Sport, leisure and cultural services and facilities consultation

Closes 31 Aug 2025

This service needs cookies enabled.

Your views on the future

With very significant financial pressures on Live Borders and the Council it is essential that the sport, leisure and cultural services delivered are accessible, relevant, and cost-effective.

Live Borders operates and manages more than 60 Council-owned properties and facilities, including six swimming pools, over 20 museums and libraries, community centres and town halls. Many of these are aging and are becoming costly to maintain.

We are aiming to achieve a sustainable sport, leisure and culture estate that maximises community impact while reducing financial and operational burdens. 

The status quo in terms of service delivery and facilities is not an option without further significant increases to Council Tax or multi-million pound reductions to other Council services.

In addition to looking at how and where services are delivered, Live Borders is taking a series of other actions aimed at making it as efficient and effective and organisation as possible. This includes looking at staffing numbers, pricing and opportunities to increase income through external grants/funding and commercial operations.

1. Services and facilities cannot be sustained in their current form without significant additional funding. This impacts on the funding able to be invested in improvements to these services and facilities. Which of the following approaches would you prefer we explore first to help achieve financial sustainability? Rank the options from 1 (most preferred) to 5 (least preferred).

More information

Ongoing financial pressures at Live Borders have required the Council to provide millions of pounds of additional funding over recent years, including an extra £1.8million in 2025/26. This is on top of a £4.8m annual management fee. This is not financially sustainable and cannot be maintained without raising additional income or reducing other service budgets.

The alternative, and preferred option, is to make changes which will enable Live Borders to operate within its annual budget without additional public funding. Changes to services and facilities are just one element of the measures being considered.

For context, a 5% increase in Council Tax would raise around £3.5m of additional funding.

(Required)
2. Thinking about the challenges that are faced in delivering sports, leisure, and cultural activities, which of the following strategic changes do you agree should be considered?
(Required)

Previous feedback

A similar question was asked in the previous survey in 2023 with the following results. We want to take this opportunity to see if people's views remain the same or have changed.

2023 result order:

  • Support communities to run their local facilities independently
  • Combine a range of services and activities in one “hub” location
  • Invest in fewer, better quality, buildings
  • Invest in fewer, better quality, services
  • Move towards options for digital services
  • Increase charges for services.
3. Changes to opening hours and pricing are being considered as part a range of measures to reduce costs. Please indicate the extent of such changes you would be supportive of.
(Required)
4. Would you be prepared/be able to travel further than you do now to access sport, leisure or cultural services?
(Required)

Previous feedback

We know from the public survey carried out during 2023, completed by 2,516 people, that:

  • 54.5% of swimming pool/leisure facility users would be willing to travel up to 15 minutes each way to access these facilities, with 37.3% saying they'd travel up to 30 minutes each way
  • 44.3% of people using museums, galleries and visitor attactions would be willing to travel up to 15 minutes each way; 27.7% said they would travel up to 30 minutes.
  • 68.8% of library users said they would travel up to 15 minutes each way to access the service, with 27.4% saying they would travel up to 30 minutes.
  • 57.9% of town hall and community centre users were willing to travel up to 15 minutes each way to use such a facility; 33.3% said they would travel up to 30 minutes