Leisure centres across Wiltshire are being threatened with closure unless community groups come forward to run them.

Springfield Leisure Centre in Corsham, Pewsey Leisure Centre and Lime Kiln Leisure Centre in Wootton Bassett will be closed by 2015 unless the people of the towns band together to run them, like those in Calne and Cricklade who rescued their centres in 2005.

Six centres will close for good under the Wiltshire Council proposals while another seven will close if the community trusts cannot raise enough money to take them over.

Trowbridge will see the closure of the sports centre in Frome Road and the Castle Place leisure centre in 2017, while Melksham’s Blue Pool and Christie Miller sports centre will shut in 2013. Warminster Sports Centre will close in 2021 and facilities at Amesbury will wind down in 2023.

The swimming pools at Westbury and Bradford on Avon will close if they cannot be transferred to the community by 2017.

Other sports centres at Leighton (Westbury) and Tisbury will be open to transfer to community trusts before 2015.

The council estimates it will need to spend £93 million on running and repairing the 13 centres it has earmarked for closure or transfer.

It wants to use the money it is saving, combined with the sale of five sites – two in Trowbridge, two in Melksham and one in Warminster – to meet the £117 million costs of opening new community hubs at Melksham, Warminster and Trowbridge and improving other centres.

Among the investments will be improvements to the Wiltshire School of Gymnastics in Bowerhill, Melksham. A new learner pool will also be built at Devizes Leisure Centre.

Leader Coun Jane Scott said the council’s 23 centres are unsustainable. “We are not going to be able to deliver these services.

“Our role in the future will be to enable other people,” she said. “Over 18 months we have been reviewing them so we know everything inside out. It was like opening Pandora’s Box.

“We won’t just be walking away from them. We will put them into a state of good repair before they go. Then a group that wanted to take them on could put money aside for any future repairs.”

Coun Stuart Wheeler, cabinet member for leisure, said: “We had to come up with a reasonable plan as to how we can provide decent leisure for the people of Wiltshire for a long period of time. Some of the indoor leisure facilities are outdated, inefficient and unsustainable.

“With the cost of keeping these going it is actually better to invest in new facilities. To do nothing is not an option.”

Council bosses yesterday issued a rallying call to community groups to take on seven of the centres, but six will not be open to transfer.

They have pointed to success stories such as at Calne, which is now managed by a community-led group and hope that other town council’s, community organisations and activists will follow their lead.

Chief executive Andrew Kerr said: “If they were taken over there would be a five year period where they will have some funding from us. After that the community will start to invest in them. They are right to be worried but we can’t afford to maintain these 23 properties.

“I want to be able to hand the facilities over to the people of these communities.”

Groups would not need to buy the site, they would instead lease the building for an agreed number of years.

The plans will be go out to public consultation on August 2 until October 29.

A questionnaire will be produced which will be distributed to council offices, libraries, and leisure centres.

It will also be available online through the council’s website.

A decision will then be made by cabinet members at the end of the year.