Leisure centre staff have been told their jobs will be safe if privatisation goes ahead.

Mid Sussex District Council is due to discuss proposals to either privatise its three leisure centres and two civic halls or hand the management to a private trust.

The options were put forward in an effort to save £500,000 in taxpayers' money.

A council spokesman said: "If the council decides to make a change to its management arrangements its existing staff in its leisure centres and civic halls would be transferred directly to any new employer on the same contracted terms and conditions."

The proposal will affect the Kings Centre in East Grinstead, The Dolphin in Haywards Heath and The Triangle in Burgess Hill.

The centres were all renamed Olympos leisure centres in a major rebranding exercise in 2006.

The council's Better Lives Advisory Group was asked to save £500,000 in the total leisure services budget of £5.2 million.

The running of indoor leisure and civic halls accounts for 11 per cent of the budget. A report on the future management of leisure, published in March, suggested the council could save up to £238,000 if leisure facilities were managed by a trust.

Savings would be made because a trust is exempt from national nondomestic rates.

Privatisation is another option, along with establishing a new trust to run the centres.

The report says while the cost to the council of managing its facilities continues to rise, profits have peaked.

Whatever happens, the council will be expected to invest thousands of pounds to replace and maintain facilities at the centres.

Brian Hall, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats on the council, said other alternatives should be explored.

He said: "I feel there are other areas to explore concerning separating civic halls from leisure centres because to my mind they are different animals.

"We hope our leisure centres and civic halls will remain in the public domain.

"But, however much we want them to remain in the district council's control, we've got to be realistic unless we're prepared to pay major costs."

Councillor Paddy Henry had grave concerns about the proposals.

He said: "Leisure services should be kept in the council and run by them.

"In my opinion this is the beginning of the end of at least one leisure centre.

Contracting management out will not change the fact the council is still responsible for maintenance."

The recommendations are due to be considered by a full meeting of the council in May.

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