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Gazette launches fight to save sports centres

11:17am Wednesday 29th November 2006

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The Gazette has launched a campaign to save the three leisure centres at Calne, Cricklade and Wootton Bassett from closure.

Since North Wiltshire District Council's decision to close the centres last Thursday, we have been flooded with letters, e-mails and responses to our web site.

Editor Gary Lawrence said: "People feel very let down and angry about what has happened, particularly because of the lack of consultation with the hundreds of clubs and groups who will now have nowhere to meet or play their sport.

"We believe this measure is short-sighted. It would be possible, like the county council did at Pewsey, to give notice that the district cannot continue to fund the sports centres but to keep them open until a partner can be found to run them.

"We feel the centres should be there as a community asset and we need to show North Wiltshire District Council that we, the people of the area, demand they work towards a solution for keeping them open.'' The Gazette has already distributed petition forms and posters around Wootton Bassett, Calne and Cricklade but we need more people to take them and put them up in their windows and cars. You can download them below or ring (01793) 501960 and we'll post a petition form or a poster to you.

The Gazette will be at the Wootton Bassett Christmas lights switch-on on Friday night with the petition.

Background to closures and have your say

Download petition forms and posters here

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Your Say YourThe Wiltshire Gazette and Herald

Diana Onslow, says...
1:36pm Wed 29 Nov 06

I would like to register my dissapointment over the likely closure of the Calne Sports Centre.

The the pool/hall and gym are always busy. The children enjoy their swimming lessons and it would be impossible to travel further afield to use other facilities which is why we are members of the centre.

In this day and age when excercise and health are real issues please dont let them shut the Calne Sports Centre.

Diana Onslow

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hannah field, says...
2:14pm Wed 29 Nov 06

i hape bassett getsa wat they want as im missing bassett so much as im living i yeovil at bording school

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sally wainman, says...
2:18pm Wed 29 Nov 06

The Dept of Culture, Media and Sport has sent out a clear message to all Councils that swimming pools are very much an optional extra; their phrase for it is that local authorities have to make these "hard decisions". This gives North Wilts, Yarmouth, Nottingham and many others permission to bow out of this essential civic responsibility, and save money in this extremely short-sighted way.

I would urge Wiltshire residents to make this a voting issue and stand in the May Elections as Independent Candidates with the Leisure Centres as the main focus. Here in Ipswich we are into our fourth year of campaigning for Broomhill Pool - a 1930's lido which was closed in 2002 (see www.savebroomhillpool.org)

It's wonderful to see the Gazette supporting your campaign.

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Simon, says...
3:27pm Wed 29 Nov 06

I find it morally reprehensible that once again, the Guts-ache & Herald has taken the position of ‘champion of the people’ regarding a cause that it knows full well is a dead donkey.

Why should anyone run a business at a loss? People vote with their feet – If you want a facility to remain then you must patronise it.

Perhaps the editor may care to comment as to the lack of ‘the whole truth’ in his newspaper?

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David, Wootton Bassett, says...
7:07pm Wed 29 Nov 06

I'm very glad that the paper is joining the campaign to stop this lunacy. We need all the help we can get to put pressure on the arrogant leaders of North Wilts District Council, who I am sure have underestimated the public anger that they have aroused with this short-sighted decision.

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E Pengelly, says...
7:46pm Wed 29 Nov 06

To think that Cricklade Leisure Centre is not patronised is wrong -visiting the centre on a week day and seeing the wealth of activities it has to offer for both adults and children proves that it is an important part of Cricklade. It could be much better with some investment but to suddenly pull the plug on something which has been badly managed, with no consultation with the tax payers, is disgraceful. Thanks to all those like the Gazette & Herald who are helping the cause and don't take the attitude that 'the decision has been made so lets get on with it'.

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Andrew, says...
10:09am Thu 30 Nov 06

Simon wrote:
I find it morally reprehensible that once again, the Guts-ache & Herald has taken the position of ‘champion of the people’ regarding a cause that it knows full well is a dead donkey. Why should anyone run a business at a loss? People vote with their feet – If you want a facility to remain then you must patronise it. Perhaps the editor may care to comment as to the lack of ‘the whole truth’ in his newspaper?
If you think that Wootton Bassett Leisure Centre is being under-utilised then you should try parking there at alomost any time, or have your 6 year old on a waiting list for a year to join the swimming club ! I agree that a business should not be run at a loss but this is much more than a business, it's a community asset, and surely one of the points here is the closure decision was made without any consultation with the community !! If the centres were running at a loss then why oh why didn't the council petition the residents about price increases or other methods of funding the service. The whole thing smacks of mis-management to me, and you can bet your bottom dollar that those making these decisions will not be the one's who are suffering !! Prime plot of building land anybody ????

