Squash court closure a 'waste of money' claims councillor

Warminster's sports centre is undergoing refurbishments

A councillor has called for the closure of some squash courts to be reversed.

Warminster Broadway councillor Tony Jackson said Warminster Sports Centre's squash courts should be re-opened, after they were closed by Wiltshire Council in March.

The council says it is a necessary step to make room for the planned improvements to the centre.

Mr Jackson said "The squash courts were built by West Wiltshire District Council at considerable cost, it is a waste of public money by Wiltshire Council to re-purpose this facility.”

He added that the closure would affect the Scorpion Squash Club, which relied on using the courts at the sports centre, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mike Turner, 57, who has used the courts for 26 years said losing them would have a “direct impact on all members of the club”.

Cabinet member for leisure, councillor Ian Blair-Pilling, said the council was investing in the fitness facilities in Warminster and across the county.

"We were happy to meet with some local squash players recently to hear their views on our plans for Warminster Sports Centre and explain in more detail the context behind the decisions we’ve made.

“We fully understand their disappointment that squash facilities won’t be in place but as a local authority we have a responsibility to ensure the leisure services we provide focus on meeting the health needs of as wide a number of our communities as possible, while keeping facilities sustainable and affordable for all.

“Our information shows we don’t have many regular squash players, and that the courts are under-used and not financially viable," he said.