NEWPORT’S leisure services could be moved to a private firm or a trust from 2015 if the council agrees to the move, according to a report.

In September the Argus revealed that the council was considering handing its leisure services, including the Newport Centre and International Sports Village, over to an outside body.

A report to a council scrutiny group has shown that the options being looked have been whittled down to handing facilities to a trust or commissioning a private firm to run them.

The matter is now set to be scrutinised by a group of councillors who will discuss forming a group to give a view on the matter, ahead of the local authority’s decision.

The Argus previously reported that the council was looking at a range of possibilities, including collaborating with other local authorities, setting up a wholly owned arms-length company, starting a joint venture or starting a not-for-profit organisation.

However the a document for the scrutiny committee for learning, caring and leisure says the options being considered are either establishing a charitable not-for-profit leisure trust or commissioning a private operator.

Under the timescales outlined in the report, a detailed business case could possibly be completed by February 2014 with implementation starting later that year.

The new service model would be fully up and running, the report suggests, by April 2015 if the council goes forward with the trust or July 2015 if it plumps for a private firm to run the services.

It is thought Newport Centre and the International Sports Village could save £431,716 in rates if they were run by a charitable organisation.

Newport Centre, which opened in 1985, has played host to raft of big names over the years, including household-names the Manic Street Preachers, REM, Elton John, Dizzee Rascal and Kasabian.

The Olympic Team GB team are among those who have trained at the Newport International Sports Village’s velodrome.

The complex also includes the Tennis Centre, Newport Stadium, the regional pool and the cycle speedway circuit.

The scrutiny committee will discuss forming a policy review group for the proposal at its meeting tomorrow.