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New hope for leisure centre
8:23am Friday 20th July 2007
Comments (15)North Wiltshire District Council has agreed to release £60,000 and has awarded a £75,000 grant in a bid to work with the Calne Leisure Action Group to help reopen the Calne Leisure centre.
The council is working with the group on proposals to reopen the Whitehorse Leisure Centre in the town, which closed at the end of March.
The action group, also known as CLAG, has submitted proposals and a business plan that would see them take over the management of the centre and reopen it for public use.
The council has agreed to release £60,000 to the group and it is expected members will now go ahead and apply to become an Industrial Provident Society, which will enable them to benefit from an 80% reduction in rates and claim VAT back as they will be classed as a charitable organisation.
The group has been working very hard over the past 12 weeks on their plans and have undertaken consultation with the public and are generating a great deal of community interest and support.
North Wiltshire District Council's Area Committee has also agreed to a grant of £75,000 that will be used to purchase new gym equipment.
Coun Viv Vines, the lead member for Leisure & Economy, said: "The Calne Leisure Action Group's proposals provide a sound business case and demonstrate that there is the passion and community support for the reopening of the centre.
"We remain committed to working with them and support their efforts to provide a leisure centre for public use in Calne."
Chairman of the Calne Area Committee, Coun Tony Trotman, added: "The Area Committee funding has been awarded as we are well aware locally of the importance and benefits of the Leisure Centre to the people of Calne and surrounding villages.
"The new gym equipment is an important part of CLAG's proposals to increase income and provide a quality gym experience to the public and we are delighted that we are able to support them."
Calne Leisure Action Group representative Peter Dolman said: "We are excited that we now have the support of North Wiltshire District Council to make our plans work."
Your Say YourThe Wiltshire Gazette and Herald
awake, wiltshire says...
4:28pm Fri 20 Jul 07
angie, calne says...
5:51pm Fri 20 Jul 07
DavidBear, Calne says...
6:46pm Fri 20 Jul 07
My understanding is that the gym equipment at WHLC was leased by NWLL and the lease was taken over by DC Leisure at the time of the closure in March. DC Leisure were reported to be removing all the equipment from the centre (including things like computers and the till on the front desk!!) soon after closure!
Rob, Calne says...
7:54pm Fri 20 Jul 07
With many businesses in Calne employing local people, their employees will feel the benefit of the re-opening so everyone wins.
P Dolman, Calne says...
8:25pm Fri 20 Jul 07
Thanks to Rob for your offer of help and we will be getting in touch I am sure.
If you want to hear at 1st hand what all our plans are come to our meeting on Thursday, Town Hall (7:00pm).
Peter Dolman
Calne Leisure Action Group
P Dolman, Calne says...
8:26pm Fri 20 Jul 07
!!!!!!!!
piddle, calne says...
9:59am Sat 21 Jul 07
angie, calne says...
4:46pm Mon 23 Jul 07
unfortunately we can't make the meeting, but restassured you have our support!
spooks, calne says...
5:40pm Tue 24 Jul 07
P Dolman, Calne says...
9:24am Thu 26 Jul 07
Hopefully it will not be empty for much longer then it will up to the public to prove that it is loved and wanted. It is a comment that has been said before but it will be a case of use it or lose it as there will not be a 2nd chance!
Philip Guest, Calne says...
10:01am Thu 26 Jul 07
A good level of support would be welcome, but also comments, ideas and skills that would help to make Calne Leisure Centre a success. The CLAG group have gathered a very good degree of support, both financially and of expertise, and are proposing a way forward for the next five years. However, they are still a few hurdles, plus the business model requires confidence that the centre will be well used and valued by the community. Hopefully, the decision to create the one Wiltshire council wont directly affect these plans.
The meeting is at Calne Town Hall at 7pm.
Owing to the Gazette & Herald having suffered flooding in Oxford their may be fewer copies, or a later distribution of the G&H paper this Thursday, so do please remind friends.
ElaineKing, Calne says...
12:00pm Fri 27 Jul 07
I joined St Mary's Sports centre when WHLC closed and have been grateful for it's existence but altho' people pay a monthly membership for which they can use the centre as often as the time-table permits, they can only take a guest (for which they must pay an additional £2.50) 10 times a year. This soon gets used up when one has sons, daughters and grandchildren!! I think the old method of 2 tier charging at the WHLC was a much better idea allbeit the charges were too low to keep the centre in profit, but I'm sure people would not object to paying more if it meant we could keep the much needed facilities.
ElaineKing, Calne says...
12:06pm Fri 27 Jul 07
I said how sorry I was that I could not be at the meeting last night to hear the wonderful news that the Leisure Centre has been spared and to have joined in the jubilation. My daughter and her children will be over the moon when I tell them. OOOOH, I'm so excited - I can't wait !!
Philip Guest, Calne says...
12:56pm Fri 27 Jul 07
Pleased to hear you are so enthusiastic about the Calne Leisure Centre. The email address is:
calneleisurecentreac
tiongroup@hotmail.co
.uk
BBC Wiltshire, reviewing yesterdays meeting on the morning programme, were amused by the length of the email address, though you normally only type these things in once.
You can request a form for a share of £10 per person (payable to the more simply named, Calne Leisure Ltd). This will give you voting rights and eligibility to be voted on the team on the next cycle next year, but otherwise probably better to regard it as a gift to the Centre; the are are not tradeable, nor pay dividends, but neither do they have the normal liabilities attached either.
CLAG would also welcome donations, especially at a key time getting going. Over the longer term, however, it will be your ongoing use of the Centre that will mean it can thrive.
The plan is now to try and get CLC open for October 1st. Although this cant be a promise as the CLAG team have to look at all the work needed and the level of refurbishment deemed desirable. At the meeting, Peter Dolman of CLAG cautioned that there might a show-stopper as yet unforeseen preventing the project as a whole going ahead, but his fellow CLAG team member Andrew Marshall interjected that it will go ahead . That really caught the mood of the meeting and, from what I could see and hear, got a loud and sustained round of applause from all in the crowded Town Hall.
So, yes, Elaine do follow-up by email or drop by the Town Hall Information Office. Im sure there will be more from the Gazette & Herald, so watch out for that, too.
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Calne Resident, Calne says...
3:51pm Fri 20 Jul 07