A MAJOR review of council-owned sports centres in the New Forest has sparked fears that the facilities will be sold off.

Members of the district council’s ruling cabinet have agreed that the authority should examine the future operation of all five health and leisure facilities.

The Tory-controlled authority is striving to find new ways of cutting costs and boosting income following cuts in its government grant.

Conservative councillors are refusing to rule out the possibility of the centres being sold or run by private operators, raising fears that potential price hikes could make the facilities too expensive for less well off families and residents.

Cllr David Harrison, a member of the Liberal Democrat opposition group, said he was in favour of keeping the facilities in-house.

He added: “With further cuts to budgets having to be made, and there being no statutory obligation on the council to run them, I fear we may see attempts to sell them off to the private sector.

“The centres are highly valued and well used facilities.

“Generally speaking the pricing is reasonable, making them accessible to all. Making them purely commercial concerns might bring a whole host of problems.

“Once the profit motive overrides social considerations some people will inevitably lose out.”

The review of the facilities at Applemore, Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood and Totton is due to take place in the coming financial year.

Cllr Harrison said: “It appears that the review is set to go on for months, creating uncertainty and insecurity – particularly among the excellent workforce.

“I won’t be supporting any effort to sell off our leisure centres to the private sector. They’re important, well run public assets that support the needs of everyone in the local community.”

Cllr James Binns, cabinet member for leisure, said health and leisure was one of several services that would be reviewed in the next few years.

He added: “We need to deliver our services well and efficiently. Just Doing things the way we’ve always done them without exploring our options is not a good approach.

“The review is likely to be done by council staff, both from the health and leisure service itself and from other service areas with councillor involvement.

“It is likely to conclude in 2017/18 and will deliver the best outcomes for the residents of the New Forest.”

Asked if the council could guarantee it would never privatise the centres Cllr Binns said it was impossible to give any such assurance at this stage.