VOLUNTEERS are in line to take over community centres in a Council cost-cutting spree.

Hag Fold, Higher Fold and Platt Bridge community centres are the remaining ones still directly managed by Wigan Leisure Services.

In a budget cutting exercise Director of Leisure Rodney Hill earmarked departmental savings of £185,000.

Reporting to the recreation and amenities committee he said:"The aim would be to transfer management of the three centre to the voluntary sector."

Aiming at takeover completion by April 1 next year savings envisaged are £30,000 for 1997/8 and £43,000 the following year with £12,000 retained for grant aid to the management volunteers.

Changes would mean the loss of three caretaking jobs with options for the personnel involved currently under review.

Other changes include increased charges for playing and parking at Pennington Golf Course. More money will be spent on playground maintenance with £25,000 earmarked for discretionary use following a bid of £164,000 for improved services including anti-vandal rangers.

Mr Hill wanted £26,000 including in the budget to introduce two cemetery rangers to reduce vandalism and theft. He also wanted a further £93,000 allocating for extra parks and countryside rangers and £45,000 for playground maintenance.

He said:"Top priority is the improvement of playground maintenance to ensure we meet legal requirements."

Atherton Cllr Sue Loudon said of the plans:"We have had a couple of meetings with user groups at the Hag Fold centre. We are lucky to have some good people here who are quite willing to investigate such an operation."

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