LOCAL MPs have expressed their disappointment at the prospect of leisure centres in major towns in Cornwall closing – and councillors have expressed their frustration at the late notice of the situation from operator GLL.

Four leisure centres run under the Better brand are under threat: Launceston, Saltash, Wadebridge and Falmouth.

Operator GLL says that pre-Covid, its business model had allowed it to prop up the ‘loss-making centres’ in Cornwall. The enforced closures during the pandemic have meant using up all the reserves, and in the light of trade still only running at 75% of 2019 levels, it says this model is ‘no longer sustainable’.

At the start of this year, GLL asked Cornwall Council for more financial support on top of a £4m repayable loan it had had. The local authority in turn had asked Government for further support to keep leisure centres open. At the start of the pandemic, £100m was provided nationally to publicly-owned outsourced leisure centres, a figure which Sport England said was just a quarter of the amount realistically needed by the sector.

Now, GLL has issued an ultimatum: it says it will have no choice but to close the four centres mentioned unless more subsidy is forthcoming.

Cornwall Council, which does not have a statutory duty to run leisure facilities, is now looking for local councils and community groups to come forward with proposals to keep them open.

The consultation can be found here: https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/leisure

Saltash councillor Hilary Frank has described the situation as “appalling” and says that with leisure centres playing a vital role in the health of local people and therefore having a positive impact on the NHS, looking at it in terms of the finances alone is “looking at it the wrong way”.

North Cornwall Scott Mann says he would like to see Launceston Leisure Centre transferred to local ownership like the centre at Camelford.

He has accused the previous Lib Dem administration at Cornwall Council of “failing to plan ahead” with the current contract with GLL, and says he is now liaising with the new administration’s cabinet member at Cornwall Council about a new approach.

He said: “I was never a fan of the current leisure contract which was signed by the previous Lib Dem led council administration. Their failure to plan ahead is one of the reasons we find ourselves in the position we are in today. 

“Ten years ago, when I was on the old district council, I supported the community in Camelford who wanted their Leisure Centre to become owned and operated by a local benefit society.

“I think we have an opportunity to learn from that project and perhaps do the same with Wadebridge and Launceston.

“I have spoken to the cabinet member in the new administration today and put across my ideas and the view of my constituents who want to keep both sites open. These centres have an enormously wide value to society.

“Launceston Leisure Centre is run by a charity and there is an opportunity to get the asset transferred back under local ownership.”

But Launceston North and North Petherwin representative – and former leader of Cornwall Council - Adam Paynter expressed his disappointment in the new Conservative council and vowed to fight for his local leisure centre.

He said: “I am very disappointed that the first real action of the new conservative administration in Cornwall is to start closing leisure centres.

“It is vital that our children have a place to learn to swim safely and that everyone has the ability to use their local leisure centre.

“We are miles from other leisure centres with poor public transport options.”

One measure being considered is to merge some services – such as those in Bodmin and Wadebridge.

In a public statement, Cornwall Council says that it ‘know that leisure facilities matter to our communities’ and that “although the pandemic has hit finances hard, our proposals will aim to provide a wide range of leisure facilities that are accessible, affordable and provide best value for money for the people who use them”.

However on the ‘Let’s Talk’ consultation website, the situation is set out more starkly. The local authority says: “Supporting residents through Covid 19 has already hit the Council’s finances hard. Our first duty is to balance our books and provide those statutory frontline services we are legally obliged to provide for our residents. We do not have a budget for subsidising GLL operations or for operating any centres directly.

“We are ready to work closely with any local councils or community groups that believe they could offer a solution capable of making some of these facilities financially viable and to explore other sustainable alternatives. However, if no solution or alternative is found, these facilities would close.”

Following the news that Saltash’s centre was among those under review, Conservative MP for South East Cornwall Sheryl Murray said: “Leisure centres are very important for any area to have and it would be very disappointing if the largest town in South East Cornwall did not have one.

“These facilities are not just important for leisure but also for our health.

“I know my mother in law uses specialist exercise classes for the elderly at her local leisure centre for example.

“I have met with GLL in the past and I will be raising this issue at the highest levels and will be looking at ways of ensuring these important facilities become sustainable in the long term.

“I also encourage local people to use the facilities as this is often a key factor when these decisions are made.”

Cllr Hilary Frank, Cornwall Councillor for Saltash Essa, said she was frustrated with the situation, having only discovered her division’s pool was up for consideration via social media.

Cllr Frank was due to have a meeting with the Mayor of Saltash to ascertain his stance and pledge her support to the town.

Cllr Frank said: “I think it’s appalling. As we were coming out of the pandemic our Prime Minister stood on the steps of Number 10 and told us exercise is important.

“Our leisure centres are fundamental to that, people rely on the services they provide. We should be investing in our sports facilities that pay dividends later on, lowering the impact on our NHS.

“I think they are looking at this in the wrong way, from a financial position.

“What I would like to know is how did they choose these three centres. If it is just on financial viability I think that’s wrong. Three of the four centres are east of Bodmin – that’s not Cornwall-wide. It’s not right and there needs to be some joined up thinking.”