Council review backs decision to shut leisure centre

Dorset Council said it would revisit its decision to shut the QE Leisure Centre in Wimborne

A promised review into the closure of a leisure centre has backed the original council decision to withdraw its funding.

Dorset Council said it would revisit its decision to shut the QE Leisure Centre in Wimborne after more than 7,000 people signed a petition.

Lib Dem leader Nick Ireland promised the review would not be "a rubber stamping exercise".

But campaigners said much of the report's content appeared "uncorrected" and appealed for more time to scrutinise the findings.

QE Leisure Centre (QELC) closed to the public in April after the previous Conservative-led administration withdrew its funding of £550,000 a year.

Since the closure, owner QE School Foundation Trust has allowed community groups to run public sessions, paying to hire the facilities.

Presenting the petition to the full council in July, campaigners read out statements about the impact of losing the centre.

Mr Ireland told them: "We will be asking the officers to produce a new report, not a rehash of the old one, so you have my word on that and we will look at it properly."

Stuart Paterson of campaign group Save QELC said residents had not been given time to submit comments

The report by the council's leisure service manager, published ahead of Tuesday's cabinet meeting, repeated the original reasons for the withdrawal of the subsidy, citing a £880,567 contribution towards site improvements and eight alternative facilities within a 10-mile radius.

Stuart Paterson of campaign group Save QELC said the timing of its publication had not given residents time to submit comments before the meeting deadline.

He said: "We note that much of the content appears uncorrected since the original.

"We would like the council now to postpone consideration of the issue pending proper public scrutiny of this report.

"This would allow time to honour the council leader's request in spirit and not just in word."

The cabinet is due to meet on 18:30 BST on Tuesday.

Dorset Council has also commissioned consultants to carry out a separate review of its leisure provision across the county.