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New bid to save leisure centre
11:06am Thursday 28th June 2007
Comments (6)
The new Calne Leisure Action Group will present its rescue bid for White Horse Leisure Centre to North Wiltshire District Council tomorrow.
Members of the group will meet NWDC executive member for leisure Viv Vines to discuss its plans to reinstate the White Horse as a community run centre.
The community-based group is aiming to save the leisure centre by offering shares to Calne Area Five residents and collecting cash and material pledges from residents and businesses.
Former Calne town councillor Peter Dolman spearheaded the group after Calne Community Area Partnership failed to save the leisure centre in March.
The group presented its plans at North Wiltshire District Council's Area Five Committee held at the town hall on June 19.
The presentation included the initial results of the questionnaire launched by CLAG on June 16 at a public consultation event in The Pippin.
CLAG's presentation was well received and the committee voted to consider granting some of its £82,000 of capital funding budget to CLAG if its business plan is accepted by the district council.
Mr Dolman, who failed to be re-elected in this year's town council elections, says the previous leisure rescue group run by Calne Community Area Partnership, wasted too much time making promises it couldn't keep.
He said: "I think five vital months were wasted after the centre was earmarked for closure and CCAP built up hope in the community when no solution had been reached.
"We are making no such promises but we will of course endeavour to save the centre with the support of businesses and residents in Calne.
"We are not a part of the old group involving Athena Leisure."
Calne Leisure Action group is calling on local tradesmen to pledge their services to help give the centre a much-needed makeover.
CLAG can be contacted by emailing calneleisurecentreactiongroup@hotmail.co.uk.
Your Say YourThe Wiltshire Gazette and Herald
P Dolman, Calne says...
11:47am Mon 9 Jul 07
The district council are now consulting with other interested parties and appraisingat length our business plan. They have promised to respond in the next 2 to 3 weeks.
While we are optimistic, if we were not we would not have spent the last 8 weeks working at this, we are realistic and accept that we are not guaranteed a positive outcome. I am sure that their decision, and rightly so, will be based on sound judgement.
Keep your fingers crossed
spooks, calne says...
12:13pm Tue 10 Jul 07
P Dolman, Calne says...
3:11pm Tue 10 Jul 07
We will of course let everyone know the decision as soon as we hear it. We would thank the councillors and officers of Calne for there support in this matter.
Rob, Calne says...
1:25pm Tue 17 Jul 07
How come we can try to fund and develop an outdoor sports centre costing millions when we cannot even support the leisure opportunities we already had (had?).
Philip Guest, Calne says...
1:54pm Wed 18 Jul 07
There are proposals actively under consideration to open under Calne Leisure Centre. It would be funded and run differently, with the intention of involving greater public participation in the operation of the CLC. Although this will require funding from a variety of sources (and this is an ongoing issue), the main consideration is that Calne folk will actually use the centre. There is a team who have been working hard and imaginatively trying to square this particular circle. As noted on the Leisure plan on agenda thread, there is a planned public meeting on Thursday 26th so this would be an opportunity to examine what has been achieved so far and, hopefully, express your support. You are not the only one using facilities less, so it would be very good to get them back.
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Calne Resident, Calne says...
9:11pm Sun 8 Jul 07
The proposal will be looking to obtain monies from a variety of sources, plus encouragement from those who are keenest to see it back to contribute more to keep it going. This will at least lesson the criticism of those who thought too much public money was being put at risk. Having tried a few alternative 'local' facilities, all were more expensive (or a lot more expensive) than the old WHLC, which at least was good value for money. Hopefully, also, there will be more local control that will give opportunities for local facilities for people from Calne who only want to use the facilities occasionally, but value their availability. I understand that the leisure centre will also be given a bit of a face-lift, which would be welcome, too. So, let hope that we have a runner, and CTC can see fit to get behind it too.