b'Chapter 13 Leisure and Community Services Leisure facilities 13.1 The most often quoted statutory provision governing the ability of a council to provide and charge for leisure facilities is section 19 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. Under this section a local authority may provide, either inside or outside its area, such recreational facilities as it thinks fit and, without prejudice to the generality of this power, the section sets out particular powers enabling authorities to provide: (a)indoor facilities consisting of sports centres, swimming pools, skating rinks, tennis, squash and badminton courts, bowling centres, dance studios and riding schools; (b)outdoor facilities consisting of pitches for team games, athletics grounds, swimming pools, tennis courts, cycle tracks, golf courses, bowling greens, riding schools, camp sites and facilities for gliding; (c)facilities for boating and water skiing on inland and coastal waters and for fishing in such waters; (d)premises for the use of clubs or societies having athletic, social or recreational objects; (e)staff, including instructors, in connection with any such facilities or premises as are mentioned in the preceding paragraphs and in connection with any other recreational facilities provided by the authority; (f)such facilities in connection with any other recreational facilities as the authority considers it appropriate to provide including, without prejudice to the generality of the preceding provisions of this paragraph, facilities by way of parking spaces and places at which food, drink and tobacco may be bought from the authority or another person. The section goes on to declare that the powers conferred by this subsection to provide facilities include powers to provide buildings, equipment, supplies and assistance of any kind. The section expressly states that a local authority may make any facilities provided by it in pursuance of the preceding subsections available for use by any such persons as the authority thinks fit either without charge or on payment of such charges as the authority thinks fit. The section also contains provision for the authority to contribute by way of grant or loan towards the expenses incurred by voluntary organisations providing such recreational facilities. 136'