A CASH crisis in Bolton's leisure centres is forcing council chiefs to explore new ways of keeping them afloat.

Over the past two years income from the town's council-owned centres including The Water Place, Horwich and Farnworth Leisure Centres and The Excel Centre, has fallen by £262,000.

And the council says the number of visits to their venues has also dropped by more than quarter of a million over the same period.

Leisure chiefs add that if the current trend continues they could be faced with a further £130,000 loss of income before the end of the year.

In an attempt to save money in the short term, the council's Culture department has already proposed to cut opening hours.

It is suggested that leisure centres open at 10am, an hour later than normal, and close up to two hours earlier at weekends.

The money saved would be used to claw back the shortfall in income from this year's £15m Culture budget.

It is also proposed that opening hours of the leisure pool at The Water Place be slashed from the current 2pm until 8.30pm during school term time to between 4.30pm and 8.30pm.

Council deputy Culture director John Shepley told a meeting of the Education and Culture Scrutiny Committee that, in their present form, the leisure centres were "unsustainable".

And he warned that action needed to be taken within the next year.

Mr Shepley said that the growing number of private health clubs and leisure centres in Bolton was the cause of the problems facing council centres.

"The fundamental problem is the increasing competition," he said. "A few years ago we only had one private health centre in Bolton. Now we have half a dozen or more.

"It is a reflection of what's been happening, but if you go into The Water Place in the afternoon there will be just a handful of people using it. To open the pool we have to employ 10 lifeguards and we have to ask if we can continue to justify this?"

He added: "There are other things we can look at such as the maintenance and making improvements to these centres to attract customers but the fundamental problem of the competition cannot be ignored."

The council has now embarked on consultation with the private sector to examine how they can throw a lifeline to the stricken centres.

Cllr John Byrne, executive member for Culture said options include entering into a public-private partnership with the leisure industry or to establish a charitable trust to take over the running of the centres. Cllr Byrne, however, said that as far as he was concerned the closure of council centres was not on the agenda.

"We do have to act and time is a limiting factor but I believe all the leisure centres in the town are needed and I do not want to see any of them close," he said.

Mr Shepley added: "The reasons for more people choosing private leisure centres over council ones is unsure and that is one of the things we are hoping to learn about through the private sector's expertise."

The town's independent leisure clubs include:

Total Fitness, Waters Meeting Road, off Blackburn Road. Bolton's newest leisure centre currently taking on members. Open to the public at the start of December.

David Lloyd Leisure Centre, Chorley New Road. This club opening two years ago and is currently the market leader in the town.

Esporta Health and Fitness, Waters Meeting Lane. Opened three years ago, now facing competition from Total Fitness.

Other popular venues include Bolton Health Studio, De Vere Whites, hotel health club, The Last Drop Village Complex leisure club, Farnworth Health Club.