Future of Cheshire East's leisure centres still uncertain

The decision taken at yesterday’s (Thursday) meeting of the environment and communities committee doesn’t guarantee the future of any of the council’s centres because the savings still have to be made.

But, following a public backlash over plans to consult on the possible closure of leisure centres at Knutsford, Middlewich, Poynton and Holmes Chapel next year, the proposal was amended.

The consultation will now look at a variety options – yet to be determined - to deliver the necessary savings.

Cllr Ashley Farrall (Image: Cheshire East Council)Macclesfield councillor Ashley Farrall (Lab) who proposed the amendment, was one of several councillors critical of the report presented by the council’s officers.

He said he believed the wording of the original recommendation, which focused on closing four of the 15 centres, ‘pre-determines the outcome’.

Objectors had packed into the council’s Westfields HQ and many had to view the meeting via video link on a screen in another room.

Residents objecting to proposals to close the leisure centres packed into the committee room (Image: Belinda Ryan, LDRS)During the five hour discussion, numerous public speakers and councillors questioned the ’flawed’ data provided by officers to show why those four centres had been earmarked for closure.

Objectors said it didn’t include clubs or school use.

Cllr Andrew Kolker, speaking as the chair of Everybody Health and Leisure (EHL), which runs the council’s leisure centres, said: “All the leisure centres proposed for closure are joint use centres. Their closure will therefore not only affect the residents but will affect the schools’ ability to deliver their curriculum. These schools don’t have sports halls because they were built around a leisure centre so without the leisure centre they can’t deliver the PE lessons and the sports curriculum they have to.”

Cllr Andrew Kolker (Image: Cheshire East Council)He said thousands of children use the leisure centres every week and the schools pay for the use.

“We currently timetable swimming for 110 primary schools in our nine swimming pools. We’re really going to struggle to provide that same level of service with just seven pools, with significantly greater travel times and expenses to already cash-strapped schools,” he said.

In a written statement, Poynton resident Julie Felton, said: “If the leisure centre were to close, all clubs and associated opportunities would stop as there is simply no capacity for them to relocate elsewhere.”

A Middlewich resident asked if the council was going ahead with its plans for a leisure development at Sutton Lane if it closed the Middlewich Leisure Centre. Officers weren’t able to answer and said they would provide a written response.

Cheshire East is facing an £18.7m shortfall this year and has to make savings.

The leisure review claimed to be also looking at how to  ‘address health inequalities and maximise health outcomes for the residents of Cheshire East’.

Knutsford resident Debbie Jamison,  described the proposals as ‘bonkers’ saying: “Closing Knutsford doesn’t improve outcomes in Macclesfield.”

Councillors Stewart Gardiner (Knutsford, Con) and Hayley Whittaker (Poynton, Con) criticised the methodology behind the data the officers used to recommend the four centres for closure.

Cllr Tony Dean (Image: Cheshire East Council)Cllr Tony Dean (Knutsford, Con) urged officers to talk to EHL, saying the leisure trust was convinced savings could be found without such drastic measures.

“Let’s nip it in the bud before we create for ourselves the embarrassment of a public constitution on a very flawed proposal," he said.

The proposals, as originally presented, have now been scrapped and a new consultation on how to find the savings will be drafted. This will then have to be approved by the committee at a future date.