A NEW leisure contractor has signed a 10-year deal with Slough Borough Council (SBC) to take over the running of its public facilities.

The Everyone Active brand, which was announced in April as the council's preferred bidder for the new contract, will take over the management of Montem Leisure Centre on June 1.

It will also manage the new Ice Arena when it opens in 2018, Salt Hill Family Activity Centre (formerly Absolutely Ten Pin) and Langley Leisure Centre when the projects have been completed.

Everyone Active, the company of which is Sports and Leisure Management Limited, currently manages 140 health centres nationwide and was named Operator of the year four times by an industry body.

Regional director, Jon Senior, said: "This is a very exciting time for sports and leisure in the borough. The council is investing a fantastic amount to ensure people have access to state of the art facilities, and we're proud to have been chosen to deliver these across the community."

The latest move comes after the council had a spat with previous leisure provider, Slough Community Leisure, which it has been stated, did not bid for the new contract. It had claimed it was being treated unfairly in the process.

Of the new deal, councillor Joginder Bal, commissioner for leisure and environment at SBC, said: "Our aim is for more Slough residents to be more active, more often and by working with Everyone Active we can make this vision a reality.

"Their plans for Montem are exciting and I can't wait to see how they develop and the improvements they make to the leisure centre."