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Kevin Pamphilon, says...
10:22am Thu 30 Nov 06

As a sports coach in Wootton Bassett I feel that the communities affected by these closures are being made to pay the price for incompetant management by NWLL. According to the council it appears that schools have been underpaying for facilities for years which has contributed to the problem. Why has it taken years for them to notice this? I have heard nothing about the District council talking to the County council to try and find a solution to this. The centres have been run inflexibly and we now find out that they have been losing money since 2000 when NWLL was first set up to "manage" them. It has taken 6 years for NWDC to either notice there was a problem or to admit to it. They have created this mess and now want to abdicate responsibility for sorting it out and only propose the creation of an East - West sporting divide in their own authority.

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Max, says...
11:47am Thu 30 Nov 06

NWLL is a tennant of these sports centres, The council is the Landlord. If you look into the reports then i am sure you will find its the ageing buildings that are of concern. The council is repsonsbile for the buildings and has not invested in them over the years. Why is it we have Kennet council still employing still the their leisure staff and investing/seeking funds to modernise Devizes centre to the tune of 2.6millon in one centre alone, when North Wilts Council Invest 0.9million into the running of 6 sites! Also if these leisure reports are indicating there is no need to have these centres then why wasn't this report done before all these council employees were cast adrift into forming NWLL that was doomed from the start?

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David, says...
1:27pm Thu 30 Nov 06

Sports centres are central to community life, and should be maintained at all costs. It is not just a 'business', as suggested by some, but an investment in the people, and especially the children in the area. Local government has a duty to provide leisure facilities, in the same way it has a duty to provide street lighting etc. If these people cannot run the system correctly, then get someone who can.

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Simon, says...
3:11pm Thu 30 Nov 06

David wrote:
Sports centres are central to community life, and should be maintained at all costs. It is not just a 'business', as suggested by some, but an investment in the people, and especially the children in the area. Local government has a duty to provide leisure facilities, in the same way it has a duty to provide street lighting etc. If these people cannot run the system correctly, then get someone who can.
That'll be a subjective moral duty then (there is certainly no statuary duty for the district or county councils to provide leisure facilities). Leisure centres are a privilege, not a right.

Instead of pointing the finger and demanding pointless public consultation (the answer being obvious) why don't you people actually use the centres and generate some income? Whoops, too late.

Still, at least the monies raised from the sell-off will negate the need for future service cuts.

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Glyn Pengelly, says...
7:15pm Thu 30 Nov 06

It is quite sad that those individuals, and it is a very insignificant minority, think that to fight for a good community cause is a waste of time and we should all give in, lie down and let everything fall apart. They need to go to these Leisure Centres in crisis to see for themselves that they are being used and are fully booked for many activities. It is obvious that this situation is down to mis-management by NWLL and their failure to promote and make good use of the excellent services these centres are providing. I suggest non-constructive comments come from those with the 'I'm alright Jack' sector of society who, even though it does not directly affect them feel that it is a waste of time to get involved. Cricklade Leisure Centre is a key part of community life and to let it go without without a fight would be total madness.

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Graham mann, says...
9:22pm Thu 30 Nov 06

This decision is a disgrace, and the lack of consultation and communication despicable and shows the regard our Council has for those it is supposed to serve. The children of Wootton Bassett, along with those in Calne and Cricklade,are as deserving of the right to learn to swim, participate in sports, keep fit and do something worthwhile with their lives as the children in Chippenham and elsewhere. Access to local leisure facilities is a right and should not be determined by a postcode lottery . The Lime Kiln centre in Bassett might not make as much profit as the one in Chippenham, but that is not the point. Woottton Bassett is a sizeable and growing town and our children especially deserve the right to swim and play sports in their local leisure centre. Of course the Centres should be run efficiently (and it is not our fault if that has not been the case) but they should not be treated as profit centres. They are a vital community facility and should be funded as such. I fully expect and am happy that my Council Tax should be used to subsidise and fund my local leisure centre and I demand that NWDC reverse their decison immediately and find a way to maintain the Lime Kiln and other Centres. Do not let them get away with this- contact the Council leader, our Councillors, MP and others to let them know how we feel.

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pat, says...
11:18pm Fri 1 Dec 06

Having lived in Wootton Bassett for nearly 40 years our family have used the sports centre including my grandchildren. Not only for swimming but Keep Fit, badmington and various other courses. We are being told nationally that'family life' needs to be brought to the front and that children should learn to swim, children need to have more excercise because more children are overweight now than in the past. Lots of families couldn't afford to go into Swindon or anywhere else so how are they supposed to keep the next generation fit!

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KP, says...
1:27pm Fri 8 Dec 06

We have Gordon Brown puting up taxes because we are not green and use too much petrol and the prospect of congestion charges and road tolls. In addition thousands of new homes are being built in the area. How absurd it is that that local facilities are being closed. There should be plans for expanding local leisure centres not closing them to cope with all the new housing and reduce traffic.

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