Sports centre users face price hike as council aims to break even

The big picture: The council announced changes to all pricing tiers at the centre, with most new charges taking effect from 1 November 2024.

Why it matters: The facility, which includes football and cricket pitches, a bowls green and pavilion, has been running at a financial loss despite growing popularity.

While the council has tried to minimise some increases – like the modest 20p rise for iCard holders – the changes will impact everyone from casual users to organised sports teams, with some fees rising by over 20%.

By the numbers:

• Pitch hiring will increase from £65.50 to £80.00 (from July 2025)

• Pavilion hiring rises from £33.00 to £40.25

• Casual user fees jump from £7.00 to £8.60

• iCard holders face a modest rise from £20.00 to £20.20

Between the lines: The council bought the club in the 1990s and leased it to a management committee for 15 years. The decision comes as the centre has seen significant growth in usage, with occupancy rising from 18% in 2023 to a projected 27% in 2024.

The centre continues to expand its health and wellbeing programmes, including Feel Good Suffolk sessions, strength and balance classes, and Breathewell classes.

What's next: While most changes take effect from November, pitch hiring increases won't come into force until July 2025.

The bottom line: The price hike is one of several made by the council over the last few weeks as it looks to balance its books, but comes at a challenging time for residents already facing rising living costs. Local football and cricket clubs using the pitches will be particularly affected when prices increase in July 2025.