Community told to draw up plan for sport centre

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save a cuts-threatened leisure centre in an isolated community have been given just over a fortnight to come up with a plan to stave off closure.

A group called For Stocksbridge Leisure Centre (4SLC) was set up earlier this year after it was revealed the venue was on a closure hit list drawn up by Sheffield Council to save cash.

The authority claims the centre costs £400,000 a year in public subsidy and said it is unsustainable against a backdrop of cuts worth £50 million demanded by the Government this financial year.

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But people who live in Stocksbridge, which is 10 miles north of Sheffield city centre, furiously criticised the decision and forced top councillors into talks in a bid to reverse the move.

Demands to save the centre using public cash failed, but councillors said they were prepared to hand the venue to the community and yesterday it was revealed an “outline plan” had been drawn up.

Council bosses will discuss the document next week, but campaigners will be told the original deadline of April 30 will not move, with its doors closing unless a “viable business plan” is presented.

However, the authority has offered some flexibility, saying it will provide up to £125,000 to “mothball” the centre until the end of August to allow more time for the plan to be completed.

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A council spokesman said: “It is acknowledged that sports facilities have to take a share of the council-wide cuts.

“Ongoing and extensive consultation has been taking place with Stocksbridge Town Council and 4SLC since the start of the year.

“The council extended the consultation period to the end of April to allow the community more time to consider if it wanted to take over the running of the centre and develop a business case which the council would consider.

“The community could take over and operate the centre from May 1 if they wished or another proposed option would be to mothball the centre until the end of August to give the community more time to finalise their business case.

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“The council could provide financial support of up to £125,000 to support either of these options.

“The community has been asked to submit a viable business plan by April 19 or by the same date request a mothball period until the end of August for a plan to be finalised.”

Council leisure chiefs said that if the end of August deadline was missed, the centre would be closed, after which options for “alternative provision” would be examined.

They pointed to an independent report commissioned by the council and Sport England which said saving the Stocksbridge Centre would mean closure of other centres in the city, affecting many more people.

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Consultants said the “way forward” is for a new build local pool of a much smaller scale in Stocksbridge, and said the current centre was “expensive” and had “relatively low visit levels”.

Coun Isobel Bowler, the council’s leisure spokesman, said: “A lot of work has been undertaken over the last few months and the council has been as flexible and open as possible.

“We want to work with the town council and 4SLC to look at what can be done to provide sports facilities in Stocksbridge and the recommendations will be carefully considered.”

The April 10 meeting will also rubber stamp the decision to close and demolish Sheffield’s Don Valley Stadium in September, another move the council claims is necessary because of Government cuts.

Members of the cabinet will be told no expressions of interest have been made in taking on the venue, where Olympic heptahtlete Jessica Ennis trains, in its currrent state.