity to actually try things out.”
The marketing exercise will be carried out early in the New Year.
Holm View Leisure Centre will be offered in its current condition with full repairing and maintenance obligations passing to the new tenant.
Vale Council stands to make a saving through the proposed lease.
A report states the leisure service is responsible for a small utilities charge for the vacant building and there is potential for a “significant business rates saving” as the ingoing tenant would be expected to be responsible “for all such costs”.
During the five-year period of the lease, Vale Council will continue to consider the future of the building.
Cllr John said: “It is very important that this is moved along... because this building has only been used [as a] vaccination centre, [which was] very worthwhile over the last period, but quite honestly, we need to get this building filled and used.”
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