Long wait for Selby leisure centre workers (From York Press)

Long wait for Selby leisure centre workers

9:07am Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News By Dan Bean, dan.bean@thepress.co.uk

STAFFING levels set to be reduced in the wake of Selby ’s leisure centre burning down are unlikely to return to current levels for up to three years.

The news follows last week’s announcement that the jobs of up to 30 of the 58 people employed by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, who run leisure facilities for Selby District Council, are at risk.

A spokesman for the trust said the decision to go to formal consultation on 30 of the full and part-time roles had been taken “recently”, but there was little chance the figures would change in the next two years.

He said: “Thirty of the posts are at risk, but that doesn’t necessarily mean redundancy. Through the formal consultation process, people may take early retirement, voluntary redundancy or redeployment opportunities.

“Because of the fire, we are now running a much smaller operation in Selby, and that is likely to be the case for the next two or three years until the new leisure centre is built.

“Until that time, staffing levels need to be appropriate for the size of the business.”

The building has been empty since it was devastated by the blaze in February, and the council and the trust were determined staff would be redeployed at other locations.

Although no plans have been confirmed for the site, meetings and discussions have been ongoing since February, and an announcement is expected from the council in October.

Regarding the future of their employment in the town, the spokesman did say any new positions could go to local people.

He said: “We will be doing everything we can to assist staff to find new job opportunities and when the new leisure centre opens we will, of course, be recruiting in the area.”