THE fate of leisure centres in Sturminster Newton and Gillingham is likely to be sealed at a meeting on Monday.

Councillors at North Dorset District Council are being asked to withdraw the subsidy that both leisure centres receive with effect from April 2008, and to agree that the council ceases to operate both centres.

Councillors are also asked to agree in principle that Gillingham Leisure Centre is decommissioned and demolished, and to transfer Sturminster Newton Leisure Centre at less than market value to Dorset County Council primarily for school use.

The report also seeks that authority be delegated to council officers so they can take all decisions and actions necessary for the transfer and demolition.

The changes are required under the Tough Choices Programme because the district council cannot continue to subsidise many discretionary services after district council tax was capped.

Approximately £2 million has to be removed from the council's base budget, to contain the council's budget over the next five years and achieve a council tax increase of five per cent or less each year.

Report author Joyce Guest has advised councillors that the county council has provisionally agreed to take on the transfer of Sturminster Newton Leisure Centre.

"Without community use, the council would be in breach of the lease of the land from the Pitt-Rivers Estate," she said.

"If the centre was to close, the Sturminster High School would lose its essential indoor sports facility."

The report also states that the condition of Gillingham Leisure Centre is "very poor" and would require around £3m to maintain health and safety requirements in the future, and to match customer expectations.

Extensive consultation has been carried out and the main community groups are now looking to direct their focus towards providing a planned new facility.

The report also states that there are redundancy, decommissioning and demolition costs if they go ahead with the proposals.