SIX leisure centres facing closure under town hall cost-cutting could all be saved after ten rescue plans were submitted to council chiefs.

Durham County Council bosses, who say closing the facilities would save £1.3m a year, set groups wanting to take over running the facilities a deadline of today to file initial business plans.

Last night, ten possible rescue plans – including at least one for each facility – had emerged.

Spectrum Leisure and Management (Slam), which runs Spectrum leisure centre, in Willington, wants to run the centres in Ferryhill, Coxhoe, Sherburn and Pity Me.

Chief executive Ian Hirst said the four would need about £1m of investment but, together, could break even within five years.

Deerness Gymnastics Club wants to help create a world-class gymnastics academy at Deerness Leisure Centre, in Ushaw Moor.

There are also community-led campaigns to save the Crook, Coxhoe and Pity Me centres.

Sherburn, meanwhile, is the subject of two community proposals – one promising more facilities than the other.

The Pity Me and Deerness proposals were handed in to County Hall yesterday, while the two Sherburn plans were submitted on Wednesday.

However, Tees Active, which offers leisure on Teesside, said it was unlikely to get involved.

Chief executive Steve Chaytor said the firm had taken a brief look at the figures and decided “it’s not really a possibility for us”.

Council officials will consider each of the plans before they go to the executive cabinet in July.

Final decisions on the future of the six facilities are expected in October.

The Labour-run council faces cuts of £125m over four years, including £67m this year.

However, speaking in the North-East yesterday, Eric Pickles, the Conservative cabinet minister for local government, said people should look to their local politicians to share backoffice functions, protect frontline services and keep the leisure centres open.

Durham received higher grants than many other councils, he added.

Terry Collins, the council’s director of neighbourhood services, said officers would need to look at the business cases submitted, along with other feedback, before deciding the best way forward.

Their priority would be to ensure the expressions of interest can offer the centres viable and sustainable futures, Mr Collins added.