MIDDLEWICH Town Council is to consider a request from the borough council to stump up thousands of pounds a year to help save its leisure centre.

Cheshire East has asked the town council to pay an annual contribution, or 'top-up' of £15,066 to help keep the leisure centre running.

The borough council says the figures equate to a contribution of 15 per cent of the average corporate landlord costs over the last three years.

A full town council meeting is taking place on Monday, January 15, where the request will be discussed.

The report on the Middlewich Town Council agenda states: “Any such contribution would in effect safeguard the facility, but, it should be noted, would be one element of a wider savings solution.

"Hence other changes may still be required more holistically – for example an increase in pricing for access to leisure services, revised Options scheme, review of the agreement charges applied for schools access to these facilities etc.”

There was a public backlash last year when Cheshire East Council announced it intended to consult on proposals to close four of its smaller leisure centres - Knutsford, Middlewich, Poynton and Holmes Chapel.

As a result, at November’s environment and communities meeting, the committee scrapped plans for that consultation and instead decided to launch a public consultation seeking other cost-cutting measures within the service.

The town council's meeting takes place at 7.15pm at Victoria Hall in Civic Way.