AS part of the Swindon Leisure and Culture Programme, all of the town’s leisure and golf facilities are being put out to tender.

It will involve a company running all the venues for the next 99 years.

Included on the list of sites up for tender are Broome Manor Golf Course, the Health Hydro and the Link Centre.

An advert went out inviting companies to bid, a process which is now complete. The council says by relinquishing control of the sites it will save several million pounds while keeping the sites open.

Councillors cite the Oasis as an example of a successful lease. It is now run by the Morai Group and currently undergoing a major refurbishment with plans to become a major leisure attraction with an indoor ski-slope and a 5,000-seat arena.

However, critics say not enough safeguards are in place to ensure the facilities are not transformed at a later date allowing the companies to get a sizeable chunk of any profit made from selling the land for development.