Shropshire leisure centre cash crisis: The fight is on to save facilities
Plans were today being put in place to secure the future of leisure centres in Shropshire.
Campaigners, groups and organisations are working behind the scenes to ensure they remain open.
'Tier three' facilities at Much Wenlock Leisure Centre, Shrewsbury’s Roman Road Sports Centre, Idsall Sports Centre in Shifnal, Wem Swimming and Lifestyle Centre, The Severn Centre in Highley and Craven Arms Community Centre would see funding stop by the end of 208/19.
'Tier two' centres affected include Church Stretton Leisure Centre, Whitchurch Swimming Centre, Whitchurch Sports Centre and Cleobury Mortimer Sports Centre. They would lose funding by the end of 2022/23.
Denise Cottom, speaking for the Stretton Pool Action group, which is campaigning to keep the pool at Teme Church Stretton open to the public, said the council's latest plan was in fact a significant improvement on how the situation facing the leisure centre looked previously.
She said there was a commitment to provide continued support in the short term for the four tier two centres until 2023, which bought supporters some time.
She said: "Shropshire Council has actually paid attention to what the people of Church Stretton have said. I'm absolutely sure that if we hadn't got together and made our views heard that we wouldn't have been in tier two, we'd have been looking at closure now."
She said Stretton Pool Action was now looking at making an application to the Charity Commission to get charitable status for a group supporting the leisure centre "as soon as possible".
Shifnal Mayor Robert Harrop said that there was an "on-going conversation" with Shropshire Council concerning leisure facilities in the town. "People shouldn't worry," he said. "There's a plan. Shifnal Council are fully behind and support leisure activities in the town, and we will engage with partners for that."
Much Wenlock Leisure Centre is in talks with charity Halo Leisure about Halo taking it on from Shropshire Council. Ciaran Owen, duty officer at the centre, said: "Halo is interested in taking us on, there have been interviews and things so that is in the mix. I don't think it's at risk. We get primary schools coming here, we're quite lucky to have the facilities that we've got in such a small town."
Shropshire Councillor David Turner said the centre is very popular.
He said: "Clearly it's really valuable to people in Much Wenlock and Broseley and the surrounding areas."
Manager Chris Reeves said the Severn Centre has signed a 10-year funding agreement with Shropshire Council and Highley Parish Council.
He said: "We're confident that everything will remain in place. It's certainly important to the community. We have babies here in the nursery right through to pensioners using the facilities. The oldest people we've had are in their 90s, they play bowling or would go to the cafe for their lunch."
Reacting to the news that the Roman Road Sports Centre could lose its funding, Nicholas Laurens, Shropshire Councillor for Meole, said: “Due to the importance of this Roman Road Sports Centre to residents within Meole Ward, I have taken a keen interest in how we make best use of this and all our facilities. Since receiving the draft document in mid-March 2017, I have liaised with officers, reviewed usage and looked at ways to facilitate a more sustainable model going forward.”
Councillor Edward Towers, mayor of Wem, said his town's swimming pool would not be affected because the centre does not rely on funding from Shropshire Council. He said: "I feel very sorry for the other towns but Wem Pool is not affected as it is self-funded. Wem Town Council and the Friends of Wem Pool have worked very hard in supporting the pool and making it the success it is today."
Craven Arms Community Centre was built by Shropshire Council but is now in fact owned by Craven Arms Playing Fields Association, funded by Craven Arms Town Council. Only the library in the centre is funded by Shropshire Council. At Craven Arms Community Centre funding for the library housed there is set to end in March next year. Gill Pitt, social inclusion manager for the Furniture Scheme, said that meant the library, but only the library, was at risk, and talks are ongoing as to what will happen to it.
Shropshire Council's proposal comes as part of the authority’s indoor leisure facilities strategy for 2018 to 2023, which also includes a recommendation that funding continues for seven of Shropshire’s large leisure centres.
The authority says it will continue to provide “ongoing revenue support as required” to Shrewsbury Sports Village, Shrewsbury's Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre, Oswestry Leisure Centre, Market Drayton Swimming Centre, South Shropshire Leisure Centre in Ludlow, SpArC in Bishop’s Castle, and Bridgnorth Leisure Centre.
