‘Ageing’ leisure centre’s future under threat
MERCER Hall Leisure Centre looks set to be replaced as part of a wide-ranging estate review by Hyndburn Leisure.
Lyndsey Sims, CEO of Hyndburn Leisure, laid out ambitious proposals for the borough’s flagship leisure offering in a presentation to the full council on November 19.
She said a leisure feasibility study, carried out alongside Hyndburn council and Sport England, examined what investment is needed in the long term to ensure facilities are fit for purpose.
She went on to say that the study had recommended a major refurbishment of Hyndburn Leisure Centre and two possible options for Wilson’s Athletics Pavilion - a general refurbishment of the existing facility, or to bring additional investment into outdoor activities such as an outdoor gym or play structures.
For Mercer Hall Leisure Centre, in Great Harwood, she told councillors the ‘likely’ recommendation would be to replace the existing centre with “a new local leisure offer, which would be a small pool, gym and leisure facility.”
“Our leisure facilities are ageing and they do require investment,” she said.
Council leader Coun Miles Parkinson said the Covid pandemic had changed the council’s perspective on leisure dramatically.
“It was going to be this year that there was going to be no grant and that leisure was sustainable,” he said.
“Before Covid the major concern of the council was health inequality, obesity and life expectancy.
“It may be the time to look at our leisure centres and say ‘are they fit for purpose’?
“There may be some difficult decisions coming forward at where we locate facilities, but we should not look negatively on that. The key is to get people more active.”
Mercer Hall Leisure Centre, shut since earlier this month for the second national lockdown, was closed for six months in late 2018 to early 2019 for ‘essential repairs’.
Hyndburn Leisure is also expected to submit a bid to the £1 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, having identified improvements to Hyndburn Leisure Centre totalling circa £1.7m.
Responding to the recommendations, Coun Noordad Aziz said it was important to “future-proof our leisure services, as past councillors have done.”
Councillors Terry Hurn and Judith Addison were among those to champion the benefits of free exercise in the borough’s open spaces, saying this had been underlined by changing leisure behaviour during the pandemic.
Coun Addison confessed to not being a ‘sporty’ person, and appealed for more investment in our nature reserves.
Councillors Glen Harrison and Kate Walsh both emphasised the importance of exercise in promoting good mental health and well-being.
A final report is expected to be drawn up in February 2021.