Under-threat Cornwall leisure centre given reprieve

Saltash Leisure Centre is to continue to be run by operator GLL

One of the leisure centres under threat of closure in Cornwall has been given a reprieve.

The future of the facilities had been uncertain after operator GLL told Cornwall Council it could no longer run them without financial help.

GLL has now told the council it will carry on running facilities in Saltash.

The future of centres in Falmouth, Launceston and Wadebridge, plus a hydrotherapy pool in St Austell, is to be decided next year.

GLL had applied to the council to change its contract for running 13 leisure facilities around the county, asking for it not to be responsible for the ones under threat.

Protestors against the closures said the centres were essential in keeping people fit and healthy

Locals have been campaigning to keep all the centres open, saying the facilities were an essential part of keeping people in Cornwall fit and healthy.

They also highlighted they played an important role for schools to teach children how to swim.

The council had previously said leisure provision was not a statutory service and there was no budget available to keep them open.

However, Richard Pears, the Cornwall councillor in charge of leisure, said after a meeting of the council's cabinet that GLL had "agreed to modify their change request to the council."

He added that he was "presenting a modified report to cabinet which reflects" GLL now wanting to stop running the four other under-threat facilities.