COUNCILLORS will be presented tomorrow with money-saving options including shutting down Caerphilly county borough council leisure centres, shutting public toilets, closing bowling greens, and cutting floral displays to deal with budget cuts.

As part of its medium term financial plan, the council must make savings of £6.5 million for the 2015/16 financial year and £6.9 million in 2016/17.

And officers have compiled a list of potential savings to be discussed at a scrutiny committee, which present the financial implications of options including closing the authority’s ten leisure centres, or giving over some to be run by nearby schools, and other services provided by the council’s community and leisure services department.

The potential closure of Cefn Fforest leisure centre could save the council £248,915 in 2016/17 – but any closure would result in another cost of £9,484 to a year before that to pay for staff redeployment and redundancy.

While any sale of the Newbridge leisure centre would save the council a further £190,766 but it would cost the council £214,636 to close the service there in 2016/17.

The potential closure of Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre could save the council £103,550, or keeping open the £G pitch there could save £93,550.

Talks are currently under way to give over the running of Cwmcarn Leisure Centre to Cwmcarn High School.

Across the authority, closures of all the centres could bring the council over £1.7 million and that the cost of land could be recovered if Caerphilly, Cefn Fforest, Newbridge and Risca leisure centres were demolished.

The documents will be discussed by regeneration and environment scrutiny committee members at a meeting postponed from July 7.

The potential impact of shutting down its recycling centres, including the Full Moon site in Cross Keys, will also be put to councillors.

They previously rejected plans to sell off the centres as part of cuts considered for 2014/15.

Other plans include reducing the number of the council’s pedestrian sweepers from four to three, which could save £14,000, and charging for replacement recycling containers.

That measure, which could save the council £60,000, was put to councillors last year but rejected.

Another idea is that cleaning on bank holidays would be reduced to the same level included at weekends, which could save £13,000.

The report acknowledges those measures might be faced with “resistance” from the public and members.

Other possible savings include closing public toilets in Risca and Blackwood, which could save £16,000, although the report acknowledges the closure of three toilets across the county borough in 2014/15 “caused much controversy”.

And the closure of six of the council’s 21 bowling greens with the lowest membership is another possible plan to save a total of £100,000 over two years.

The plan, including one in Oakdale, could close three in 2015-16 and three in 2016-17.

But according to the council, it faces the prospect of being able to save £1.2 million on its part in the Prosiect Gwyrdd waste contract.

It had been originally thought the savings could be made in 2016/17 but now these can be made in 2015/16.

The project is a joint venture between Caerphilly, Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Newport and Vale of Glamorgan councils.