NINE more bids have been submitted to take over the running of six closure-threatened leisure centres.

Officials at Durham County Council said a detailed study would now be carried out on the strength of the 19 bids before any decision was made on the future of the centres.

The council, which is facing severe cuts in its Government grant, is considering closing centres at Ferryhill, Coxhoe, Sherburn, Pity Me, Ushaw Moor and Crook to save £1.3m a year.

The threat of closure provoked an outcry among users during a three-month consultation.

Several businesses and community groups have since drawn up plans to take over running the centres.

As the deadline for the submission of initial business plans passed at noon yesterday, County Hall confirmed that 19 bids had been submitted from ten organisations, including at least one for each of the six threatened centres.

Terry Collins, the council’s corporate director of neighbourhood services, said: “I am extremely pleased with the level of interest shown by groups and businesses wanting to take over the centres.

“We will now have to ensure that the proposals are financially robust, meet compliance arrangements as well as our legal requirements regarding the transfer of staff.

“They will clearly also need to offer the right mix of experience and capabilities.”

Among the bids submitted is one from the Spectrum Leisure and Management group, which already runs a leisure centre in Willington and is bidding to operate four of the council’s centres.

Another has been submitted by Deerness Gymnastics Club, which wants to set up a gymnastics academy at Deerness Leisure Centre, in Ushaw Moor. Community-led proposals have been submitted to save the centres at Crook, Pity Me, Sherburn and Coxhoe.

A decision on the centres is expected in the autumn.