Backlash over call for full council leisure centre vote

CORNWALL Council members will debate the potential closure of leisure centres in the county, after a petition gained over 5,000 signatures.

However, the council’s Conservative leader has hit back at a separate opposition move to get a vote on the matter by the full council.

Cornwall Council is currently considering whether it should let leisure centres in Falmouth, Launceston, Saltash and Wadebridge, as well as a hydrotherapy pool in St Austell, close. It comes after operator GLL told the council that it could no longer run the facilities without financial subsidy and the council has said that it has no budget for leisure services, which are not a statutory requirement.

The petition, organised by Cllr Robin Moorcroft, will be added to the agenda of a full council meeting at County Hall next Tuesday.

Council leader Linda Taylor said: “I am pleased that this petition will be considered before full council. We have already heard from over 4,700 residents through our consultation on this matter, and have held numerous meetings in the affected areas to ensure everyone was kept fully in the picture and able to have their say. That feedback is now being collated and will be reported to us at Cabinet.”

Cllr Taylor added: “These are difficult times for councils across the country as we deal with rising demand for our services that outstrips any growth in income, combined with the unique impacts of the pandemic over the past two years.

“Since we took control of the council in May, we have been working to ensure we fix the finances while maintaining frontline services as much as we possibly can.

“Some difficult decisions have to be made, and innovative solutions must be found to ensure we can bridge our budget gap while focusing on our priorities, which reflect the issues our residents have told us matter to them.

“We are doing all we can, and no decisions have yet been made.”

A cross-party group of councillors had also submitted a motion to full council which called for the decision on the future of leisure centres to be made by all councillors and not just the ten on the Cabinet. The motion was proposed by former council leader Julian German (Independent) and seconded by former council chairman Hilary Frank (Lib Dem). It also had support from Loic Rich, leader of the Independent group; Jayne Kirkham, leader of the Labour group; Edwina Hannaford, leader of the Lib Dem group; and Dick Cole, leader of Mebyon Kernow, but it has been thrown out.

Cllr Taylor slammed the attempt and pointed out that Cllr German and Cllr Frank were in charge when GLL was given the 25-year contract – and loaned more than £20 million – to run the county’s leisure centres.

She said: “I was disappointed to learn that there was a failed attempt to bring a motion to full council, which was asking me as the leader to undermine the council’s constitution, and act in a way which is not in accordance with the law.”

She added: “What I was most disappointed by was that this motion was proposed and seconded by Councillors Julian German and Hilary Frank, the previous leader, and chairman of Cornwall Council.

“This might be how they used to run the council – but this is not how we will. This is scandalous.”

She added: “What’s remarkable is that we are having to make difficult decisions about Cornwall’s leisure centres because of the 25-year contract that Cllr German’s administration signed Cornwall Council up to.”