'Unviable' Summit Indoor Adventure leisure village in Selby faces uncertain future after being turned into a vaccination centre

Selby District Council says Summit Indoor Adventure, which opened to the public in May 2016, has become "financially unviable" after lockdown restrictions led to a huge loss of income.

As of this month it has been used as a Covid-19 vaccination centre, with up to 5,000 people a week getting jabs, as there are no other similar sized venues in the area which were suitable.

The Conservative-run council is now facing questions over how much the Summit had cost council tax payers over the past five years and whether it was ever going to open again.

Labour councillor Wendy Nichols said: “It is my understanding that the Summit has cost upwards of £6 million and I fail to see why this can’t be in the public domain, since the Selby public has paid for it."

Coun Nichols, who is also a Yorkshire and Humberside branch Unison official, which represents the staff at the Summit, brought up the subject at the authority's full council meeting last week but says she was met with a "wall of silence".

She said: "Apart from anything else, this is an insult to the council taxpayers of Selby, who are footing the bill for the failed facility, and it is also distressing to the

20 staff at the Summit, who are fearful about their jobs."

Facilities at Summit include a six-lane 10 pin bowling facility, adventure climbing with themed climbing panels up to eight metres high, an adventure play zone with a dedicated area for babies and toddlers, aerial trekking ropes set above the indoor skate and BMX park and two indoor ski simulators.

The £5.3m facility is managed by Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles, is linked to the existing Selby Leisure Centre via a new glass walkway.

Since the Summit opened, it has received a number of grants and loans, including a £230,000 investment from Selby District Council in 2018. A message on the facility's website says the site will be used as a vaccination centre for the next six months.

A spokeswoman for Selby District Council said, “The lockdowns and restrictions faced over the last ten months have resulted in a significant loss of income to the operator for the Summit.

"When combined with a lack of national funding for these types of attractions and previous losses, the venue has become financially unviable. The building is now being used as a vaccine centre for Covid-19, vaccinating up to 5,000 people a week.

“We can’t be certain at this stage how long the venue will be needed to be used as a vaccination site but we are considering a number of long-term options for the venue. We are working closely with our leisure providers, Inspiring healthy lifestyles, to continue to provide leisure facilities in our district.

"The leisure centre in Selby which includes a gym, swimming pool, outdoor skatepark and astro turf facilities isn’t affected by the vaccine centre opening and will reopen when Covid-19 restrictions change to allow their use.”