Management company Parkwood Leisure has started work on a 10-year, £1m per annum turnover contract to operate three leisure centres and an athletics track on behalf of Kettering Borough Council last month.

West Berkshire District Council has also awarded preferred bidder status to the company for an enlarged £3.7m contract. This 10-year contract includes the management of two centres already operated by Parkwood and potentially an additional seven centres.

A third contract at preferred bidder stage from Rushcliffe Borough Council, is for the operation of five local authority leisure centres. This £3.8m contract will run for ten years and is due to start this summer.

Once signed, these contracts will add £8.5m to Parkwood’s annual turnover. Meanwhile, Cherwell District Council has awarded preferred bidder status for the DBOM contract for three leisure centres. Parkwood will take over the this £24m, 25-year contract this autumn.

Portsmouth City Council have also awarded preferred bidder status for the £16million, 25 year contract for the Mountbatten Centre, plus leisure management of all other facilities, from October 2007. This adds another £4.5million to annual turnover.

Andrew Holt, managing director at Parkwood Leisure, said: “We are delighted at our continued growth and excited about the opportunity to bring investment to these areas and to work with the councils to deliver integrated, consistent and high quality leisure services to all of our customers.”