JOB losses and facility closures are looming at Inverclyde Leisure after a bombshell council report outlined a £1.46m gap in the trust's funding.

Pools, gyms and community halls have been ranked through a recent review of IL's assets, with a range of cutback proposals set to be brought in front of a full council meeting in December.

Spiralling utility costs and IL's depressed income levels after the pandemic are among the factors which have contributed to the budget pressures.

Inverclyde Leisure's current assets were ranked through two assessments centred around performance, finance and social value and usage.

In the ranking of indoor facilities, Birkmyre Park Gym in Kilmacolm came out on top while Greenock Sports Centre and Port Glasgow Pool found themselves near the bottom.

The Waterfront, which ranked sixth in the first assessment, fell to the bottom of the table in the second review where the financial score was given more weight.

The ageing Ravenscraig Stadium found itself ranked last in both assessments.

Wemyss Bay Community Hall was ranked top in both for community facilities, with Meadowlark Community Hall and Strone/Maukinhill Tenants Hall coming joint last in the first round of the review. Port Glasgow Town Hall was bottom in the second evaluation.

The local authority now faces a stark choice between making 'difficult' savings such as cutting jobs and closing facilities or funding the group's shortfall and saving cash elsewhere.

A report to go before councillors says: "Given the significant financial pressures facing the council and the wide range of savings being considered as part of the budget process, members will require to consider implementing significant savings from within the IL service delivery model.

"It is evident that in order to work within a reduced budget, cuts to the service IL currently offers will be needed.

"This will have an impact on staffing and IL has sought the permission of its board to undertake a severance trawl of all staff members."

The council would face an estimated £900k increase in its overall funding gap in 2023/24 if it were to increase Inverclyde Leisure's management fee to address its funding gap.

Councillors would also need to approve a greater proportion of the cuts proposed to plug its overall budget black hole, which amounts to a £15.2m gap for 2023-25.

If the local authority instead opts to make up the shortfall through savings, the report states that a 'major reduction' in IL's estate will be involved.

Members of the council's Education and Communities Committee will discuss the matter at their next meeting on November 1.