Saltash Town Council held a meeting on Thursday evening which was attended by around 50 members of the public, as well as by a reporter and cameras from BBC Spotlight, over concerns about the future of the town’s leisure centre.

Saltash Leisure Centre is one of four under threat out of 13 in Cornwall run by the non-profit social enterprise GLL, which operates under the Better brand. GLL says closures during lockdown periods and reduced visitor numbers have had a significant impact on its income over the last 18 months, creating losses of approximately £4.5m. Following discussions with Cornwall Council, GLL has requested either a change to its current contract, which would mean it stops operating leisure centres at Saltash, Launceston, Wadebridge and Falmouth - plus the hydrotherapy pool at the centre in St Austell - or for Cornwall Council to subsidise these facilities.

A consultation exercise is currently under way that drew criticism from both the public and councillors about the lack of advance notice, the relatively short length of time given for its completion, the fact it is being undertaken during a pandemic, during a time when the town’s transport links are being impacted by Tamar Bridge lane closures making it more difficult for people to travel to the leisure centre, and the fact that town councillors had not been given the necessary facts and figures to help in coming up with solutions.

Although the town council had a very full agenda for the meeting (including a presentation by Cornwall Councillor Philip Desmonde on the county authority’s Living Streets proposal to create 20mph speed limit areas and ‘put people first’ as regards health and wellbeing through encouragement of cycling and use of public transport), out of consideration for the main reason why so many members of the public were attending the Mayor moved the leisure centres debate (items 24 and 25) up the agenda. Those present also heard a number of detailed questions and statements from town residents including Chris Elliott, President of Caradon Swimming Club, and Theresa Lindeyer, Chairman of Governors at Bishop Cornish School, as well as regular centre users, who put over their upset at the possibility of closure very forcefully.

Town councillors voted unanimously to oppose any closure plans, to request further details on facts and figures from GLL and Cornwall Council, to explore options on possible ways to keep the centre open and encourage the wider public to take part in the consultation, which runs until October 31.

See the next issue of the Cornish Times – due in shops on Wednesday – for more details about the debate and from regular leisure centre users on why it is so important to them.