RESIDENTS DESERVE BETTER
LAST November, I challenged the Labour-led administration’s plans to cut four ‘shared leisure centres’ and at Monday’s environment and communities committee meeting, important progress was reported.
Cheshire East Council and Everybody Health & Leisure (EHL), agreed an extension to EHL’s operating agreement, minor invest-to-save improvements for some
centres, tri-annual investment reviews, and a graduated reduction to zero of the management fee.
Monies from the public health budget and £460k from EHL’s own reserves will help bridge the gap, whilst Middlewich and Holmes Chapel leisure centres are to be transferred to their respective schools.
But it’s glaringly obvious, that the shared facilities that need investment most, Knutsford and Poynton, have been omitted from
these plans.
They have seen no investment for over a decade with allocated capital budgets cut by this Labour-led administration, when the capital addendum was scrapped during 2020.
Therefore, on Monday, I proposed a successful amendment to recommendation four, to plan for investment in the next round of capital investment; “A programme of investment to counteract the current lack of future-proofing at Poynton, Knutsford and
Alsager leisure centres to be made ready for inclusion in the 2026 medium term financial strategy (subject to market conditions).”
We must secure the long-term sustainability of these vulnerable sites and not be fooled by media hype!
Whilst the LabourIndependent council claim no leisure centres are now planned for closure in 2024/25, Poynton, Knutsford and Alsager will be subjected to a managed decline to closure, unless investment is secured.
Residents served by these centres, deserve better - they need guarantees, not rhetoric. Councillor Janet Clowes Cheshire East Conservative Group Leader