Ships and Castles Leisure Centre will not be sold for six months

There are fears that if the Ships and Castles site is sold, it could be redeveloped for housing or a hotel

The former Ships and Castles Leisure Centre in Falmouth will not be sold off yet, it has been confirmed.

Falmouth Town Council and local community groups will have another six months to get a bid together to run it themselves, councillors agreed.

If that doesn't work, the site will be sold, it was decided at the Cornwall Council's cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Protesters keen to protect the headland surrounding the site had gathered at County Hall ahead of the meeting.

There are fears that if the site is sold, it could be redeveloped for housing or a hotel, the Local Democracy Service reports.

Ships and Castles closed in March after its operator said it could no longer afford to run it

Ships and Castles closed in March after its operator said it could no longer afford to run it.

Community interest company Pendennis Leisure previously bid to take over the centre - which was dismissed.

At Wednesday's meeting, Richard Pears, the cabinet member responsible for leisure services, said he wanted to make it clear that the site which might be sold was only that of Ships and Castles and the surrounding area and not the wider headland.

He said there was "no intention" to dispose of the wider headland area.

Mr Pears added if the site was sold, the money from that sale - up to £2million or half the net capital receipt, whichever is highest - would be ringfenced to providing funding for a new leisure centre for Falmouth and Penryn.

Councillor Pears also said that no sale would happen prior to the conclusion of discussions with Falmouth Town Council about the devolution of the site, adding the council was "committed" to continuing those discussions.