Leisure plans have disappeared, critics claim

Riverside Leisure Complex was part of Durham council plans

A plan to improve leisure facilities has “disappeared off the face of the earth”, critics have said.

Labour councillors say residents continue to wait for answers over Durham County Council’s promised Leisure Transformation Programme.

Unrealised plans for Chester-le-Street's Riverside Leisure Complex and Roseberry Playing Fields were raised at a meeting last week.

The council said it remains committed to delivering the programme, despite delays, and pointed to previously completed work.

Proposed changes at Riverside included a 3G pitch, an improved athletics track and a new multi-use court.

At Roseberry, the council, which is led by an alliance of Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Independents, said it was “keen to understand how to make best use" of the facilities.

But previous plans to build new leisure centres in Chester-le-Street, on the site of the former Civic Centre, and in Seaham are now unlikely due to funding pressures.

'No mention'

Residents were first consulted on plans for the Riverside Leisure Complex and Roseberry Playing Fields, in Pelton, in November 2022.

The council then re-consulted in January 2023 following changes to its proposals, but residents say they have not heard from the council since.

The issue was raised again at County Hall during a Corporate Overview and Scrutiny meeting last week amid criticism of the current leisure offering in County Durham.

Committee chair and deputy leader of County Durham Labour, councillor Rob Crute said: “What concerns me is that the leisure transformation programme has disappeared off the face of the earth.

"We were promised it was going to come before the relevant committee back in October, November, December and then January. We expected it to come after the budget.

“There’s no mention of the Leisure Transformation Programme, and we need to do something about it.”

Durham County Council said it remains committed to delivering the programme.

A spokeswoman said: “Through the programme we have already delivered transformations to Abbey, Spennymoor and Peterlee leisure centres.

“We continue to progress with the transformation of the county’s leisure centres, with planning approval recently granted for Bishop Auckland."