Communities have been left in shock over plans to permanently close at least two leisure centres in Gateshead.
It emerged last week that cash-strapped council bosses are set to shut down facilities in a bid to urgently cut costs – with the Gateshead Leisure Centre in Saltwell and the Dunston Leisure Centre under greatest threat. The news has sparked dismay in areas that could lose beloved sites that have been enjoyed by families for decades, with thousands of people expressing their support for the at-risk centres.
Almost 5,000 signatories have backed a petition calling for the Dunston site to be saved, calling it “more than a leisure centre, it is part of the community”.
