Pandemic-hit Link4Life venues facing closure

BOWLEE Park Sports Centre and St Mary’s artificial turf pitch (ATP) may be set to close permanently.

Both were managed by Link4Life, but they have been unable to reopen since the pandemic.

Link4Life say the facilities have presented “key challenges”.

Both facilities closed in March 2020 due to Covid19 and have been unable to re-open due to the operating restrictions required to provide a covid secure environment.

The layout of the sports centre, which includes narrow corridors, means it is not possible to implement social distancing measures safely throughout the centre.

The facilities will now be handed back to Rochdale Borough Council for them to consider alternatives.

The Indoor Sports Built Facilities Strategy adopted by the Council in July 2020, highlighted Bowlee Park Sport Centre, on Windermere Road, as being poorly performing in terms of income, visitor numbers and efficiency. It showed the sports centre is dated and not to the standards of modern leisure facilities with increasing maintenance and operating costs making it financially unviable.

St Mary’s ATP has seen a significant reduction in the number of bookings as the provision of ATP’s across the borough has increased in recent years and the pitch requires significant investment to update the playing surface which is unsustainable for Link4Life as a charity.

After careful consideration, taking into account the restrictions of covid19 on the future operation of the centre, the overall building condition, usage levels and the high operating costs, Link4Life have concluded that it is no longer viable for them, as a charity, to be the leisure operator of Bowlee Sports Centre and St Mary’s ATP.

Andy King, CEO of Link4Life, stated “It is with sadness that Link4Life will no longer manage Bowlee Park Sports Centre and St Mary’s ATP.

“With ongoing financial pressures, the outcomes of the Indoor Sports Built Facilities Strategy and the investment required to the pitch at St Mary’s, it is not viable for Link4Life to continue the management of either venue. As the sports centre has been unable to re-open due to social distancing measures, we contacted all health and fitness members to provide access to Middleton Arena so that they could return to exercise and this will continue so that there is minimal disruption to their membership.

“Our team are currently in the process of contacting all those who booked activities to provide refunds for any paid bookings and to provide assistance in finding alternative provision where we are able to.”