MORE than £1 million will be needed to fund essential maintenance at Salt Ayre sports centre during the next three to four years.

The city council is now set to press ahead with plans for a not-for-profit trust at the centre in a bid to reduce the cost to taxpayers.

Leading councillors say the problem has been made worse because no funds were set aside for repairs when the centre opened, less than a decade ago.

The council has already agreed to spend £100,000 on replacing the battered all weather pitch and more cash is need to replace tiles which have caused cuts to swimmers in the pool.

MBI Cllr Geoff Wilson, finance spokesman on the council' s cabinet, said: "Something has to be done and the trust is the best idea.

There is nothing else on the table.

"Even though it is a popular and well used sports centre its income is reducing because of increasing competition.

"A new purpose built fitness centre is due to open soon which will mean even more competition.

"The taxpayer cannot afford to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds each year to keep it running.

"Of course the biggest mistake in all of this was the failure of the previous Labour administration to set aside any moneys for general maintenance and repairs.

"Officers have told us that over the next three or four years this could amount to more than £1 million."

Labour and Conservative councillors had previously opposed employing consultants to look further at the trust scheme.

However, a meeting on Wednesday saw the council overturn its previous decision, meaning consultants will now be brought in to explore the trust idea more closely and prepare the details.

The trust would see members of the community brought in to manage the centre.

The trust is likely to be given charitable status, saving around £200,000 each year.

It would also have access to more outside funding.

Labour Cllr Ian Barker said before the meeting: "The trust would be accountable to no-one and would be self perpetuating.

"Once the trust is set up, the community and the council will lose control.

If the council tries to specify objectives too closely, whether it be helping to support tourism or helping children from deprived areas to access sports facilities, charitable status would be lost."

Cllr Barker also claims that the tax loophole of setting up a charity to save cash would be closed ' sooner or later.'

"It is not something a local authority should be doing," he added.

Once the consultants have completed their work, a final decision will be made by the full council.