Aura Leisure and Libraries Limited - Notice of Subsidy Award

A subsidy has been awarded in relation to “Leisure Services”. 

An assessment of the subsidy has been undertaken by the Council, key details of which are as follows. 

The recipient/beneficiary is Aura Leisure and Libraries Limited (Aura).

The objective of the subsidy is to provide grant funding to enable the Project titled “Leisure Services”. The grant funding for the Project will ensure that residents of Flintshire have access to leisure and well-being facilities thereby contributing to healthier lifestyles and will support operational requirements. 

The Project includes provision of leisure services, including leisure centres and dual use centres, and sports development. 
The need for funding is due to the significant non-commercial activity and operating costs associated with the provision of accessible and affordable services, which the subsidy is designed to address. 

The absence of subsidy would likely lead to an undersupply of public leisure services that are accessible, available, and affordable to different groups in different areas. Without the subsidy there is a substantial viability gap, and thus the Project would unlikely be delivered. 

Providing the subsidy to Aura enables Aura to deliver services and facilities that would not be provided without the subsidy and which support achievement of the policy objective. 

The Project supports achievement of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, principally the well-being objectives, namely but not exclusively: A Healthier Wales.

A viability gap analysis has informed the award of the grant. This is considered to be proportionate and limited to what is necessary to achieve the policy objective set out under the current circumstances. In addition, steps have been taken to minimise any negative outcomes. 

April 2024 and July 2024