A new campaign has been launched to save North East leisure centres at risk of closure and leaving thousands of regular users without vital facilities that have served their communities for decades.
Today ChronicleLive joins the rallying call for a solution to keep open “absolutely vital” Gateshead leisure centres that are facing closure - and we say the time has come for the Government to step in and help. It comes as outraged campaigners, sports clubs, MPs, and council leaders have all come together calling for something to be done to save the at risk leisure centres run by Gateshead Council, as at least two facilities look set to close under budget-cutting plans revealed by the council in October.
At least two leisure centres look set to close – with the Gateshead Leisure Centre, Dunston Leisure Centre, and the sports hall at Birtley Leisure Centre deemed to be under the greatest threat.
Read more: Gateshead unites in rallying cry to save 'absolutely vital' leisure centres from threat of closure
For weeks, people have been telling us just how catastrophic this could be. Closing leisure centres means creating more barriers to exercise for people living in some of the most deprived parts of our region and means there will be fewer places where children can learn to swim.
It means losing community hubs and places of connection, things that we all know the value of after the isolation of the Covid pandemic, and puts the existence of sports clubs under severe threat.
Civic centre officials say they have been left with no choice as Gateshead’s council-run leisure services have become “unaffordable” for the council after having £179m slashed from its budget since 2010 and facing a £55m financial black hole over the next five years.
Council chiefs are calling for the Government to "recognise the importance of leisure centres" and has pleaded with ministers to step in at a time when pools and leisure centres across the country are facing an uncertain future, a call that is echoed by campaigners and sports organisations hoping to avoid the un-thinkable closures.
It is estimated 40% of local authority areas in England could be hit with closures or reduced hours over the coming months, due to budget costs and spiralling energy bills. Swim England fears that more than 100 pools could be shut down and is campaigning for the Government to offer both short-term support on energy costs and a ring fenced grant for local authorities that will protect investment in leisure services.
So something needs to be done now before the country faces an epidemic of closures that spread to further areas and put the health of our future generations in jeopardy as they are denied vital services we have all taken for granted in our lifetimes.
Read next:
