Councillors vote to shut leisure centres

Members of Barnsley Council’s cabinet committee voted at a meeting yesterday to close Penistone leisure centre, Athersley leisure centre and Wombwell swimming pool on Tuesday, May 31.

The three centres are run by Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL), a charitable company, and Athersley leisure centre is already closed on health and safety grounds.

Penistone leisure centre is operating on reduced hours and at a “significant financial loss”, while it would cost more than £700,000 within the next five years to maintain the Victorian Wombwell swimming baths at current levels.

The news comes after more than 2,000 people signed a petition to try to save the popular Wombwell baths, which the council admit people have “emotional links” to.

Coun Tim Cheetham said: “Any decision to close a leisure facility is never taken lightly.

“Sadly, given the UK’s well-publicised financial climate and the immense pressures on the budgets of councils and charitable organisations such as BPL, such difficult decisions become unavoidable.”