Gazette wins a victory as council climbs down on leisure centre closures (From This Is Wiltshire)

Gazette wins a victory as council climbs down on leisure centre closures

4:03am Friday 1st December 2006

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The Gazette's campaign to save three leisure centres in North Wiltshire looks to have won a victory after they were last night given a temporary reprieve.

They will stay open until March next year.

North Wiltshire District Council, which had threatened to close the White Horse Leisure Centre in Calne, Cricklade Leisure Centre and Lime Kiln Leisure Centre in Wootton Bassett, has promised to keep them open before handing them over to the community.

At a meeting yesterday the board of North Wiltshire Leisure Ltd, the company set up by the council to runthe centres, agreed to cease managing the centres on March 31 and, subject to a staff consultation, pass them on to independent groups.

The decision offers fresh hope to community leaders and sports club heads who are drawing up plans to run the centres independently for the benefit of the people in the towns.

In a statement issued on Thursday evening the chairman of NWLL, Michael Buckley, said: "On Friday of last week, we made a commitment to announce a proposed programme of closures for the leisure facilities at Calne, Cricklade and Wootton Bassett by December 1.

"After further discussions with North Wiltshire District Council, the board of NWLL passed a resolution this morning that, subject to staff consultation, NWLL will cease to manage the centres at Calne, Cricklade and Wootton Bassett on March 31, 2007. They will stay open until that point.

"A 90 day consultation period with staff will commence on December 13, 2006.

"We hope that this period of stability will afford interested parties an opportunity to explore options for any proposed plans they might have for continued service delivery at these centres.

"Interested parties should note that information packs regarding these centres that will cover management reports, financial information, buildings' condition surveys and other information will be available from the offices of NWDC at the end of next week."

It is hoped Wiltshire County Council will help to do a deal in Calne and Wootton Bassett to keep the centres open, while Cricklade hopes to set up a community trust to keep its centre operating.

Centre manager Ron Jones said: "We have been working on a budget and we think we can sort something out. We are all very grateful for the support the Gazette has given us."

The Gazette's campaign backed by Cricklade, Wootton Bassett and Calne town Councils as well as leisure centre staff, called on the council to keep the centres open until new partners to run them could be found.

Yesterday the Gazette revealed that closing the centres would cost £40,000 a month in maintainence fees to keep them in a usable condition.

Gazette editor Gary Lawrence said: "I am pleased the council has seen sense and listened to the people of North Wiltshire. They have obviously been galvanised into doing something by the strength of feeling shown across the area.

"I am just amazed councillors could not have sorted this deal out before putting the leisure centre staff, their clubs and other users through so much worry over this last week."

North Wiltshire Leisure Trust chairman Michael Buckley said: "The three leisure centres will not be mothballed or closed until March 31. This will give community groups the chance to put together independent plans to run them. After that date North Wiltshire Leisure Ltd will cease to manage the centres."

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