More than a decade on from the decision by Belfast City Council to privatise their leisure facilities, and despite warnings from community groups and political organisations – Lasair Dhearg amongst them – Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), who were awarded the contract, have once again increased their costs.
Lasair Dhearg Vice-Chairperson Pádraic MacCoitir said, “In the midst of unprecedented fuel price increases, a cost of living ‘crisis’ which – despite the name – is never-ending, and in the middle of areas where more than a third of children are living in poverty, GLL, with the support of the Council, have increased their prices by up to 53%. There aren’t many areas that would be able to absorb that sort of increase, but in West Belfast, the most deprived area in the Six Counties, it is even harder to swallow.”
“The warnings were ignored and they have come to pass. The people least able to pay more are exactly the ones being asked to do so. After 12 years, the evidence is clear. GLL may be making plenty of money, but the people of Belfast are seeing none of the benefits. It’s time to end this privatisation experiment and bring these services back in-house, for the good of communities and the workers who serve them.”
