Sports centres get stay of execution while councillors fight to keep them open

Residents and town councillors were left shocked last week after it was revealed that Brightlingsea Sports Centre and Harwich Sports Centre would shut on December 31 when a joint-use agreement ends.

Tendring Council manages community use arrangements at the sites, based at Harwich and Dovercourt High School and the Colne School, costing the authority £147,000 each year in subsidies.

At a meeting of the council's cabinet on Friday, council bosses agreed to let the agreements expire, but decided to provide transitional support for up to three months following the uproar.

The move will allow time to invite town councils and the Sigma Trust, the schools academy which owns the sites, to join an engagement group to work though the practicalities of providing community use at the facilities.

• Brightlingsea Sports Centre

Brightlingsea town and district councillor Mick Barry told the meeting that residents were “angry and perplexed” by the council’s proposals to end the agreement.

“It came as a complete shock to the town council and residents of Brightlingsea,” he said.

“Throughout a consultation last summer there was no indication that closure was an option."

He added that closing the site would “ignore the wishes of Brightlingsea residents and send them a message that they don’t matter” and that it would have a “long term detrimental impact on our community”.

The meeting was adjourned for 15 minutes following an "emotional" outburst from Harwich councillor Ivan Henderson, who had accused council leader Neil Stock of misleading people by equating the situation to that at Manningtree Sport Centre, where Manningtree High School had decided to take back the full-time running of the facility.

Mr Stock said he "resented" the implication that he was misleading people and following the adjournment, Mr Henderson apologised.

Mr Stock said he "sincerely hoped" the community use of the sites would continue after the district council's involvement comes to an end.

Angry - Harwich Labour councillor Ivan Henderson called for the sites to remain open

Mr Henderson said residents in Harwich were “disgusted” at plans to close the sites at a time when £575,000 had been invested at Clacton Leisure Centre. “It’s a kick in the teeth,” he said.

A report said attendances at the centres had decreased annually and a “significant investment programme” is needed.

The council has promised all existing bookings for the sports centre in January will be honoured - and that it will be in contact with clubs and users in the New Year to develop future arrangements.

• Harwich Sports Centre

Alex Porter, the council's cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said: “We can deliver high-quality sports facilities, on a sustainable footing and at a reasonable cost to the tax payer, by focusing our investment in the leisure centres we own and run – rather than operating out of other buildings.

"This worked successfully in the summer when the agreement ended in Manningtree.

“We also know the way people get active is changing – so working with partners in the community will be important going forward.

“I would like to sincerely thank our staff who operate these centres, and reassure them that we aim to place all staff at our other sites.

“Our approach is about the council considering whether to invest in buildings it does not own and has no long-term control over.

“We want a smooth transition for the public to community use of the facilities at Brightlingsea and Harwich, so the council will provide transitional support after the agreement ends, for up to three months.”

A spokesman for Sigma Trust said: “We note the decision of Tendring Council and we will be working with the council during this transitional period to accommodate as many bookings as possible, focused on the community use of facilities.”